Morning Moments

“I will set my jealousy against thee….” Ezekiel 23:25

I was attending a Christmas party. One of the men present bumped into a woman attending. She asked, “Did you just bump my rear?” His response was, “No, but I will if you want me to.” Had I been the husband of the woman, I would have been compelled to “speak” to the “gentleman” about his comment. I am jealous of no man, but I will defend to my death the honor of my wife. It is what used to be called chivalry. She belongs to me and I belong to her. If I am not mistaken (and I am not), Jesus gave his life FOR the Church. In Ephesians, Paul refers to the man nourishing and cherishing his wife.

When the scripture speaks of the jealousy of God, it is because He loves and cherishes us. The purpose of the jealousy of God is to get your heart and keep you from other “lovers.” That is the way He was and is with Israel.

In the most romantic period of history, a gentleman would “dual” if he had to in protecting the honor of his woman. That is exactly what God has done for Israel, and it is what Jesus does for the Church. He doesn’t say, “Church, fend for yourself.” He is our SAVIOR, our DEFENDER, and our LOVER. He patiently waits for the moment of presenting us without spot and wrinkle as a virgin bride, just as he does with Israel until she “looks upon HIM” and wails because of HIM.

His Gentleness – Imagine the gentleness of that garden experience Adam had with the Lord before the fall. God spoke and Adam listened. Adam spoke and God listened. No hardness, no haughtiness, no hatefulness, just gentleness.

His Government – Love failed, not on the part of God, but on the part of man, so God gave law when love failed. Now that should not be too hard to understand. When children do not obey their parents in love, they are then made to obey them by law (restriction, etc.) There was the laws of sacrifice for the nation of Israel, there was the law of separation for the nation, but man kept transgressing the law of God and continuing to spurn the love of God.

His Grace – Mystery of mysteries, the only way for the Lord to gain the love lost was to suffer the ultimate loss – the loss of His Son on Calvary. He had to turn His back on His Son and cause Him to become all that man was, pour His judgment out upon Him to the extent that the perfect Lamb of God became the ultimate sacrifice. “Greater love hath no man than this; that he gives his life for his friend.” All this, so that He (the Son) might be rasied from the dead and ascend into Heaven, and send His Holy Spirit to put His love IN us so that we might love Him with His own love, placed into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. THAT is the only possible way for us to love HIM and one another. Again, He is jealous for us, not of us.

PRAYER: “How could He love me so? How could He love me so? How could my Savior to Calvary go? How could He love me so?” Thank You precious God!