"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I [El Kanna] thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me."
- Exodus 20:5
We recently learned that God's name Elohim means "mighty Creator". Now we will look at El Kanna, which means "jealous God". There are a plethora of Scripture references throughout to aid you in understanding the following conclusions. If you so desire, I would look them up where you can as you read, and possibly even afterward.
Let's dive in!
If you have been around long enough to hear that God being jealous is not like man being jealous, you have heard correctly. A holy God's jealousy is out of righteous worthy motive and is for the good of His children; but man's jealousy is out of sinful motive for the good of self.
We see evidence of God's holiness in passages such as Exodus 15:11, Leviticus 20:26, 1 Samuel 2:2, Psalm 93:5, and Isaiah 6:3, with such references only adding a drop to the bucket. There is so much more concerning God's holiness.
Therefore, what exactly is God's holy jealousy? "God's holy jealousy is rooted in a desire to protect, provide, and bless...." (Hudson, 10).
We read in Matthew 22:36-40 that we who are bought with Jesus Christ's priceless blood (1 Corinthians 6:20) should honor God in our actions, words, and motives by heeding His command to "...love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
"When God calls Himself jealous, it is a reminder to us that our worship cannot be divided..." (Hudson, 11). I present to you that there is not a "radical Christianity" as opposed to a superficial one. Nevertheless, Christianity is a radical dedication to Jesus Christ our LORD (Philippians 1:21).
As a Christian, you and I need to be "all-in" in serving the Lord. Not just for the Gospel's sake (Matthew 5:14-16; Philippians 2:15), but also for newer Christians following behind you and I.
Do it for the sake of Christ's Kingdom (Psalm 79:9; Matthew 4:17, 6:10; 2 Timothy 2:19).
Every unbeliever needs to know that Christianity is true, so testify of that truth; but both unbelievers and believers need to see an authentic Christian life in the lives of those who claim the name of Jesus. I do pray that more Christians (and I myself) will not be ashamed to proclaim the name of Jesus, and to not be ashamed to tell and show the world He is theirs (and mine).
When we live selfishly, we provoke the Lord; and we would be wise to not provoke El Kanna to jealousy (Deuteronomy 32:21, 28-31, 35-39; 1 Corinthians 10:22).
"I am the Lord [El Kanna]: that is My name: and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images"
- Isaiah 42:8
God is rightfully deserving of the glory our worship and praise gives Him, for He is our Elohim that sent His Son to pay the priceless redemption for souls that are lost in sin (Luke 19:10; John 3:16).
He lived and died and rose again for us, so we could live for and with Him.
God loves us too much to (and does not want to) watch us choose to be in bondage to the very thing He has freed us from, which is sin and the pleasures of it (Romans 8:1-17).
He is El Kanna, the jealous [holy] God.
An idol or "graven image" is anything that is worshipped in willful defiance of the LORD, and will not last in the time of His judgment. We can sum idols up as stated in 1 John 2:15-17:
1. The lust of the flesh (These could be relationships, positions, possessions, and things God has given us to enjoy that we assume will give us satisfaction, contentment, and worth).
2. The lust of the eyes (The nagging desire that there is "always something more" I must have until I can be satisfied in God and all He has given me).
3. The pride of life (An unhealthy goal of achieving a certain status, reward, image, or position).
One day, all the "graven images", those things for which we live and dedicate our life to in place of God, which you and I have given the throne to in our lives will be destroyed (2 Peter 3:10-12).
We must not worship the gifts and creation with which God has blessed us to enjoy; we must worship the Creator and Giver of all we have and see.
The earth will vanish and all the physical idols you and I have created, because of our sinful hearts' motives, will no longer exist (Psalm 102:25-27). In the end, our idols will not matter, so what is the point for us as Christians in living for them?
It is a fact that God did "give us richly all things [that are honoring in His sight, and not sin] to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17), because "every good and perfect gift" is from Him (James 1:17). It is okay to enjoy all that God gives us; but it is a sin to idolize all the good that God has bestowed on us.
Gifts can be nice to have, but they are not necessary for you and I to be fulfilled in Christ.
Let us take time to consider the interest of our worship...let us thank God for all He has given us.
"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children . . . For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light . . . And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."
- Ephesians 5:1, 8, 11
As children of light who are loved by El Kanna, the holy God, you and I should strive to live to be holy (1 Peter 1:15-16) by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit which testifies in us that we are His. This is not sinless perfection (that will happen when we get our glorified bodies), but it is a daily individual choice to humbly submit our desires and obediently consecrate our life to Him (Romans 12:1-2).
Dear fellow Christians,
If you are living for yourself, I encourage you to repent and return to the holy El Kanna (1 John 1:9), and take the Bible more seriously; but if you are living for Christ with the right motives, praise the Lord! I encourage you to keep doing so, because your Master notices and will reward you out of your heart of love for Him (2 Chronicles 16:9; Proverbs 15:3; 1 Peter 3:12).
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."
- Jeremiah 17:9-10
"For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
- 1 Corinthians 3:9-15
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."
- Hebrews 11:6
"And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."
- Revelation 22:12-13
“Just two choices on the shelf, pleasing God or pleasing self.”
Kenneth E. Collier
"Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last."
C.T. Studd
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Psalm 90:12
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