God = Jealous?

Exodus 20:5, as well as other verses throughout the Bible, says that God is a jealous God.

And yet Mark 7:21-22, as well as other verses, describes envy as an evil thought.

Am I to believe that our perfect God has evil thoughts?
I don't think so, but how do I square this circle?

Thanks to the admin for approving my post.

There are two kinds of jealousy in the Bible as far as I can tell and they seem to center around a righteous kind and an unrighteous kind. A righteous kind of jealousy would be God wanting his due glory as sovereign creator of the universe so, like in Exodus 20:5, he tells people to not make carved images, idols, fake gods, etc. because that is an affront to his due glory. An unrighteous kind of jealousy would be wanting your neighbor's possessions or wife so that is why there are commandments telling people not to do those things. By implication it is fine to want/keep your own possessions and spouse and not okay to want someone else's things or spouse.

In Mark 7:21-22 it's kind of easy to see how an unrighteous form of jealousy can lead to "evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness." because in people will do the above quoted things to get something that does not belong to them.

I am jealous over you with godly jealousy 2Cor.11:2


God's jealousy is for our welfare.

God is a jealous God yes. https://www.gotquestions.org/jealous-God.html

No contradiction and no problem here.

Coveting is not a sin. YOU SAID WHAT? What about the..... well. Let me explain, it depends what is it that you covet?

If you covet spiritual gifts for example, its a great thing:

1 Cor 12:31
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

But if you covet your neighbor's wife, now we have a problem.

God said that there is no God beside Him, and there was no God formed before Him, and there shall be no God formed after Him.

God said do not follow false gods, and do not make idols to false gods that represent them.

God is saying that He wants all our attention, and whenever it mentions God is a jealous God it has to do with following false gods, and forsaking His covenant.

Which He is not being envious for those gods do not exist, and He created us, and we are His property, and He has rules for us.

A man and a woman that is married become one flesh, and they are dedicated to each other, and nobody else.

If a man cheats on his wife, and the wife does not like it, is she envious, and not justified, and if a woman cheats on her husband, and the husband does not like it, is he envious, and not justified.

When we receive the Spirit we become one with God, and have a relationship, and follow only Him.

If we start following a false god, and religion, and God does not like it, is he envious, and not justified.

God being a jealous God is justified, and He applied that term to Israel when they followed a false god, and forsaked His covenant, and did not apply to the world that did not receive His covenant in the Old Testament, although He wanted them to follow Him.

If you had a dog would you want the dog to be loyal to you, or do you want the dog to be loyal to the man down the road, which that is not envious for you own the dog.

God created people, and they are His property, and gave the covenant to the Jews, so they should be loyal to God, and not the religion down the road.

When we confess Christ we are bought with a price, and we are not our own, and our body is the temple of the Lord, so we should be loyal to God, and it is not envious because God owns us.

When we get envious it is because of what people own, but how can God get envious when He owns us, and He created us so it is His rules which He says follow me, so He can get mad when we go against the rules He set to follow Him, and His ways.

But envious seems to not apply for a spouse that cheats, and envious seems to not apply when a person forsakes God for a false religion, or follows God, and a false god.

Look at the root of the word jealous:

The Hebrew verb קָנָא (qana) means “to be jealous” or “to burn with zeal.” In some contexts it can even be translated, “to be envious.” It describes an intense emotion. It is a derivative of a noun קִנְאָה (qinah) translated as “jealousy” or “zeal”. In fact, in Hebrew being jealous and being zealous are the same. The same word expresses both notions and meanings. The context alone determines the difference and shows the direction of this powerful feeling.

Zeal or jealousy can apply to lovers (Prov 6:34) or to husband and wife (Num 5:14). In can also be seen in other family relationships (Gen 37:11, Gen 30:1). At the same time, God calls himself אֵל קַנָּא (el qana) “a jealous/zealous God”. It would appear that an ardent commitment to someone, extreme love, loyalty, zeal, jealousy and passion for the right reason is indeed a good thing. source

This aspect of jealousy indicates God’s holy zeal for the honor of His name
and the good of those who are bound to Him in a covenant relationship.

God created evil. And glorifies himself in it.

I don't agree that God "created evil", at least not in the sense that you appear to mean.

Evil is an absence of God, or not following God.
This is not created by God, it is a choice made by humans/Satan/etc.

His name as a attribute is Jealous. One thing he is jealous of is; his teaching authority .He will not share it with the corrupted flesh of mankind. God's labor of love or work of faith is not jealous .It suffers long along with other
attributes .His love is kind .It does not take into account a wrong suffered against it

The kind of love he conditioned salvation under. Unfailing but not without condition

Could you explain further what you mean by a good type of jealousy and a bad type of jealousy

He's jealous for you, not jealous of you.
He desires our intimacy so much that He gets jealous when we consistently put things before Him.
We will never fathom how much He wants us.

If God foresaw Satan doing all he does. And then created him, he created evil. Same with the evil world where God is quite present, ruling with a rod of iron.

His jealousy is against flesh and blood. He will not share his teaching authority with the things seen the corrupted. That proved to be the reason of the fall. Not sharing his teaching authority with the things seen. One is our teacher in heaven not seen. Call no man on earth teaching Master.

When he does work in us giving us a new spirit and heart. Then being loved we see his love as a work of faith is not jealous as it works in us to both will and do His good pleasure..

His love is not without condition as some say .It is unfailing with conditions or laws.

So you attended the Uni. of Div. Providence? What year?

No I dropped out of High school. I hated English which seems to be apparent to some with better skills. I did not have any writing or reading interests. Members here encourage me to take a class.

I was drawn with the seeking power of the gospel in my early 30's.

I am not claiming to be that one teaching master and neither would the Son of man, Jesus. Having the power working in us not of us.

One is our teacher in heaven not seen, one is our father in heaven not seen. Call no man teacher on earth or father on earth. One is our Good Master our Father in heaven .

We have the honor as a kingdom of priest to share our new tongue the gospel. Plant the seed. But Christ must apply the work of his faith the hearing of the unseen father if we are to rightly divide. He is the teacher we can share the interpreting prescriptions as tools he has given us. But as in all cases he must do the "first work" as a labor of His love. Or called a work of His living abiding faith.