God's Name is Jealous? Consuming Fire? Say More

There is a verse in Scripture that often makes people pause the first time they really see it:

Exodus 34:14
“For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”

And again:

Deuteronomy 4:23–24
“Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

How does that make you feel?

If you're honest, maybe a little uncomfortable.

We tend to gravitate toward the names of God that feel softer:
Father
Savior
Friend
Provider

Those align easily with the Loving, Gracious, Forgiving God we know Him to be. But Jealous? Consuming Fire?

Those feel harsher and not in alignment with a Loving, Merciful God.

So how can a God who is perfectly Good also be jealous?

Understanding the Word “Jealous”

In English, the word jealous often carries a negative connotation:

• Hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage; envious

• Intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness

• Vigilant in guarding a possession

But the Hebrew word used in the Old Testament is qanna’ — which describes God’s zealous protection of His covenant love relationship with His people.

Throughout Scripture, God compares His relationship with His people to a marriage covenant.

A faithful husband would rightly be jealous if his wife gave her love and devotion to another — not because of insecurity, but because the covenant is exclusive.

Not out of control,
but out of covenant love.

This is why Paul writes:

2 Corinthians 11:2
“For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”

There is a difference between sinful human jealousy and godly jealousy. It's actually so beautiful that the God of the universe cares enough to be jealous but because we are in a covenantal relationship with Him, it means He is owed our faithfulness and devotion.

Context Matters: What Makes God Jealous?

Each time God is described as jealous in Scripture, it is in the context of His people:

• making idols

• worshipping other gods

• or turning their devotion toward something else

Deuteronomy 6:13–15
“You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you (for the Lord your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the Lord your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth.”

At the beginning of this chapter is what is known as the Greatest Commandment:

Deuteronomy 6:5
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

This commandment did not change with the coming of the Messiah. In the Gospel of Matthew we see Jesus affirm this truth:

Matthew 22:35–38
“Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.”

God is not jealous of anything we possess.

He is jealous for us:

• for our devotion

• for our time

• for our obedience

• for our worship

• for our hearts

• for our minds

We are warned against creating idols in our lives and putting them in the place that only God should occupy. He wants ALL of us, not the scraps we sometimes leave for him.

Covenant Faithfulness Has Consequences

Deuteronomy 7:9
“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and loving devotion.”

God is faithful to us and to the covenant He made and devoted to us. But covenant love is exclusive.

He rightly has no rival in this space, and when we do not give Him what He is rightly owed, we place ourselves in harm’s way. God vigilantly guards us because He knows that when we put other things in that place of reverence, it will not produce the most fruitful lives for us to lead. Like a parent and child relationship, He gives us instruction meant for our good and we have reverence to Him and obey His instruction.

Joshua warned the Israelites about worshipping other gods in Joshua 24:

Joshua 24:19–20
“But Joshua said to the people, ‘You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good.’”

Turning away from God has consequences. Sin leads to destruction - always.

Hebrews 12:28–29
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”

We are receiving a Kingdom, but I have to fear God? Again, this idea of "fear" seems like a harsher God than our God. Well, not really. Fear in this context means "profound, awe-filled respect and honor for God, His Holy things and His people, expressed through both our inner attitude and our outward actions." If we believe God's word is true, our actions should show that.

Saying the Right Words vs Living in Reverence

Everyone knows the story of Jonah.

God commanded Jonah to go preach in Nineveh, but Jonah went the opposite direction. When a storm overtook the ship, the crew found him asleep. He was able to sleep through both the internal turmoil he should feel knowing he is in disobedience and he is also able to sleep through the outward manifestation of that turmoil present in the physical storm.

Even in direct disobedience, Jonah says:

Jonah 1:8–9
“Then they said to him, ‘Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?’ So he said to them, ‘I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.’”

He said the right words — but his actions did not reflect true reverence.

In contrast, when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were commanded by Nebuchadnezzar II to worship a golden image, they refused — even knowing the consequence would be death in a fiery furnace.

Daniel 3:14–18
“Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, ‘Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?... If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace… But if not… let it be known to you… that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.’”

They feared the Lord and His command more than they feared imminent death.

Their obedience didn’t just impact them.

Daniel 3:28–29
“Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him… because there is no other God who can deliver like this.’”

Their reverence for God influenced an entire nation.

Our obedience is never just about us, it's about Ninevah, it's about Babylon, it's about a random person in the grocery store who hears or sees something we do that plants a see that the Lord will harvest in due time.

The Right Kind of Fear

Proverbs 1:7
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Our belief in God and our actions should not be driven by fear of punishment, but by reverence and awe.

When we put God in His rightful place in our lives, we begin to understand that His will for our lives is the best possible path for us.

God’s jealousy is a beautiful part of His character. It shows His love, devotion and faithfulness to having a relationship with us individually.

In Psalm 25:14 David says "The secret (sod) of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His covenant" The Hebrew word here "sod" refers to a confidential, intimate counsel, friendship relationship where God is inviting us in to know Him and to know the plans He has for our lives. What an honor it is to serve a God who doesn't want us to fear him from a place of terror or being afraid of the consequences, He wants us to fear Him out of the place of honor He deserves in our lives and for us to obey Him because we know His will leads us to produce the best fruits.

Let us reflect on the goodness of the character of God, appreciate His jealousy for us and live a life that shows through our actions that we fear Him because we love Him with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls.

Love to you all!