Category: The Jealous God

Exodus 34:12-14 NIV
12 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. 13 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. 14 Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

2 Corinthians 11:2  NIV
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.

“Dear friends, let this jealousy which should keep us near to Christ be also a comfort to us, for if we be married to Christ, and he be jealous of us, depend upon it this jealous husband will let none touch his spouse…The subject is large and deep; let us prove that we understand it, by henceforth walking very carefully; and if any say ‘Why are you so precise?’ let this be our answer—‘I serve a jealous God.’” [C. H. Spurgeon, A Jealous God]

The church is being made breathtakingly beautiful in order to be presented to Jesus Christ, the bridegroom. So let us all partake in the exclusive devotion to him alone, walking carefully and precisely. Let us serve the jealous God by praying for the church and campus ministries and missional groups that each person will grow to be breathtakingly beautiful in the exclusive love of God.

Prayer: God thank you that you are making the church breathtakingly beautiful, pure and holy. May we partake, live and grow in your jealous love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s sing “Your grace amazes me” by Passion (click here).

-MK

 

Exodus 34:10 NIV
10 Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you.

“God’s jealousy is not indicative of weakness or a character flaw on his part, but it is a part of his holy omnipotence. He will pursue his holy purposes, and, in his zeal, he will accomplish all he set out to do.” [Kirk Wellum, “The Jealousy of God,” Gospel Coalition]

Let’s open our hearts and ask the Lord for the outworking of his jealous love in our lives. Pray for miraculous breakthroughs in our lives, our family and loved ones. Also, pray for those God puts in your heart that desperately need to experience God’s jealous love that transforms us.

Prayer: Lord we want, and we need to experience more of your jealous love. Accomplish your awesome and wonderful works in our lives and in our loved ones. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s sing “Anchor” by Hillsong (click here).

-MK

Let’s read aloud together the following scripture, Cape Town Commitment and prayer.

The Ten Commandments
And God spoke all these words:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20.1-6)

Cape Town Commitment  Part I, 2 – We love the living God. 1 Peter 2:9
We love God above all rivals. We are commanded to love and worship the living God alone. But like Old Testament Israel, we allow our love for God to be adulterated by going after the gods of this world… Like Israel we need to hear the call of the prophets and of Jesus himself to repent, to forsake all rivals, and to return to obedient love and worship of God alone.

We love God with passion for his glory. The greatest motivation for our mission is the same as that which drives the mission of God himself – that the one true living God should be known and glorified throughout his whole creation. That is God’s ultimate goal and should be our greatest joy.

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Prayer: Holy Spirit of God, help us turn away from things, desires or goals that compete with our devotion to Jesus, to love and worship the living God alone. In Christ’s name we pray, amen.

Let’s sing “Worthy” by Elevation Worship (click here).

-MK

 

Exodus 34:5-7 NIV
5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

“And in the same way, God’s jealousy is not a compound of frustration, envy and spite, as human jealousy so often is, but appears instead as a (literally) praiseworthy zeal to preserve something supremely precious…God’s jealousy over his people, as we have seen, presupposes his covenant love; and this love is no transitory affection, accidental and aimless, but is the expression of a sovereign purpose.” [Packer, J. I., Knowing God]

The covenantal love of God found in the character of God who is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and abounding with love and faithfulness, is supremely precious to us, as his people. In God’s promise lies our confidence because he will maintain and preserve it. Let’s consider this carefully and pray that we will know more every day the supremely precious covenantal love of God.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for your love that is covenantal. At the cross, all your promises are fulfilled. So may we know this reality every day and hold it supremely precious. In your name we pray, amen.

Let’s worship the Lord by singing the song “Your love never fails” by Jesus Culture (click here).

-MK

 

Zechariah 8:2-3 NIV
This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.” This is what the Lord says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.”

“He is also very jealous of our company… Do you not believe that nine out of ten of the troubles and pains of believers are the result of their love to some other person than Christ?…O for a fire to burn up all my wandering loves. O for a seal to stamp the name of my Beloved indelibly upon my heart! O love divine expel from me all carnal worldly loves, and fill me with thyself!” (C. H. Spurgeon, A Jealous God)

Prayer: Lord, let your jealous love that is burning consume me and my ways. Transform me and set my heart ablaze for you, only. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s sing to the Lord with the song “Fire Never Sleeps” by Martin Smith (click here).

-MK