1 00:00:01,510 --> 00:00:04,368 This morning Scripture is from 2 00:00:04,368 --> 00:00:07,225 Exodus 3410 to 14, the 3 00:00:07,225 --> 00:00:08,940 revised standard version. 4 00:00:11,830 --> 00:00:14,601 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant 5 00:00:14,601 --> 00:00:17,372 before all your people. I will do marvels 6 00:00:17,372 --> 00:00:20,143 such as have not been wrought in all 7 00:00:20,143 --> 00:00:22,914 the earth or in any nation, and all 8 00:00:22,914 --> 00:00:25,685 the people among whom you you are shall 9 00:00:25,685 --> 00:00:28,456 see the work of the Lord. For it 10 00:00:28,456 --> 00:00:31,227 is a terrible thing that I will do 11 00:00:31,227 --> 00:00:33,981 with you. Observe what 12 00:00:33,981 --> 00:00:36,654 I command you this day. Behold, 13 00:00:36,654 --> 00:00:39,328 I will drive out before you 14 00:00:39,328 --> 00:00:41,556 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the 15 00:00:41,556 --> 00:00:44,229 Hittites, the Parasites, the Hivites, and 16 00:00:44,229 --> 00:00:46,902 the Jebusites. Take heed to yourself 17 00:00:46,902 --> 00:00:49,576 lest you make a covenant with 18 00:00:49,576 --> 00:00:52,249 the inhabitants of the land whether 19 00:00:52,249 --> 00:00:55,204 you go. Lest it become a 20 00:00:55,204 --> 00:00:57,906 snare in the midst of you, you 21 00:00:57,906 --> 00:01:00,608 shall tear down their altars, and break 22 00:01:00,608 --> 00:01:02,924 their pillars, and cut down their 23 00:01:02,924 --> 00:01:05,626 asherim. For you shall worship no other 24 00:01:05,626 --> 00:01:08,328 God. For the Lord whose name is 25 00:01:08,328 --> 00:01:11,030 jealous is a jealous God. This is 26 00:01:11,030 --> 00:01:12,960 the word of the Lord. 27 00:01:38,260 --> 00:01:40,773 Picture this scene with me 28 00:01:40,773 --> 00:01:42,280 if you would. 29 00:01:44,290 --> 00:01:47,181 A man comes home, enters his 30 00:01:47,181 --> 00:01:49,589 apartment. There's a spacious apartment. 31 00:01:49,589 --> 00:01:52,480 He's well dressed, he's obviously well 32 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,371 to do, but as he goes 33 00:01:55,371 --> 00:01:58,261 around the apartment calling out a 34 00:01:58,261 --> 00:02:00,670 name, he gets increasingly agitated. 35 00:02:02,190 --> 00:02:05,083 Because the place is empty, he runs 36 00:02:05,083 --> 00:02:07,977 back outside. It's the middle of the 37 00:02:07,977 --> 00:02:10,870 night, and it's also in the middle 38 00:02:10,870 --> 00:02:13,560 of a storm. He's 39 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,276 not wearing a coat, but he doesn't seem 40 00:02:16,276 --> 00:02:18,993 to care. The rain's pouring down upon him 41 00:02:18,993 --> 00:02:21,030 as he stomps through the streets. 42 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:25,287 He doesn't have time for a subway. He 43 00:02:25,287 --> 00:02:28,208 hails a cab. He gets in 44 00:02:28,208 --> 00:02:31,135 the cab. And 45 00:02:31,135 --> 00:02:34,051 barks at the cab driver take me to 46 00:02:34,051 --> 00:02:34,780 this address. 47 00:02:37,020 --> 00:02:38,720 Then he sits back in his seat. 48 00:02:39,640 --> 00:02:42,144 And he's a statue. His 49 00:02:42,144 --> 00:02:44,648 muscles are tense, his hands 50 00:02:44,648 --> 00:02:47,460 are clenched. And 51 00:02:47,460 --> 00:02:50,160 he doesn't move except to lean 52 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:52,860 forward and again snap at the 53 00:02:52,860 --> 00:02:54,660 cab driver. Go faster. 54 00:02:55,990 --> 00:02:58,918 Cab driver at this point is too afraid to 55 00:02:58,918 --> 00:03:01,847 do anything but to obey him. He pulls up 56 00:03:01,847 --> 00:03:04,450 to the curb of a brownstone. The man 57 00:03:04,450 --> 00:03:07,053 whips out his wallet, rips out some cash, 58 00:03:07,053 --> 00:03:08,680 throws it on the seat. 59 00:03:10,670 --> 00:03:13,633 Not caring, not noticing how much 60 00:03:13,633 --> 00:03:16,323 he's overpaid. Jumps out 61 00:03:16,323 --> 00:03:18,820 of the cab, runs up the steps. 62 00:03:20,260 --> 00:03:23,025 And breaks through the front door. 63 00:03:23,025 --> 00:03:25,790 Hardly, you know, breaking his stride. 64 00:03:27,210 --> 00:03:29,580 He bounds up the stairs of the apartment. 65 00:03:30,640 --> 00:03:33,210 Building down a hallway. 66 00:03:35,260 --> 00:03:37,888 To Adore takes his thumb, Rams 67 00:03:37,888 --> 00:03:40,516 his thumb against the buzzer of 68 00:03:40,516 --> 00:03:43,144 the door, but he doesn't let 69 00:03:43,144 --> 00:03:44,020 go. He. 70 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:48,517 But that's not good enough. He 71 00:03:48,517 --> 00:03:51,194 starts banging on the door. Let 72 00:03:51,194 --> 00:03:53,871 me in open this door, oblivious 73 00:03:53,871 --> 00:03:56,548 to who might be sleeping in 74 00:03:56,548 --> 00:03:57,440 the building. 75 00:03:58,550 --> 00:04:01,168 Finally. The 76 00:04:01,168 --> 00:04:04,041 door cracks open. Opened by 77 00:04:04,041 --> 00:04:06,530 another guy, but the man puts his 78 00:04:06,530 --> 00:04:09,020 shoulder against the door and forces his 79 00:04:09,020 --> 00:04:11,153 way through, breaking the little chain 80 00:04:11,153 --> 00:04:12,220 off the door. 81 00:04:14,380 --> 00:04:16,852 And as he stands there across the room, 82 00:04:16,852 --> 00:04:19,632 the door to a bedroom open and out opens 83 00:04:19,632 --> 00:04:22,250 it outcomes. The man's 84 00:04:22,250 --> 00:04:24,330 wife in a bathroom. 85 00:04:26,540 --> 00:04:29,002 She sees as her husband. At first, she's 86 00:04:29,002 --> 00:04:31,641 shocked. Then her 87 00:04:31,641 --> 00:04:34,314 expression hardens into into a face 88 00:04:34,314 --> 00:04:36,988 of defiance, and a wry smile 89 00:04:36,988 --> 00:04:38,770 curls across her face. 90 00:04:40,710 --> 00:04:42,100 She says yes. 91 00:04:43,630 --> 00:04:46,605 Here I am. The 92 00:04:46,605 --> 00:04:48,885 man reaches behind his back, pulls out a 93 00:04:48,885 --> 00:04:51,534 gun. She sees the gun. 94 00:04:51,534 --> 00:04:54,336 She's taken aback. Then 95 00:04:54,336 --> 00:04:57,318 she says don't be ridiculous, this isn't 96 00:04:57,318 --> 00:04:58,170 that serious. 97 00:05:00,310 --> 00:05:03,085 The husband answers yes, it 98 00:05:03,085 --> 00:05:04,750 is that serious. 99 00:05:06,420 --> 00:05:09,210 He puts the gun on the table, walks up 100 00:05:09,210 --> 00:05:12,083 to her. Right 101 00:05:12,083 --> 00:05:15,004 to her face. And says 102 00:05:15,004 --> 00:05:17,836 you have dragged my honor through 103 00:05:17,836 --> 00:05:18,780 the gutter. 104 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:21,890 I've loved you. 105 00:05:23,130 --> 00:05:25,010 You belong to me. 106 00:05:28,130 --> 00:05:30,617 The words hang in 107 00:05:30,617 --> 00:05:31,860 the air. 108 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,311 What have I just described to 109 00:05:39,311 --> 00:05:39,770 you? 110 00:05:43,410 --> 00:05:43,990 Huh. 111 00:05:47,150 --> 00:05:49,959 What I just described to you is 112 00:05:49,959 --> 00:05:52,582 jealousy. Jealousy in all 113 00:05:52,582 --> 00:05:55,245 its intensity. Because if there's one 114 00:05:55,245 --> 00:05:57,020 thing that jealousy is. 115 00:05:58,190 --> 00:05:59,350 It's intense. 116 00:06:03,930 --> 00:06:06,607 We're continuing our study, our series on 117 00:06:06,607 --> 00:06:09,283 what God is like by looking at 118 00:06:09,283 --> 00:06:11,960 the attributes of God as revealed in 119 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:14,637 the Scriptures of the Old and New 120 00:06:14,637 --> 00:06:17,313 Testament. And we come this morning to 121 00:06:17,313 --> 00:06:19,990 a very curious statement in this passage. 122 00:06:20,940 --> 00:06:22,190 About jealousy. 123 00:06:23,810 --> 00:06:26,444 It's a statement that's made in the 124 00:06:26,444 --> 00:06:29,250 context. Of a covenant. 125 00:06:30,670 --> 00:06:32,995 But we need to realize the fierceness of 126 00:06:32,995 --> 00:06:35,320 what it is that we're looking at here. 127 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,402 As Solomon said in the 128 00:06:39,402 --> 00:06:42,330 Proverbs. Anger. 129 00:06:43,950 --> 00:06:46,490 Is wrathful Anger is 130 00:06:46,490 --> 00:06:49,030 fierce, wrath is overwhelming. 131 00:06:49,030 --> 00:06:51,570 But who can stand 132 00:06:51,570 --> 00:06:52,840 before jealousy? 133 00:06:55,190 --> 00:06:57,652 And we're taking a look here at God, 134 00:06:57,652 --> 00:07:00,115 trying to understand Him so that we can 135 00:07:00,115 --> 00:07:02,577 know Him better. We're taking a few weeks 136 00:07:02,577 --> 00:07:05,040 this summer to look at his attributes, to 137 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:07,502 know Him better, but also to inform our 138 00:07:07,502 --> 00:07:10,273 worship how it is we come to Him and 139 00:07:10,273 --> 00:07:12,735 worship together. And so we come to this 140 00:07:12,735 --> 00:07:15,198 statement in the book of Exodus is smack 141 00:07:15,198 --> 00:07:17,660 dab in the middle of the worship section. 142 00:07:17,980 --> 00:07:20,656 This latter part of the book of Exodus 143 00:07:20,656 --> 00:07:23,331 is all about how to worship under the 144 00:07:23,331 --> 00:07:26,067 Mosaic covenant. It's a statement 145 00:07:26,067 --> 00:07:28,416 within the covenant of Moses, and it's 146 00:07:28,416 --> 00:07:30,430 prescribing how people come to God. 147 00:07:31,790 --> 00:07:34,400 During that covenant in that time. 148 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:38,707 Prescribing worship. And so we notice in 149 00:07:38,707 --> 00:07:41,655 verse 10 starts out the passage that 150 00:07:41,655 --> 00:07:44,602 this is this thing that we're reading 151 00:07:44,602 --> 00:07:47,550 about is in the context of of 152 00:07:47,550 --> 00:07:50,497 a covenant that God is making with 153 00:07:50,497 --> 00:07:53,024 them. And it's a curious statement 154 00:07:53,024 --> 00:07:55,550 indeed. Yabe kanah samu El kana. 155 00:07:55,850 --> 00:07:56,470 Who? 156 00:07:58,590 --> 00:08:01,331 Yahweh cannot shamu El tanahu. 157 00:08:01,331 --> 00:08:04,072 This God is not only 158 00:08:04,072 --> 00:08:04,620 jealous. 159 00:08:07,170 --> 00:08:09,835 His name?Is 160 00:08:09,835 --> 00:08:10,340 jealous. 161 00:08:12,450 --> 00:08:14,460 His name is jealous. 162 00:08:15,910 --> 00:08:17,709 Friends, this is not an isolated 163 00:08:17,709 --> 00:08:19,507 statement in the scriptures either. In 164 00:08:19,507 --> 00:08:22,206 fact this is this is a reiteration of the 165 00:08:22,206 --> 00:08:25,203 idea we find in the law in the in the 166 00:08:25,203 --> 00:08:27,002 10 commandments back in Exodus 20. 167 00:08:27,002 --> 00:08:29,400 Remember, God says you shall not make a 168 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,345 graven image. Because I the 169 00:08:32,345 --> 00:08:35,055 Lord your God. And a 170 00:08:35,055 --> 00:08:35,650 jealous God. 171 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:40,535 So this is not a fluke, a slip of the pen 172 00:08:40,535 --> 00:08:43,438 of the writer. Hard to 173 00:08:43,438 --> 00:08:46,073 get around this. If you 174 00:08:46,073 --> 00:08:48,480 believe the Bible that this is. 175 00:08:49,980 --> 00:08:52,513 This is an essential characteristic of 176 00:08:52,513 --> 00:08:53,780 who God is. 177 00:08:57,130 --> 00:08:59,638 A central aspect of his 178 00:08:59,638 --> 00:09:00,140 character. 179 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:04,728 Well, what does it mean to say that God's 180 00:09:04,728 --> 00:09:06,120 are jealous? They're jealous of what? 181 00:09:07,460 --> 00:09:10,411 Well, it seems to be connected to his 182 00:09:10,411 --> 00:09:13,183 name. Ezekiel 39 183 00:09:13,183 --> 00:09:15,597 Thus says the Lord God, Now I will 184 00:09:15,597 --> 00:09:17,709 restore the fortunes of Jacob, and have 185 00:09:17,709 --> 00:09:20,425 mercy on the whole House of Israel, and I 186 00:09:20,425 --> 00:09:22,537 will be jealous for my holy name. 187 00:09:22,537 --> 00:09:24,951 Something to do with His name, read in 188 00:09:24,951 --> 00:09:27,063 other places, has something to do with 189 00:09:27,063 --> 00:09:30,015 His glory, His honor. He says I 190 00:09:30,015 --> 00:09:32,360 will not give my glory to another. 191 00:09:33,730 --> 00:09:36,467 My glory, my honor, I will not 192 00:09:36,467 --> 00:09:39,120 give to another. So 193 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:41,520 his name, his honors, his righteous 194 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:44,242 glory. For these things he is 195 00:09:44,242 --> 00:09:47,155 jealous. Now I 196 00:09:47,155 --> 00:09:49,518 know that as soon as I start talking like 197 00:09:49,518 --> 00:09:52,450 that. Some of you stumble 198 00:09:52,450 --> 00:09:55,145 in coming along with me, some of 199 00:09:55,145 --> 00:09:57,840 you for this, for this. This presents 200 00:09:57,840 --> 00:09:59,380 an obstacle for you. 201 00:10:01,950 --> 00:10:04,763 And you think of this, well it 202 00:10:04,763 --> 00:10:07,576 it sure sounds like God is very 203 00:10:07,576 --> 00:10:10,565 self-centered, right?And we, we think 204 00:10:10,565 --> 00:10:12,568 about this when we encounter it in 205 00:10:12,568 --> 00:10:14,572 people, right? And they're so they, they 206 00:10:14,572 --> 00:10:16,575 always have to, you know, you know, 207 00:10:16,575 --> 00:10:18,865 people like this, they always have to be 208 00:10:18,865 --> 00:10:20,868 the center of attention, right? They, and 209 00:10:20,868 --> 00:10:23,158 they can't be outside of the center of 210 00:10:23,158 --> 00:10:25,162 attention or they can't be, they can't 211 00:10:25,162 --> 00:10:27,738 bear to have you look at them with less 212 00:10:27,738 --> 00:10:30,623 than adoration. Right. And these 213 00:10:30,623 --> 00:10:32,918 kinds of people, they're enjoyable to be 214 00:10:32,918 --> 00:10:34,885 around, aren't they? Just like John 215 00:10:34,885 --> 00:10:37,179 Malkovich and the great Buck Howard. He 216 00:10:37,179 --> 00:10:39,474 saw he, he, he couldn't, he couldn't 217 00:10:39,474 --> 00:10:41,441 spend time with people without making 218 00:10:41,441 --> 00:10:44,063 sure they knew his character, that he had 219 00:10:44,063 --> 00:10:46,030 been on Johnny Carson 62 times. 220 00:10:47,940 --> 00:10:50,181 They had to know that. And if he didn't 221 00:10:50,181 --> 00:10:52,173 know that, if they didn't know that when 222 00:10:52,173 --> 00:10:54,166 they were talking to him, he made sure 223 00:10:54,166 --> 00:10:56,158 that they knew that. And we, we, we 224 00:10:56,158 --> 00:10:57,652 experienced these people around us. We 225 00:10:57,652 --> 00:11:00,508 say, hey. I don't like 226 00:11:00,508 --> 00:11:03,350 that. So 227 00:11:03,350 --> 00:11:06,226 this is this seems to be making God 228 00:11:06,226 --> 00:11:09,103 out to be, you know, just this, this 229 00:11:09,103 --> 00:11:11,261 self centeredness, this kind of pettiness 230 00:11:11,261 --> 00:11:11,980 about him. 231 00:11:13,900 --> 00:11:16,453 But what you have to realize, friends, 232 00:11:16,453 --> 00:11:18,640 whenever you're talking about God, you're 233 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:20,464 talking about a singularity. You're 234 00:11:20,464 --> 00:11:22,287 talking about God, somebody, something 235 00:11:22,287 --> 00:11:24,110 who is different than us. 236 00:11:25,490 --> 00:11:27,945 Than anybody else. There's not a category 237 00:11:27,945 --> 00:11:30,751 for God. In this way, we're talking about 238 00:11:30,751 --> 00:11:32,855 someone. The difference between God and 239 00:11:32,855 --> 00:11:35,661 us is that God's should be at the 240 00:11:35,661 --> 00:11:38,466 center of our attention. It should be at 241 00:11:38,466 --> 00:11:40,220 the center of our actions. 242 00:11:43,660 --> 00:11:46,123 And that's a big difference when you're 243 00:11:46,123 --> 00:11:48,234 thinking about God's jealousy for his 244 00:11:48,234 --> 00:11:51,129 name, you know?It would 245 00:11:51,129 --> 00:11:54,048 be as if, if you want to complain about 246 00:11:54,048 --> 00:11:56,642 this, it would be as if, you know, 247 00:11:56,642 --> 00:11:58,912 Jupiter turns and complains to Saturn and 248 00:11:58,912 --> 00:12:01,183 Neptune. Say what? What? What about that, 249 00:12:01,183 --> 00:12:04,101 son? Why is the sun always in the center, 250 00:12:04,101 --> 00:12:07,068 you know?Never, never mind. 251 00:12:07,068 --> 00:12:08,980 That's the reason Jupiter's around. 252 00:12:10,340 --> 00:12:12,685 Never mind. It depends on the sun to 253 00:12:12,685 --> 00:12:14,444 exist there. Jupiter, say. Well, you 254 00:12:14,444 --> 00:12:17,082 know, I'm kind of big. I have my own 255 00:12:17,082 --> 00:12:20,013 moons. One, I've got one. I get to be in 256 00:12:20,013 --> 00:12:22,064 the center sometimes. Why it's always him 257 00:12:22,064 --> 00:12:23,530 in the center, this son. 258 00:12:25,670 --> 00:12:28,610 Never mind that you could fit about 1000 259 00:12:28,610 --> 00:12:30,080 Jupiters in the sun. 260 00:12:31,230 --> 00:12:33,548 Nine, 920 actually. But Jupiter has 261 00:12:33,548 --> 00:12:36,251 nowhere near enough gravity to be the 262 00:12:36,251 --> 00:12:38,955 center of the of the solar system. 263 00:12:38,955 --> 00:12:40,500 The whole things together. 264 00:12:42,210 --> 00:12:44,000 God belongs in the center. 265 00:12:45,910 --> 00:12:48,789 And so it's wrong for us to be 266 00:12:48,789 --> 00:12:51,307 this way, but it's absolutely right for 267 00:12:51,307 --> 00:12:54,186 God. He's deserving of our honor and our 268 00:12:54,186 --> 00:12:57,064 worship because he made it all, John says 269 00:12:57,064 --> 00:12:59,943 in in the Book of Revelation. Worthy you 270 00:12:59,943 --> 00:13:02,821 are, O Lord, to receive glory and honor 271 00:13:02,821 --> 00:13:05,340 and power, for you created all things. 272 00:13:06,230 --> 00:13:08,497 And by your will they existed and were 273 00:13:08,497 --> 00:13:11,476 created. And we saw, as 274 00:13:11,476 --> 00:13:13,582 we were saw last week, God his power. God 275 00:13:13,582 --> 00:13:16,508 is perfect. So, for 276 00:13:16,508 --> 00:13:19,473 instance, to adore him is to 277 00:13:19,473 --> 00:13:21,450 correctly assess our reality. 278 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:27,280 And so it's good for us, it's healthy 279 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:29,960 for us to settle in our minds that 280 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:32,640 God is is worthy of honor and glory, 281 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:34,650 should be jealous of these things. 282 00:13:36,190 --> 00:13:38,895 And he's, he alone, is worthy of infinite 283 00:13:38,895 --> 00:13:41,262 praise. I like the way one theologian, 284 00:13:41,262 --> 00:13:43,966 Wayne Grudem, put it, he said. To to 285 00:13:43,966 --> 00:13:46,671 realize this fact and to delight in it 286 00:13:46,671 --> 00:13:48,700 is the secret of true worship. 287 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:54,702 To adore him, I would say, as 288 00:13:54,702 --> 00:13:57,120 I said, correctly assess our reality. 289 00:13:58,710 --> 00:14:00,826 Now that's an aspect of God's jealousy. 290 00:14:00,826 --> 00:14:03,244 But we we don't need to stop there. 291 00:14:03,244 --> 00:14:05,360 There's more to God's jealousy than that. 292 00:14:06,340 --> 00:14:08,816 And you can tell this because whenever 293 00:14:08,816 --> 00:14:11,292 you read about God's jealousy in the 294 00:14:11,292 --> 00:14:13,061 Scriptures, there's something you read 295 00:14:13,061 --> 00:14:15,537 about close by, somewhere before or after 296 00:14:15,537 --> 00:14:17,306 it, something that's precipitating it, 297 00:14:17,306 --> 00:14:19,782 and that's idolatry, the idolatry of his 298 00:14:19,782 --> 00:14:21,904 people. So whenever he's jealous, he 299 00:14:21,904 --> 00:14:24,734 seems to get stirred up, and it seems 300 00:14:24,734 --> 00:14:27,210 to be on the heels of idolatry. 301 00:14:30,100 --> 00:14:32,111 Deuteronomy 32. They have made me 302 00:14:32,111 --> 00:14:34,793 jealous, says the Lord, with what is no 303 00:14:34,793 --> 00:14:37,475 God. They provoked me to anger with their 304 00:14:37,475 --> 00:14:40,322 idols. Joshua 24. He's 305 00:14:40,322 --> 00:14:43,075 a jealous God. If you serve foreign gods, 306 00:14:43,075 --> 00:14:45,484 he'll bring disaster on you after he's 307 00:14:45,484 --> 00:14:46,860 been good to you. 308 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:51,453 Because, you know, jealousy cannot exist 309 00:14:51,453 --> 00:14:54,410 in a vacuum. Even if you're jealous 310 00:14:54,410 --> 00:14:56,390 about the honor of your name, it has to 311 00:14:56,390 --> 00:14:58,150 do with other people that you value who 312 00:14:58,150 --> 00:14:59,250 will give you that honor. 313 00:15:00,940 --> 00:15:03,714 So his jealousy always seems to flare 314 00:15:03,714 --> 00:15:06,471 up. In the presence of the 315 00:15:06,471 --> 00:15:08,200 idolatry of the people he values. 316 00:15:10,580 --> 00:15:12,940 And so you see it in our passage, don't 317 00:15:12,940 --> 00:15:15,039 you? We were focusing on verse 14 where 318 00:15:15,039 --> 00:15:17,399 he says His name is Jesus. But look at 319 00:15:17,399 --> 00:15:19,497 the verse just before it. Look at verse 320 00:15:19,497 --> 00:15:21,071 13. What's he really concerned about? 321 00:15:21,071 --> 00:15:23,710 Tear down their altars. Smashed 322 00:15:23,710 --> 00:15:26,420 the idols. It's 323 00:15:26,420 --> 00:15:27,180 about idolatry. 324 00:15:29,450 --> 00:15:31,942 This, this this repays meditation 325 00:15:31,942 --> 00:15:34,822 friends. It's it's 326 00:15:34,822 --> 00:15:37,652 odd that that God's jealousy 327 00:15:37,652 --> 00:15:40,482 presents an obstacle to to 328 00:15:40,482 --> 00:15:42,180 many people because. 329 00:15:43,450 --> 00:15:46,088 It's the very thing, actually, that 330 00:15:46,088 --> 00:15:48,726 our hearts want, because it occurred 331 00:15:48,726 --> 00:15:51,364 to these people that for God 332 00:15:51,364 --> 00:15:54,002 to be jealous over you means 333 00:15:54,002 --> 00:15:56,640 He has to be focused on 334 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:57,080 you. 335 00:16:00,010 --> 00:16:02,289 His attention must be there. This is the 336 00:16:02,289 --> 00:16:04,282 same people who are bothered by God's 337 00:16:04,282 --> 00:16:05,991 jealousy would walk around and complain 338 00:16:05,991 --> 00:16:07,700 that God doesn't care about anyone. 339 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:13,286 And so there's a, there's a narrative 340 00:16:13,286 --> 00:16:15,990 that comes forth that God, that this idea 341 00:16:15,990 --> 00:16:18,356 that God would be jealous is primitive, 342 00:16:18,356 --> 00:16:20,722 that this, it really is connoting some 343 00:16:20,722 --> 00:16:23,088 kind of insecurity and primitive ideas of 344 00:16:23,088 --> 00:16:25,792 God that that he would require jealous in 345 00:16:25,792 --> 00:16:27,820 this, require worship in this way. 346 00:16:29,020 --> 00:16:31,685 And he's, it makes him very demanding and 347 00:16:31,685 --> 00:16:34,018 self-centered, you know, And so it's all 348 00:16:34,018 --> 00:16:36,350 really about a petty human emotion that 349 00:16:36,350 --> 00:16:39,015 we might be putting on God, that human 350 00:16:39,015 --> 00:16:41,680 writers might be putting on God. And I 351 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:44,346 guess the most recent example of that is 352 00:16:44,346 --> 00:16:46,678 this recent book by Robert Wright called 353 00:16:46,678 --> 00:16:49,473 The Evolution of God. Now two weeks. On 354 00:16:49,473 --> 00:16:51,708 the New York Times bestseller list. 355 00:16:51,708 --> 00:16:54,603 Nonfiction. Two 356 00:16:54,603 --> 00:16:57,504 weeks, it got a good review. So it's, 357 00:16:57,504 --> 00:17:00,405 it's been in there for two weeks. And 358 00:17:00,405 --> 00:17:02,943 he's, you know, rights argument is, is 359 00:17:02,943 --> 00:17:05,119 precisely this, he said. There's, there's 360 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:08,020 a, there's a kind of moral progression in 361 00:17:08,020 --> 00:17:10,874 the history of religion. That 362 00:17:10,874 --> 00:17:13,625 there is an arc here and that the 363 00:17:13,625 --> 00:17:16,033 idea of God has been evolving since 364 00:17:16,033 --> 00:17:18,097 primitive times, primitive being the Old 365 00:17:18,097 --> 00:17:20,848 Testament and before and and the sort of 366 00:17:20,848 --> 00:17:23,256 rise of of monolatry to monotheism. He 367 00:17:23,256 --> 00:17:26,007 goes through and shows and tries to show 368 00:17:26,007 --> 00:17:28,759 that God, the idea of God has been 369 00:17:28,759 --> 00:17:31,166 evolving and getting more and more and 370 00:17:31,166 --> 00:17:34,010 more. But the 371 00:17:34,010 --> 00:17:36,944 God back then?Was deeply 372 00:17:36,944 --> 00:17:39,161 insecure about his status. That's the way 373 00:17:39,161 --> 00:17:42,012 Wright puts it. But now our idea of God 374 00:17:42,012 --> 00:17:44,229 has evolved into a more peaceful and 375 00:17:44,229 --> 00:17:46,446 loving God. Certainly not a God who's 376 00:17:46,446 --> 00:17:48,663 going to offend us with jealousy over 377 00:17:48,663 --> 00:17:48,980 idolatry. 378 00:17:52,060 --> 00:17:54,922 Now. A lot of 379 00:17:54,922 --> 00:17:57,808 issues to take on this book. It's a big 380 00:17:57,808 --> 00:18:00,581 book, big book. Besides 381 00:18:00,581 --> 00:18:03,460 the fact that, again, the arguments being 382 00:18:03,460 --> 00:18:06,339 made that somehow the God of the 383 00:18:06,339 --> 00:18:09,218 New Testament is different than the God 384 00:18:09,218 --> 00:18:12,097 of the Old Testament, which, friends, is 385 00:18:12,097 --> 00:18:14,565 untenable. It is untenable besides that 386 00:18:14,565 --> 00:18:16,210 facet of his argument. 387 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,398 You know, the real problem is that right 388 00:18:20,398 --> 00:18:22,986 leaves God as he's, especially as he's 389 00:18:22,986 --> 00:18:25,944 going to develop in the future, in in 390 00:18:25,944 --> 00:18:28,532 the way he's describing him as very 391 00:18:28,532 --> 00:18:30,380 positive, very unoffensive and without 392 00:18:30,380 --> 00:18:30,750 passion. 393 00:18:33,650 --> 00:18:35,913 The modern God, according to Wright, is 394 00:18:35,913 --> 00:18:38,768 just is. It's really good. And 395 00:18:38,768 --> 00:18:41,071 of course this has to do with Robert 396 00:18:41,071 --> 00:18:43,375 Wright's idea of what really good is. But 397 00:18:43,375 --> 00:18:45,966 a big feature of is that he won't offend 398 00:18:45,966 --> 00:18:47,982 us with things about jealousy and over 399 00:18:47,982 --> 00:18:50,927 us. About idolatry 400 00:18:50,927 --> 00:18:53,916 and you see the very thing that right 401 00:18:53,916 --> 00:18:56,580 rejects. Or calls us to 402 00:18:56,580 --> 00:18:59,380 reject now in supposedly a next step in 403 00:18:59,380 --> 00:19:02,293 this evolution of of God. God's 404 00:19:02,293 --> 00:19:04,480 jealousy is the very thing according to 405 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:05,730 the Bible, whole Bible. 406 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:08,860 Makes God what he is. 407 00:19:11,130 --> 00:19:13,842 His passion for his 408 00:19:13,842 --> 00:19:14,520 people. 409 00:19:19,970 --> 00:19:22,225 His passion for his people. And so 410 00:19:22,225 --> 00:19:24,802 actually the reviewer got it right at one 411 00:19:24,802 --> 00:19:27,701 point he says, you know, if we agree with 412 00:19:27,701 --> 00:19:30,601 right on his God, then then we end up 413 00:19:30,601 --> 00:19:33,178 with a God that nobody really wants to 414 00:19:33,178 --> 00:19:33,500 worship. 415 00:19:39,980 --> 00:19:42,758 Let's look at this passion. Look 416 00:19:42,758 --> 00:19:44,610 back at verse 10. 417 00:19:46,530 --> 00:19:49,218 Notice again that that God is describing 418 00:19:49,218 --> 00:19:51,906 his jealousy in the context of a 419 00:19:51,906 --> 00:19:54,862 covenant. That means a sacred agreement 420 00:19:54,862 --> 00:19:57,681 that he is making with his people. He's 421 00:19:57,681 --> 00:20:00,148 making a sacred agreement with his with 422 00:20:00,148 --> 00:20:01,910 his people, called a covenant. 423 00:20:03,890 --> 00:20:06,655 Now this is important for us because it 424 00:20:06,655 --> 00:20:09,420 allows us to make a comparison with the 425 00:20:09,420 --> 00:20:11,493 other place that we find jealousy 426 00:20:11,493 --> 00:20:13,912 discussed in Scripture, I mean God. The 427 00:20:13,912 --> 00:20:15,640 Scripture talks about God's jealousy, 428 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:17,714 also talks about jealousy in another 429 00:20:17,714 --> 00:20:19,788 context, the context of another covenant, 430 00:20:19,788 --> 00:20:21,170 a covenant called marriage. 431 00:20:23,390 --> 00:20:26,062 And in fact, we follow it through. The 432 00:20:26,062 --> 00:20:28,399 teaching of the Scriptures is that this 433 00:20:28,399 --> 00:20:30,737 is the whole point of marriage. Marriage 434 00:20:30,737 --> 00:20:32,741 is a profound metaphor, a profound 435 00:20:32,741 --> 00:20:35,078 analogy to the covenant God is making 436 00:20:35,078 --> 00:20:37,840 with his people. In fact, 437 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,010 that's the point of marriage. That's why 438 00:20:40,010 --> 00:20:42,490 we have marriage. We thought it for other 439 00:20:42,490 --> 00:20:44,350 reasons. The Scriptures say no, actually, 440 00:20:44,350 --> 00:20:46,830 this is the point of marriage. To show 441 00:20:46,830 --> 00:20:49,000 you this profound analogy to a greater 442 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:50,860 reality. Reality, Excuse me, the covenant 443 00:20:50,860 --> 00:20:53,030 that God is making with his people. 444 00:20:55,260 --> 00:20:58,164 God loves his people exclusively, 445 00:20:58,164 --> 00:21:01,068 demands the same from His 446 00:21:01,068 --> 00:21:02,230 people definitively. 447 00:21:05,360 --> 00:21:07,309 So that you follow that through that 448 00:21:07,309 --> 00:21:08,702 comparison, that would mean that 449 00:21:08,702 --> 00:21:11,492 idolatry. We were invited 450 00:21:11,492 --> 00:21:14,415 to understand that as as similar 451 00:21:14,415 --> 00:21:15,390 to adultery. 452 00:21:18,150 --> 00:21:20,255 It's just as serious. That's why adultery 453 00:21:20,255 --> 00:21:22,662 is so serious. Capital offense in the Old 454 00:21:22,662 --> 00:21:24,767 Testament. It's a it's a grounds for 455 00:21:24,767 --> 00:21:27,562 divorce in the new. By 456 00:21:27,562 --> 00:21:29,827 the way, I would say I would agree with 457 00:21:29,827 --> 00:21:31,588 right that there is a progression. You 458 00:21:31,588 --> 00:21:33,098 could trace a progression in the 459 00:21:33,098 --> 00:21:34,608 scriptures, but it's more progression in 460 00:21:34,608 --> 00:21:36,370 the people, not a progression in God. 461 00:21:39,390 --> 00:21:42,000 But why is this so serious? 462 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,610 Because of the profound analogy that 463 00:21:44,610 --> 00:21:47,580 marriage bespeaks. And just as just 464 00:21:47,580 --> 00:21:49,900 as adultery is a tearing of our lives 465 00:21:49,900 --> 00:21:52,220 apart, so idolatry is a tearing of our 466 00:21:52,220 --> 00:21:55,079 souls. And 467 00:21:55,079 --> 00:21:57,711 and that's why we find in 468 00:21:57,711 --> 00:21:59,650 marriage. Jealousy. 469 00:22:01,370 --> 00:22:03,160 And we do find that in marriage. 470 00:22:04,430 --> 00:22:06,690 Proverbs 6, as Solomon notes. 471 00:22:07,660 --> 00:22:09,680 Jealousy makes a man furious. 472 00:22:10,660 --> 00:22:12,530 And he will not spare. 473 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,670 So it might be a little bit difficult to 474 00:22:18,670 --> 00:22:20,396 understand this because you say jealousy. 475 00:22:20,396 --> 00:22:22,985 A lot of people, they think maybe of a 476 00:22:22,985 --> 00:22:24,1000 fellow and his green eyed monster, you 477 00:22:24,1000 --> 00:22:27,589 know, and and the fact that it drove him 478 00:22:27,589 --> 00:22:28,740 to such awful acts. 479 00:22:30,210 --> 00:22:32,146 And people have misunderstandings about 480 00:22:32,146 --> 00:22:34,468 God's jealousy, what he's talking about, 481 00:22:34,468 --> 00:22:37,178 because we see human kind of fallen 482 00:22:37,178 --> 00:22:39,888 jealousy at times. We see envy times. 483 00:22:39,888 --> 00:22:41,823 Sometimes people confuse jealousy with 484 00:22:41,823 --> 00:22:44,146 envy, but they're distinct concepts in 485 00:22:44,146 --> 00:22:46,082 Scripture. Envy is certainly something 486 00:22:46,082 --> 00:22:48,404 that's sinful. It's wrong. That's not 487 00:22:48,404 --> 00:22:51,042 what God is talking about. Here, you 488 00:22:51,042 --> 00:22:53,220 know, there's one little girl who wrote, 489 00:22:53,220 --> 00:22:56,020 wrote a letter to God and said, dear God. 490 00:22:56,930 --> 00:22:59,710 How can you be a jealous God? I 491 00:22:59,710 --> 00:23:01,100 thought you had everything. 492 00:23:02,870 --> 00:23:04,040 Signed Jane. 493 00:23:06,100 --> 00:23:08,369 Well, dear Jane, you're thinking of envy, 494 00:23:08,369 --> 00:23:10,963 that God is not covetous of things that 495 00:23:10,963 --> 00:23:12,260 are not rightfully His. 496 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:17,070 Sometimes people could think of of 497 00:23:17,070 --> 00:23:19,905 jealousy as as insecurity and a lot 498 00:23:19,905 --> 00:23:22,740 of, you know, a possessiveness that comes 499 00:23:22,740 --> 00:23:25,626 from insecurity. And 500 00:23:25,626 --> 00:23:28,003 that sometimes happens in marriage, you 501 00:23:28,003 --> 00:23:30,380 know, and that was under, that's 502 00:23:30,380 --> 00:23:32,756 understood by the Bible. You know, 503 00:23:32,756 --> 00:23:35,529 there's an Old Testament law, Numbers 5, 504 00:23:35,529 --> 00:23:37,510 called the law of jealousy. 505 00:23:38,970 --> 00:23:41,564 He said this is the law of jealousy. The 506 00:23:41,564 --> 00:23:43,582 spirit of jealousy comes upon a husband. 507 00:23:43,582 --> 00:23:46,177 Here's what he's got to do. He's got to 508 00:23:46,177 --> 00:23:49,130 go to the priest. And he's 509 00:23:49,130 --> 00:23:51,411 got to take a grain offering. And then 510 00:23:51,411 --> 00:23:53,407 they go through this very strange thing. 511 00:23:53,407 --> 00:23:55,687 It's very hard for us to understand at 512 00:23:55,687 --> 00:23:57,398 this cultural distance, but it really 513 00:23:57,398 --> 00:23:59,964 seems to be at the law is there to 514 00:23:59,964 --> 00:24:01,959 protect the wife from what's going to 515 00:24:01,959 --> 00:24:03,670 happen when the husband gets jealous. 516 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:07,700 And but the but the law says you go and 517 00:24:07,700 --> 00:24:10,020 you deal with your jealousy this way. OK, 518 00:24:10,020 --> 00:24:12,050 then you'd be innocent. And we're going 519 00:24:12,050 --> 00:24:14,370 to, you know, help determine if the if 520 00:24:14,370 --> 00:24:16,980 the if, if the wife is really guilty or 521 00:24:16,980 --> 00:24:19,010 if there you need some perspective here. 522 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:20,690 On things. 523 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:25,931 So people look at that says, you know, it 524 00:24:25,931 --> 00:24:28,359 makes it sound like maybe God is, is 525 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:30,180 expressing some kind of codependence in 526 00:24:30,180 --> 00:24:32,001 his jealousy. He's, he's insecure about 527 00:24:32,001 --> 00:24:33,821 his position, his status. No friends, 528 00:24:33,821 --> 00:24:36,553 it's not that way. What God has, what God 529 00:24:36,553 --> 00:24:38,070 gives us is pure jealousy. 530 00:24:39,170 --> 00:24:42,138 God doesn't have these unfulfilled needs 531 00:24:42,138 --> 00:24:45,105 that drive him. He's purely, righteously 532 00:24:45,105 --> 00:24:47,711 indignant. For his 533 00:24:47,711 --> 00:24:49,990 name and his people's edification. 534 00:24:51,970 --> 00:24:54,560 And so that's why you have to try to 535 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:56,574 separate that out and realize that fiery 536 00:24:56,574 --> 00:24:58,300 jealousy is a part of love. 537 00:24:59,620 --> 00:25:02,513 So says the wife of Solomon, Song of 538 00:25:02,513 --> 00:25:05,407 Solomon 8. Love is as strong as death, 539 00:25:05,407 --> 00:25:08,308 she says. It's jealousy, 540 00:25:08,308 --> 00:25:10,929 unyielding as the grave. It 541 00:25:10,929 --> 00:25:13,550 burns like a blazing fire. 542 00:25:14,550 --> 00:25:17,181 Like a mighty flame. Very important for 543 00:25:17,181 --> 00:25:19,436 what she's expressing, which is righteous 544 00:25:19,436 --> 00:25:20,940 jealousy over her husband. 545 00:25:23,260 --> 00:25:25,912 And so God, you realize, expects A 546 00:25:25,912 --> 00:25:28,765 passionate zeal. To guard the 547 00:25:28,765 --> 00:25:31,591 exclusivity of marriage. And 548 00:25:31,591 --> 00:25:33,597 that relationship, that's why God's 549 00:25:33,597 --> 00:25:36,406 jealousy is explained the same way as 550 00:25:36,406 --> 00:25:39,214 a fire. Deuteronomy 4 your God's a 551 00:25:39,214 --> 00:25:41,220 consuming fire, a jealous God. 552 00:25:44,140 --> 00:25:46,989 And I want you to try to press into 553 00:25:46,989 --> 00:25:48,888 this friends, because, you know, there 554 00:25:48,888 --> 00:25:51,421 can be a problem. There can be problems 555 00:25:51,421 --> 00:25:53,320 sometimes in a marriage, one partner 556 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:54,903 being possessive, overly possessive, you 557 00:25:54,903 --> 00:25:57,752 know, kind of in a, in a codependent way. 558 00:25:57,752 --> 00:26:00,284 But I'll tell you these days, that's not 559 00:26:00,284 --> 00:26:02,500 the usual problem that I see anyway. 560 00:26:03,860 --> 00:26:06,639 That's not the common problem. More 561 00:26:06,639 --> 00:26:08,371 commonly, the problem is just the 562 00:26:08,371 --> 00:26:11,168 opposite. More 563 00:26:11,168 --> 00:26:14,025 commonly, problem is we have a dearth 564 00:26:14,025 --> 00:26:15,250 of jealous husbands. 565 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:18,920 And you know, many, many of our wives, 566 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:21,080 if, if they were honest with us, they 567 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:23,510 would say, you know, I wish I would see 568 00:26:23,510 --> 00:26:25,130 more passion than you for me. 569 00:26:26,650 --> 00:26:28,894 What's she talking about if she says 570 00:26:28,894 --> 00:26:30,818 that? Jealousy. Actually, I wish she 571 00:26:30,818 --> 00:26:33,720 would be more jealous. Of me. 572 00:26:36,290 --> 00:26:38,050 This is the kind of jealousy you've got 573 00:26:38,050 --> 00:26:39,590 to talk we're talking about with God. 574 00:26:40,620 --> 00:26:43,425 Not not Ethel's green eyed monster 575 00:26:43,425 --> 00:26:46,230 which drives Ethella to awful deeds. 576 00:26:47,130 --> 00:26:50,019 God's jealousy drives him to extreme 577 00:26:50,019 --> 00:26:53,001 deeds. Drove into 578 00:26:53,001 --> 00:26:55,140 an extremely, but a very different sort. 579 00:26:58,190 --> 00:26:59,880 Think back with me to this. 580 00:27:01,030 --> 00:27:03,439 Angry husband who's broken into that 581 00:27:03,439 --> 00:27:06,197 apartment. The husband stands 582 00:27:06,197 --> 00:27:07,380 there in a rage. 583 00:27:09,090 --> 00:27:11,628 And the wife has defiance on her face. 584 00:27:11,628 --> 00:27:14,167 Yes, she says. I've made my choice. I'm 585 00:27:14,167 --> 00:27:16,705 going to be with him, and I've sealed 586 00:27:16,705 --> 00:27:19,645 that choice. And the husband's 587 00:27:19,645 --> 00:27:22,269 taken aback because what do you mean 588 00:27:22,269 --> 00:27:24,518 you've, you've made, you've sealed that 589 00:27:24,518 --> 00:27:27,142 choice. You, you haven't. Yes, I have, 590 00:27:27,142 --> 00:27:29,766 she says. I've signed over power of 591 00:27:29,766 --> 00:27:32,016 attorney to him. Now everything that's 592 00:27:32,016 --> 00:27:33,890 mine is his and mine. 593 00:27:35,010 --> 00:27:37,907 There's nothing you could do it. All 594 00:27:37,907 --> 00:27:40,527 of it, Yes, A whole estate, 595 00:27:40,527 --> 00:27:41,400 she laughs. 596 00:27:44,350 --> 00:27:47,175 The man grows concerned. He 597 00:27:47,175 --> 00:27:49,944 says you don't know this one. He 598 00:27:49,944 --> 00:27:52,883 works for me. I could 599 00:27:52,883 --> 00:27:54,510 tell you he can't love you. 600 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,869 He can't. He's he's, he's ensnared 601 00:27:59,869 --> 00:28:02,260 you. Don't you see that? 602 00:28:03,290 --> 00:28:05,773 She says well I don't care because. But 603 00:28:05,773 --> 00:28:07,326 they're interrupted in their conversation 604 00:28:07,326 --> 00:28:09,809 by another laugh, the laugh of the lover, 605 00:28:09,809 --> 00:28:12,293 because he's walked over to the table and 606 00:28:12,293 --> 00:28:14,466 as they turn around they see he's 607 00:28:14,466 --> 00:28:16,949 snatched up the gun and he's pointing it 608 00:28:16,949 --> 00:28:19,534 at her. And 609 00:28:19,534 --> 00:28:22,257 he laughs and says, ah, 610 00:28:22,257 --> 00:28:23,890 that's perfect setup. 611 00:28:26,230 --> 00:28:28,880 That crime of passion, he says. 612 00:28:30,140 --> 00:28:32,848 When a wife is killed by 613 00:28:32,848 --> 00:28:35,555 her known to be jealous husband 614 00:28:35,555 --> 00:28:38,263 with his own gun, no jury 615 00:28:38,263 --> 00:28:40,970 in the world would suspect me. 616 00:28:43,580 --> 00:28:45,802 Because he's not only devious, he's a bad 617 00:28:45,802 --> 00:28:46,080 actor. 618 00:28:50,620 --> 00:28:53,230 But this is what he does. He takes the 619 00:28:53,230 --> 00:28:55,840 gun. He points it right at her. He says, 620 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:57,580 sorry, sweetheart, you've got to go 621 00:28:57,580 --> 00:28:59,980 first. He fires it. 622 00:29:00,980 --> 00:29:02,717 But the husband has jumped in front of 623 00:29:02,717 --> 00:29:05,497 the wife to take the bullet. And 624 00:29:05,497 --> 00:29:07,789 as it rips through his clothes and his 625 00:29:07,789 --> 00:29:09,794 flesh and lodges in his chest, he 626 00:29:09,794 --> 00:29:10,940 collapsed into her arms. 627 00:29:13,090 --> 00:29:14,871 But at that moment, there's banging on 628 00:29:14,871 --> 00:29:17,654 the door. And what TD 629 00:29:17,654 --> 00:29:20,067 open up and the neighbors have noticed 630 00:29:20,067 --> 00:29:22,824 the noise and called the cops and they're 631 00:29:22,824 --> 00:29:24,893 banging in. They're just seconds away 632 00:29:24,893 --> 00:29:27,305 from breaking the door down. And white 633 00:29:27,305 --> 00:29:30,277 PD. And the lover realizes 634 00:29:30,277 --> 00:29:32,291 the situation has only a second. He jumps 635 00:29:32,291 --> 00:29:34,053 out the window to the fire escape, 636 00:29:34,053 --> 00:29:36,763 disappears into the night. The door 637 00:29:36,763 --> 00:29:38,690 bursts open. The police rush in. 638 00:29:39,580 --> 00:29:42,358 Only to find this woman sobbing 639 00:29:42,358 --> 00:29:45,136 on the floor with her husband's 640 00:29:45,136 --> 00:29:47,913 head in her lap and his 641 00:29:47,913 --> 00:29:50,691 bloody body stretched out on the 642 00:29:50,691 --> 00:29:52,080 cold dark floor. 643 00:29:57,220 --> 00:30:00,220 Now what have I described to you? 644 00:30:07,970 --> 00:30:10,798 I've described to you the core of 645 00:30:10,798 --> 00:30:13,221 righteous jealousy. You know what? You 646 00:30:13,221 --> 00:30:16,049 want to know what God's jealousy is 647 00:30:16,049 --> 00:30:18,876 this is it. A husband who cannot 648 00:30:18,876 --> 00:30:21,519 bear. To live with 649 00:30:21,519 --> 00:30:24,177 his wife, living with another who would 650 00:30:24,177 --> 00:30:26,835 destroy her, who would ruin her beauty, 651 00:30:26,835 --> 00:30:29,493 her personality, all the things that she 652 00:30:29,493 --> 00:30:32,150 has as she pours them out for 653 00:30:32,150 --> 00:30:32,530 him. 654 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:38,065 A husband who would give his life rather 655 00:30:38,065 --> 00:30:39,830 than see that friends behold. 656 00:30:41,090 --> 00:30:43,670 The God whose name 657 00:30:43,670 --> 00:30:44,960 is jealous. 658 00:30:50,770 --> 00:30:53,223 Look look back at verse 10 once more with 659 00:30:53,223 --> 00:30:55,676 me these look at what God says there and 660 00:30:55,676 --> 00:30:57,857 I'm going to make this covenant, he says 661 00:30:57,857 --> 00:31:00,791 and I will do anything. For this 662 00:31:00,791 --> 00:31:02,894 covenant, I will do anything necessary. 663 00:31:02,894 --> 00:31:05,699 For this covenant, I'm going to do things 664 00:31:05,699 --> 00:31:08,152 that people have never heard of before. 665 00:31:08,152 --> 00:31:10,957 You see what he's saying in verse 10? 666 00:31:10,957 --> 00:31:13,060 He's talking about his jealous love. 667 00:31:16,220 --> 00:31:19,137 I will do these astounding deeds, these 668 00:31:19,137 --> 00:31:19,970 mighty marvels. 669 00:31:22,060 --> 00:31:24,150 That no one has ever seen before. 670 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:28,547 And he did do marvels. Especially 671 00:31:28,547 --> 00:31:31,167 ending in the most intense Marvel 672 00:31:31,167 --> 00:31:33,787 at all Marvel of all called 673 00:31:33,787 --> 00:31:36,695 Jesus Christ. You 674 00:31:36,695 --> 00:31:39,470 see, Jesus is the expression 675 00:31:39,470 --> 00:31:41,690 of God's intense jealousy. 676 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:45,672 We ran from him into the arms of 677 00:31:45,672 --> 00:31:48,076 destructive idols. But he didn't just 678 00:31:48,076 --> 00:31:50,833 roll over and go back to sleep. Even 679 00:31:50,833 --> 00:31:52,537 though, you know, he really didn't need 680 00:31:52,537 --> 00:31:55,279 us. He he 681 00:31:55,279 --> 00:31:58,191 came over to get us. That's 682 00:31:58,191 --> 00:32:00,517 what Jesus Christ is. It's the coming of 683 00:32:00,517 --> 00:32:01,680 God to retrieve us. 684 00:32:03,430 --> 00:32:04,947 Emptying himself, taking the form of a 685 00:32:04,947 --> 00:32:06,463 servant being born in the likeness of 686 00:32:06,463 --> 00:32:09,416 men. But 687 00:32:09,416 --> 00:32:12,262 not only that, he came to take the bullet 688 00:32:12,262 --> 00:32:15,072 for our idolatry. Preferring to 689 00:32:15,072 --> 00:32:17,838 die for us rather than leaving us in 690 00:32:17,838 --> 00:32:20,258 the arms of that worship that would 691 00:32:20,258 --> 00:32:20,950 destroy us. 692 00:32:23,250 --> 00:32:25,680 Do you understand that about your God? 693 00:32:29,990 --> 00:32:32,623 Paul says Second Timothy 2 says, you 694 00:32:32,623 --> 00:32:35,255 know, if we are faithless, he remains 695 00:32:35,255 --> 00:32:37,511 faithful because he cannot deny himself. 696 00:32:37,511 --> 00:32:40,144 It's as if we're his, his own 697 00:32:40,144 --> 00:32:40,520 body. 698 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:46,110 Behold the cross, and behold. 699 00:32:47,180 --> 00:32:49,150 The jealousy of the Almighty God. 700 00:32:53,820 --> 00:32:56,728 So I need to to bring us to a close. What 701 00:32:56,728 --> 00:32:59,631 should this do to us?What 702 00:32:59,631 --> 00:33:01,200 effects should this have on us? 703 00:33:02,500 --> 00:33:04,902 Let me invite you to think in these three 704 00:33:04,902 --> 00:33:07,036 directions as you, I hope, apply this in 705 00:33:07,036 --> 00:33:09,340 your life. This scripture. 706 00:33:10,550 --> 00:33:13,352 First of all. Husbands 707 00:33:13,352 --> 00:33:15,520 and wives, be jealous. 708 00:33:17,500 --> 00:33:20,283 Be jealous. Be 709 00:33:20,283 --> 00:33:22,402 passionate about the exclusivity of your 710 00:33:22,402 --> 00:33:24,874 marriage. She's yours, do you let her 711 00:33:24,874 --> 00:33:25,580 know that? 712 00:33:28,060 --> 00:33:30,405 You have every right to complain about 713 00:33:30,405 --> 00:33:32,750 how she might be spending her time. 714 00:33:35,480 --> 00:33:38,074 You know you have every right to to bring 715 00:33:38,074 --> 00:33:40,380 up as a topic of discussion what that 716 00:33:40,380 --> 00:33:42,110 baby is doing to your relationship. 717 00:33:42,850 --> 00:33:45,778 OK. Whether that baby 718 00:33:45,778 --> 00:33:47,593 is displacing you in the relationship 719 00:33:47,593 --> 00:33:50,013 now, maybe you you young fathers need to 720 00:33:50,013 --> 00:33:52,735 learn about what it takes to take care of 721 00:33:52,735 --> 00:33:55,653 a baby. Maybe you need to pitch 722 00:33:55,653 --> 00:33:57,483 in. Maybe you need to make make provision 723 00:33:57,483 --> 00:34:00,229 for her. Maybe to understand 724 00:34:00,229 --> 00:34:01,640 what it takes, but. 725 00:34:02,900 --> 00:34:05,518 It's still an issue, a legitimate issue 726 00:34:05,518 --> 00:34:08,375 to bring up. Whether 727 00:34:08,375 --> 00:34:10,647 that baby's displacing her, displacing 728 00:34:10,647 --> 00:34:12,920 you in in her love. 729 00:34:13,530 --> 00:34:16,155 Tell you what that child needs as that 730 00:34:16,155 --> 00:34:19,108 child grows up is to know that daddy and 731 00:34:19,108 --> 00:34:20,420 momma's relationship is prior. 732 00:34:22,060 --> 00:34:24,120 Even in all the ways that they are 733 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:25,150 sacrificing for this child. 734 00:34:28,810 --> 00:34:31,480 Be jealous, wives, also be jealous. 735 00:34:32,830 --> 00:34:35,512 You have every right to have a stake 736 00:34:35,512 --> 00:34:37,859 in how your husband handles himself in 737 00:34:37,859 --> 00:34:40,515 public, in social situations. If there's 738 00:34:40,515 --> 00:34:42,101 something that's bothering you about 739 00:34:42,101 --> 00:34:44,323 what, he's doing it among you, you 740 00:34:44,323 --> 00:34:47,017 newlyweds. You have every right 741 00:34:47,017 --> 00:34:49,496 to complain about the priority that work 742 00:34:49,496 --> 00:34:52,330 is being given in his life. Ohh yes. 743 00:34:55,460 --> 00:34:57,937 And certainly, you know, just in case 744 00:34:57,937 --> 00:35:00,767 it's an issue, you have every right to 745 00:35:00,767 --> 00:35:02,890 complain about *********** in your home. 746 00:35:05,100 --> 00:35:07,050 That's that is righteous jealousy. 747 00:35:08,470 --> 00:35:10,680 Yes, it certainly is hurting someone. 748 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:16,448 These are why am I comfortable commanding 749 00:35:16,448 --> 00:35:18,546 these things, friends to you? Because 750 00:35:18,546 --> 00:35:21,344 this is the very character of God. This 751 00:35:21,344 --> 00:35:24,141 is an attribute of the Almighty, and if 752 00:35:24,141 --> 00:35:25,890 you will, a communicable attribute. 753 00:35:30,220 --> 00:35:32,842 And he's extreme about it. Extreme is the 754 00:35:32,842 --> 00:35:35,827 cross. So 755 00:35:35,827 --> 00:35:38,137 look, if you feel like it's an, oh, it's 756 00:35:38,137 --> 00:35:39,933 not my situation, you feel like your 757 00:35:39,933 --> 00:35:41,473 spouse is really going overboard, just 758 00:35:41,473 --> 00:35:43,783 come talk to me, you know, bring a grain 759 00:35:43,783 --> 00:35:45,930 offering. Yeah. 760 00:35:46,850 --> 00:35:48,596 Just a couple times. I need a little 761 00:35:48,596 --> 00:35:49,906 perspective. Is this stepping over the 762 00:35:49,906 --> 00:35:51,870 line or is this we could talk to you, 763 00:35:51,870 --> 00:35:53,180 talk to one of the elders. 764 00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:56,955 But the more common problem, I suspect, 765 00:35:56,955 --> 00:35:58,750 for instance, you don't go far enough. 766 00:36:00,250 --> 00:36:02,840 In your mutual jealousy, be jealous. Be 767 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:05,713 very jealous. Secondly, 768 00:36:05,713 --> 00:36:08,488 understand this in terms of your 769 00:36:08,488 --> 00:36:11,263 relationship with God. See how feel 770 00:36:11,263 --> 00:36:14,038 how God understands and feels your 771 00:36:14,038 --> 00:36:17,016 idolatry. 2nd Corinthians 11 772 00:36:17,016 --> 00:36:19,339 Paul says that Corinthians 11/2 says I 773 00:36:19,339 --> 00:36:21,663 have a divine jealousy for you. He's 774 00:36:21,663 --> 00:36:23,986 right into the Corinthians. He said, you 775 00:36:23,986 --> 00:36:26,310 know, I feel God's jealousy for you. 776 00:36:28,850 --> 00:36:31,640 That's kind of odd. I'm feeling they 777 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:33,633 were boasting and everything besides 778 00:36:33,633 --> 00:36:36,519 Jesus Christ. He says I'm feeling God's 779 00:36:36,519 --> 00:36:39,408 jealousy for you. Feel that he 780 00:36:39,408 --> 00:36:41,465 cares very much about where your 781 00:36:41,465 --> 00:36:44,263 affections lie. Idolatry 782 00:36:44,263 --> 00:36:46,800 is like adultery to him. It's serious. 783 00:36:48,370 --> 00:36:50,892 And these adulterous or or idolatrous 784 00:36:50,892 --> 00:36:53,835 desires that rise up in you, breaking 785 00:36:53,835 --> 00:36:56,778 all the bonds of of goodness out 786 00:36:56,778 --> 00:36:59,300 of the bounds of what's righteous. 787 00:37:00,580 --> 00:37:03,389 They're a snare to you. Like verse 788 00:37:03,389 --> 00:37:06,365 12. You need to do violence 789 00:37:06,365 --> 00:37:07,640 to them like verse 13. 790 00:37:09,870 --> 00:37:12,818 Because he is ferocious about where your 791 00:37:12,818 --> 00:37:13,660 heart is. 792 00:37:16,260 --> 00:37:17,190 You know. 793 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:21,692 Our church could be a lot bigger if I 794 00:37:21,692 --> 00:37:23,544 just told you that God wants you to be 795 00:37:23,544 --> 00:37:26,490 happy. And he has a plan for 796 00:37:26,490 --> 00:37:28,345 you. That is wealth and prosperity. That 797 00:37:28,345 --> 00:37:29,670 is your best life now. 798 00:37:31,240 --> 00:37:33,226 But it's not true, friends. Ohh. He, he 799 00:37:33,226 --> 00:37:35,709 has a plan for you, all right, but it is 800 00:37:35,709 --> 00:37:38,564 a plan for your heart. To be 801 00:37:38,564 --> 00:37:40,610 purged of the things that destroy you. 802 00:37:42,430 --> 00:37:43,926 Things that would ruin your personality, 803 00:37:43,926 --> 00:37:45,672 your beauty, those things as you pour 804 00:37:45,672 --> 00:37:48,493 them out for it. That's his 805 00:37:48,493 --> 00:37:50,211 plan. Ohh yeah, there's an ultimate 806 00:37:50,211 --> 00:37:53,111 prosperity for you. But you need to come 807 00:37:53,111 --> 00:37:55,346 to come to terms first with a God with 808 00:37:55,346 --> 00:37:57,332 whom you have to deal. His name is 809 00:37:57,332 --> 00:37:57,580 jealous. 810 00:38:00,150 --> 00:38:02,140 You cannot have a casual relationship 811 00:38:02,140 --> 00:38:04,130 with this God. Don't even try. 812 00:38:06,670 --> 00:38:08,780 This number two number three friends. 813 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,891 Our corporate worship. I 814 00:38:12,891 --> 00:38:15,699 I need us to ask collectively as we 815 00:38:15,699 --> 00:38:18,508 come together, be sure that we are not 816 00:38:18,508 --> 00:38:21,374 multitasking God. Right. You know, 817 00:38:21,374 --> 00:38:22,971 I mean like, you know how certain 818 00:38:22,971 --> 00:38:24,796 activities in your life you can do while 819 00:38:24,796 --> 00:38:26,165 you're doing other things. Maybe you 820 00:38:26,165 --> 00:38:27,762 could while you're on that phone call, 821 00:38:27,762 --> 00:38:29,359 you can check your e-mail, you know, 822 00:38:29,359 --> 00:38:30,728 maybe you, you know, while you're 823 00:38:30,728 --> 00:38:33,410 talking, you could read. Yeah. 824 00:38:34,370 --> 00:38:36,130 Maybe, you know, you can monitor 825 00:38:36,130 --> 00:38:37,597 something while you're doing something 826 00:38:37,597 --> 00:38:39,943 else. Not with God, friends. This is a 827 00:38:39,943 --> 00:38:41,997 jealous God. You can't multitask God. And 828 00:38:41,997 --> 00:38:44,637 so that's a question we need to ask. Be 829 00:38:44,637 --> 00:38:46,690 sure that we're asking coming into our 830 00:38:46,690 --> 00:38:48,450 new worship space, you know, wonderful. 831 00:38:49,300 --> 00:38:51,825 Things about this worship space, which is 832 00:38:51,825 --> 00:38:53,990 wonderful. You know things about it. 833 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:58,100 It's it, it does create for us, it 834 00:38:58,100 --> 00:39:00,568 does present to us a casual atmosphere. 835 00:39:00,568 --> 00:39:03,388 So that means we have to work extra 836 00:39:03,388 --> 00:39:05,855 hard, harder on coming together before a 837 00:39:05,855 --> 00:39:08,719 jealous guy. And that's in 838 00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:11,447 our attitude and all the ways we 839 00:39:11,447 --> 00:39:14,176 approach worship means being sure to come 840 00:39:14,176 --> 00:39:16,904 here on time for the Lord. It 841 00:39:16,904 --> 00:39:19,632 means also, you know, making sure that 842 00:39:19,632 --> 00:39:21,581 you're just bringing yourself into 843 00:39:21,581 --> 00:39:22,360 worship here. 844 00:39:24,430 --> 00:39:26,424 Your content, your attention, completely 845 00:39:26,424 --> 00:39:27,620 devoted to him. 846 00:39:30,730 --> 00:39:32,560 So that's. 847 00:39:33,580 --> 00:39:35,809 That's what we really need to do. We have 848 00:39:35,809 --> 00:39:37,542 to create what our architecture does not 849 00:39:37,542 --> 00:39:37,790 here. 850 00:39:40,580 --> 00:39:43,529 OK, OK, friends, you're not your 851 00:39:43,529 --> 00:39:46,281 own. In the 852 00:39:46,281 --> 00:39:48,851 covenant with this God and as we come to 853 00:39:48,851 --> 00:39:50,850 the table, let's remember that the that 854 00:39:50,850 --> 00:39:53,706 the cup that I'm going to pass to you is 855 00:39:53,706 --> 00:39:55,704 the cup of passion, Christ's passion for 856 00:39:55,704 --> 00:39:57,970 you. Receive that. 857 00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:02,059 And let him let your let your let your 858 00:40:02,059 --> 00:40:03,580 understand yourself as his possession. 859 00:40:04,820 --> 00:40:06,670 Amen. Amen.