A JEALOUSY THAT SAVES
How many of us make it a habit to read through the Book of Proverbs in one month? It’s easy to do. You can’t get lost. There are 31 chapters, and seven months of the year have 31 days. We then have the option to choose which months can follow a chapter-a-day schedule perfectly. It’s like a stretch-a-day will keep our stiffness away. Let’s do it!
So on the 27th day of the month, we read Proverbs 27, and we come to the 4th verse, which catches our attention.
Wrath is cruel and anger is outrageous, but who is able to stand before envy?
Have you ever thought that envy might pose a greater threat to someone than anger or wrath? The Hebrew word for jealousy is kana, and its core meaning indicates a burning intensity of emotion. Most of us have likely felt it at some point, but have you considered that jealousy can be a neutral emotion? Depending on how it is used or directed, it shows the attitude of our heart.
Let’s examine two early instances in Scripture where the word kana is used. We see in Genesis 30 how Rachel is jealous (kana) of her sister Leah, an early example of sibling rivalry. The next occurrence is in Genesis 37:11, where we learn that Joseph’s brothers are very jealous of him. Why? Because of the greater affection Jacob had for the children of Rachel. Another example of sibling rivalry.
What do these two incidents reveal? Jealousy appears early in Scripture within family relationships. And just as these early examples of jealousy involve family ties, divine jealousy—God’s jealousy—also relates to family, in this case, marriage.
In Exodus 20:5-6, God establishes a covenant with Israel at Sinai —His wife. Israel is His covenant partner, and God’s command to them is, “You shall not bow down to them (idols) or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous (kana) God.”
So, we have the word ‘jealous’ used in a divine context and in that same family context.
But the Lord’s jealousy is very different from human jealousy. Yes, there is a burning intensity of emotion, but the goal is to protect and guard this precious covenantal relationship with Israel, ensuring that no outside infiltration will separate God from His segullah (His treasured possession).
Unlike our jealousy, God’s jealousy is not vindictive or selfish. Unlike our jealousy, the Lord is neither needy nor greedy. He does not want anything we have; in fact, it is actually what we lack that He desires. The Lord wants us to be in a perfect relationship with Him, with no other gods or idols to interfere.
J.I. Packer said this: “It is his holiness reacting to evil in a way that is morally right and precious…; it is a praiseworthy zeal on his part to preserve something supremely precious.” God’s jealousy is therefore perfect and for all the perfect reasons.
From a human perspective, jealousy is a deep feeling of resentment towards another person’s success, advantages, or achievements. But was there ever a time when human jealousy was praised and blessed by the Lord? Numbers 25 recounts the remarkable act of Phineas, the son of Eliezar. What motivated his zeal? He possessed a holy indignation against sin and aimed to defend God’s honor and uphold Israel’s covenant relationship with Him. In this incredible act of heroic and divine jealousy, driven by intense emotion, he killed both the Midianite woman and the Israelite man who forsook God’s command.
Jealousy, when applied to holy and divine aims, can actually save lives, just as it did when the plague was stopped. How many lives can we save, how many reputations can we protect, and how much pain can we prevent for ourselves and others if we channel the emotion of jealousy solely for divine and holy purposes?