El Qanna: God is a jealous God

In Exodus chapter 20 we learn a little bit about the character of God within the Ten Commandments. This specific characteristic of God ties into relationships. Jealousy.

One would think jealousy has a negative connotation. But after reading scripture I see that it is not the case. El Qanna, God calls himself. Which means jealous God.

Exodus 20:4-5 “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. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God..."

For God to be jealous for us means that he desires that we worship Him and him alone and no one else. I would relate this to a Husband and Wife being jealous for one another. That they do not want their spouse to desire someone else.

That kind of jealousy a one out of love is positive.

Now what does this have to do with relationships?

Simple. Our relationship with God has an impact on our relationship with others. The closer we are to God the more we learn to love. And in marriage, for it to work as God designed each one needs to draw near to Jesus. For the closer man and wife gets to God the closer they can get to one another.

The problem that can happen is focusing your 100% attention towards someone you have a relationship with and expecting the same in return. The only one worthy of 100% attention is El Qanna. But by grace, the Lord has designed it so that by drawing closer to Him you can become closer to other people. So by putting all of your attention into one person, you end up making them into an idol in which you worship.

The effects of this can be devastating and can ruin a relationship you have with someone. If one person is drawing near to God and the other is going away but trying to go towards the other person a gap starts to form in the life of that relationship. Only by both people drawing near to God can they draw close together.

So in a relationship if you are giving your 100% to that person what is left for the Lord? It is heart breaking to see relationships break. But the Lord is a God of mercy, grace, and restoration. If you seek first the Lord your God all things after will come.

How wonderful it is to have a God who loves us so much that he sent His son to die for us. That jealousy for us has given us life. May we turn our hearts to the Lord and by placing Him first in our life we will be able to have others that much closer to us in our lives.

God Bless and I hope you place God first in your life. I know that I know that His love is real and is life changing. Let Him change you and make you into something beautiful.