You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
– Exodus 20:4-6
God is perfect. And God is jealous. How can both be true? Jealousy, as we understand it in human experience, comes from a place of fear; from a sense of inadequacy. The person who is jealous worries that the beloved will discover their shortcomings and will find something better. Human jealousy is inward oriented. This isn’t the way that God is jealous. God is sufficient – God is more than enough to fill every need of the beloved (that is, us). So the jealousy of God is not a sign of insufficiency.
The “jealousy” of God is different. It is outward oriented. God knows us (God made us, after all) and God knows what we truly need. God loves us deeply and passionately; so much so that God allows us to choose to listen or to turn away. God knows what is likely to happen when we turn from God and begin to worship something else. We will eventually find that the something else will be inadequate – insufficient – and we will get hurt.
What we experience as “punishment” is simply the consequence of following something other than God. And that often extends through generations in a family. Look at the way that abuse can affect generations following the first abusive relationship; or substance abuse can alter entire family systems. And then look at the resilience of individuals in families who keep first things first through generations.
God knows that we will face hard times. Often dreadful things happen that defy explanation or blame. God wants what is best for us especially in these times. So while God gives us freedom to choose, God continually invites us to make the love of God first in our lives. God’s will is frustrated when we choose something else. God longs to be in a deep and meaningful relationship with us.
We will be exploring this and more on Sunday morning in worship. We will be talking about “Getting Unstuck.” Here are some questions to get you thinking, and for discussion following the message:
- What distracts you from fulfilling your purpose? (“I Know Better”, “If I only had that thing/gift…”, other)
- What helps you stay focused?
- What is one small step you can take right now?
Gracious God, we thank you that you seek us out when we turn away. We thank you that you stand at the door and knock. We thank you for Jesus, who invites us to take his easy yoke and light burden upon ourselves. Help us, especially in this time, to keep your love in our hearts, on our lips, and moving through the work of our hands. May we see the spark of your divine grace in everyone we meet. Amen.