October 16, fear and hope in God's jealousy.

The Lord whose name is jealous is a jealous God,

Exodus 34, 14.

God is infinitely jealous for the honor of his name

and responds with terrible wrath against those whose hearts

should belong to him, but go after other things,

like a spouse running after another lover.

For example, in Ezekiel 16, 38 to 40, he says to faithless Israel,

I will judge you as women who commit adultery and shed blood

are judged and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy.

And I will give you into their hand

and they shall throw down your vaulted chamber.

They shall strip you of your clothes and take your beautiful jewels

and leave you naked and bare.

They shall bring up a crowd against you and they shall stone you

and cut you to pieces with their swords.

I urge you to listen to this warning, the jealousy of God

for your undivided love and devotion will always have the last say.

Whatever lures your affections away from God with deceptive attraction

will come back to strip you bare and cut you in pieces.

It is a horrifying thing to use your God-given life

to commit adultery against the Almighty.

...