2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. 3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. (2 Corinthians 11:2-4)
(jealousy)Thoughts: The idea of God as a jealous God is spread throughout the scripture. It is found five times in Deuteronomy alone (4:24; 5:9; 6:15; 21:16; 32:21); But it is found in other palces as well (Ex. 20:5; 34:14; Ezek. 8:3; Nahum 1:2); God is jealous in that He wants us to worship what is right and true. We are not made to worship false idols, but we are designed to worship the infinite, eternal, mysterious, majestic God.
The word "jealous" is a strong word. Some have asked, "Isn't if a sin to be jealous?" But what is sin to humans isn't always sin to God. For example, it is good that God wants us to worship Him- He is worthy. It is not good for us to worship a human being. The One who gives life has the right to end it, but we do not have that moral right. It says more than "God is concerned" or "God is interested" that we not worship idols. The word "jealous" conjures up another common theme: that idolatry is similar to spiritual adultery. Hosea married a prostitute and he loved her, provided for her, cared for her but she did not return his love in the longterm. She wandered away after others. So idolatry is wandering away from God- creating other gods that we can stray away from.
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