God is Jealous - and That's Okay

GOD IS JEALOUS - AND THAT'S OKAY INTRO – RETURN TO YAHWEH – the name never spoken, but most often used about God God who is, who was, who will be, the God who exists without anyone’s help (self-existent), eternal, unchangeable, Have listed on the board a number of qualities, including Jealous – ask kids to arrange them so the “good” emotions are on one side, and the ‘bad” ones are on the other: Love Patience Anger Jealousy Trusting Talk first about how anger is “neutral” – it can be good – like when we recognize evil for what it is and stop it. So, maybe surprisingly, is jealousy. When you and I think about Jealous, what do we usually think of? Jealous for something someone else has that we don’t and we want it (friends, things, talents) Maybe you’d be surprised that jealousy can be “good”, but only in a very special way. And this is how jealousy is good. When a man and woman get married, they promise to be faithful to one another until they die. In the wedding ceremony, sometimes the minister says: When God has put together, let no one put asunder. That means, if God has put this man and woman together, no one – no one at all – has the right to break that relationships apart. The same can be said for parents and kids. There is a special love for children that parents have, and God gives them. And a special love for parents that God gives children. No one else should share that special love. It’s unique, a one-of-a-kind, and it rightly should not be shared. No matter how close people are, no one should share the special love btw. A husband and wife – it’s an exclusive relationship. And a husband is right to be jealous for his wife’s love and a wife to be jealous for her husband’s love. This is a jealousy to protect what is right and good. And this is far different from what we think of jealousy – wanting something we don’t have. I want you to open your Bibles to the OT – to the book of I Samuel 5, and we’re going to learn that God too can be jealous. • Why did the idol keep falling down? • Do things fall down by themselves? • What could have pushed the idol over? • Why would God push the idol over? Let’s find the answer to our last Question by going to Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD; that is My Name! I will not give My glory to another or My praise to idols!