The Revelation of Divine Jealousy (https://www.darlingtonchristianfellowship.com.au/sermons/ [] not used in sermon “In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, the hand of the Sovereign Lord came on me there. 2 I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man. From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal. 3 He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. 4 And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain.” (Ezek 8:1-4)
“For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Cor 10:1-13)
Introduction
I have long said that the key issue for the human conscience is best expressed in terms like this [Trinitarian]: “is God a Father, and what sort of a Father is he?” The foundation for answering this profoundest of questions comes in the so-called “Cry of dereliction”, where Jesus, bearing the darkness of the sins of the world, can no longer articulate the word “Father” but is driven to use the words of Psalm 22:1. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:24) The devout Anglican missionary Henry Martyn (1791-1812) declared in the presence of a [blasphemous] Islamic picture of Jesus bowing before Mohammed: ‘I could not endure existence if Jesus was not glorified; it would be hell to me if He were to be always thus dishonoured.’ https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/ray-ortlund/it-would-be-hell-to-me-if/. Martyn had a burning zeal for the honour of God because he shared powerfully in the divine jealousy. In my last sermon here I taught on the Lamb of God who came to put away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The depth of sin [is an anti-family/unfilial state which] finds its pinnacle in idol worship. In heated controversy with the Pharisees [which descended into their attempt to stone Jesus (John 8:59),] the Lord said [of their anti-Father disposition] “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.” (John 8:44). As the last of a line of prophets [to be slaughtered in Jerusalem upholding the holy covenant of God (Luke 13:33)] Jesus embodied in his being what other prophets could only symbolise. After calling down fire from heaven at Mt Carmel and slaughtering the prophets of Baal (1 Ki 18), Elijah describes himself as “very zealous for the LORD God Almighty” (1 Ki 19:10, 14). A church which lacks zeal is a church which lacks jealousy for the things of God x2 (Rom 12:11). Jesus says to his Laodicean Church that it is “neither hot nor cold but lukewarm” and in danger of being vomited out of his mouth (Rev 3:16 cf. Lev 18:24-25). Recall how when Paul was in Athens (Acts 17:22), “his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.” (Acts 17:16); [we then hear one of the most important sermons in the New Testament (17:22-31)]. In the ancient world of both testaments [(cf. modern polytheisms like Hinduism)] the gods are fiercely competitive with one another; jealous and competitive gods sound weird to us but this worldview is key to comprehending global religious persecution.
Old Covenant
Under the old covenant God sought the sole devotion of his people, therefore the second of the Ten Commandments is the prohibition of idolatry. The LORD declares himself “a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Ex 20:5). Whenever Israel [played the harlot] worshipped “foreign/strange/false gods” her jealous Husband was provoked to anger and disciplined or punished her (Deut 32:16, 21; Ps 72:58). The model case, referred to in 1 Cor 10:8, is found in Numbers 25. Here Phinehas, grandson of the High Priest Aaron, halted a plague [at Baal Peor] caused by idol worship and sexual immorality, he did this dramatically by putting a spear through an Israelite and his [seductive] pagan consort. What to us is a savage act, is praised as “very zealous for the honour of God” where he “made atonement for Israel”, [one that was immediately accepted by God,] and rewarded with “the covenant of a perpetual priesthood” (Num 25:11,13 cf. Ps 106:28-31; 1 Cor 10:8). Phinehas uniquely appeases God [outside of the temple rituals] as a holy man appointed for an hour of divine destiny who could not bear to see God’s honour degraded. [On the verge of entering the Promised Land, Joshua warns Israel that the God who has chosen them will visit them with disaster if they follow foreign gods for he is holy and jealous (Josh 24:19ff.] Unlike the average jealous human husband, divine jealousy is an expression of pure love. God’s hostility to accommodation with pagan gods is his passion for the one he so intensely loves that the well-being of the beloved must triumph whatever the personal cost to himself. [In related languages, the word translated jealousy conveys the idea of becoming intensely red with passion.] the prophets best understand this.
For Ezekiel [the main prophet of jealousy in the old covenant, containing a quarter of all its references] in the presence of the elders of Israel the “idol that provokes to jealousy” (8:3) is only a pathetic pale imitation of the underived eternal [uncreated ]glory of the Sovereign LORD (cf. Rom 1:18-32 cf. Isaiah’s focus 28x on God as “Holy”). Idolatry, old or new (Rom 1:18-32) always provokes withdrawal of the glory of the LORD as punishment (Ezekiel 10:1-22; Exodus 40:34-35, 1 Ki 8:3-11). This is the pinnacle of disaster for a covenant people [old and new]! The impassioned God is finally driven to this extreme action because he must act for his own highest good, which is also the highest good of his creatures. Because God created men and women to be ““sons and daughters for his own glory”, it is impossible that he shares his paise or glory with idol powers (Isa 43:7; 42:8). The LORD, being true to his own nature, must act to save his own reputation. So the Son of God “must” come and die for lost humanity (3x’s in each of the Synoptic Gospels).
[Interference with a covenant relationship by a third party always incites the jealous God for jealousy is an essential divine attribute (Nah 1:2). God cannot be indifferent when his approaches are spurned by his people, he burns like a fire (Deut 4:24) very jealously (Zech 1:14-15; 8:2) and consumes everything opposing his Beloved (Ezek 36:3-7; 38:19-23).] Jealousy is an active righteous, holy and irresistible protective force.
The Cross and the Satisfaction of Jealousy
Christ’s first words from the cross, ““Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”” (Luke 23:34) were indispensable to the completion of his work; for if he had not prayed this fire would have come down from heaven and consumed all sinners on earth (cf. Rev 20:9). We read in Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming of Christ, “After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledgemy righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.” (53:11). Since the satisfaction of the Son is one with the satisfaction of the Father (John 10:30; 14:9; 17:5), [to quote the glorious and notorious song, In Christ Alone,] how was “the wrath of God satisfied” at the cross? The beloved Son must take (Luke 24:26) the fire of the divine Jealousy upon himself; here he accepts and approves of God as a Holy and Righteous Father and Judge in our place as the beloved (John 17:11,25; 1 Pet 1:17). The “cry of dereliction”, of which we have already spoken, is the utter anguish of spiritual darkness and separation from his “Abba Father” (Mark 14:36 cf. Isa 59:2) In crucifixion Jesus is totally stripped of every vestige of the glory of God [(Ichabod “without glory” cf. 1 Sam 4:21-22; 2 Cor 5:21; Rom 8:3; 1 Pet 2:24)]. As God the Word made flesh (John 1:1-14) the offering up of Christ’s LIFE as a willing and holy sacrifice perfectly negates every dynamic of all sin for all time. By faith we have “peace/shalom/wholeness with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1).
Jesus’ trust in the Father’s heart of Love for sinners is absolute so his attitude towards the sin bears in our place (Rom 8:3; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 2:24) is the perfect act of atoning; “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2). As the fulfilment of all Phinehas pointed to, Jesus has been granted by his Father an everlasting priesthood: “he is able to save completelythose who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Heb 4:14-16; 7:25). The power of his prayers continues to sustain and empower the Church.
Paul and Jealousy
Whereas under the old covenant, it is the LORD who is the Jealous God, under the NEW covenant Jesus is the Jealous God! We heard in 1 Cor 10:1-13 about this and Paul continues. “Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?” (vv.18-22) The privileges of the Lord’s Supper mean, “those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep i.e. died.” (1 Cor 11:29-30). Jesus has not lowered God’s standards, so today we witness around us the weakening of holy power to heal in our midst. Paul passionately testifies, “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.” (2 Cor 11:2) He is energised with jealousy as the spiritual father of the Bride and friend of the Bridegroom (1 Cor 4:15; John 3:29) earnestly desiring a holy coupling between the Church and Christ. To receive Christ into your heart by faith (Eph 3:16) is to share in the Lord’s burning zeal for the coming Kingdom of God. This holy energy underlies the New Testament story
Defending God’s Honour and Reputation
On the verge of his imminent death the first martyr speaks with the voice of Jesus; “While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:59-60). Stephen perfectly exemplifies the power of the mind of Christ for the conversion of the world. Cf. Henry Martyn in India
The entire theme/story/drama of the book of Revelation is about saving God’s reputation. [“the faithfulness of Jesus” (Rev 14:12) in] As the final book of Scripture it must be read as a vindication of God’s handling of evil from its beginning to its end. The history of Jesus and those who bear his witness (Rev 12:11) unveil the nature of evil and disclose God’s character through faithful suffering. The unmasking of the deceiver of the whole world (Rev 12:9) is not based on ordinary power and might (Zech 4:6) but manifested through the slaughtering of the Lamb and his disciples (Acts 8:32; Rom 8:36), as the ultimate [definitive] display of God’s character in history. The worthiness of the Lamb to open the scroll (Rev 5) is pronounced in such a manner that “absolutely no one else would have solved the cosmic problem of evil in this way”. The slaughtered and raised Lamb worthy to take the scroll and break its seals embodies God’s self-giving love made manifest to save the world [suffering “beauty will save the world” Dostoyevsky].
Conclusion
Evangelical believers trust that the cross makes atonement through expressing God’s holy zeal expressed through suffering human life, first in Jesus, then through his Body (Rom 12:11). One of the dynamic responsibilities of Christian leadership is to receive, operate and openly model such a sacred call before the Lord. As Jesus has condemned sin in the power of his S/spirit in our flesh (Rom 8:3) so that it needs no longer reign in our mortal bodies (Rom 8:11 cf. Ps 106:30-31; Rom 4:3ff.) Spirit-filled men and women must grow in God through prayer to witness the triumph of the cross [in congregations] around them. If we ask Jesus will grant the outpouring of his holy zeal upon us (2 Cor 1:3-11); “in all these (terrible) things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” ” (Rom 8:37)