Question: What is the difference between jealousy and envy? Why does God call himself jealous?
Response:
Jealousy - feeling resentment against someone because of that person's rivalry, success, or advantages.
Envy - a feeling of discontentment or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc.
Jealousy and envy are a bit different (look to the above definitions). If one of us humans were to be jealous for our own sake it would always lead to sin. But when God is jealous in the Scripture, it is for the sake of His glory and for the hearts of His people.
Exodus 34:14
Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
God is jealous that we worship Him alone.
For 4 reasons:
1. Because He alone is worthy of praise.
2. God as our loving Father knows what is best for us.
3. God knows that other things as supreme to us will only destroy us.
4. God demands us to have Him as uppermost in our affections and devotion.
When God is jealous, it is right—to allow that anything else be God in our lives is flat out idolatry... and will only bring about death.
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