Problem:
There are many Biblical verses that say God is jealous. For example, Exodus 34:14 says:
For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
Some other verses stating that God is jealous are Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 4:24 and Nahum 1:2.
Oprah Winfrey said on her television show that QUOTE “God is jealous, God is jealous of me”; UNQUOTE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2SrZJlPnjk
Is that true? Is God really jealous of people? Isn’t being jealous a negative trait?
Solution:
Sometimes people confuse the definition of words. In this case Jealous is confused for Envy.
Here is the definition of jealous according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
1 a: intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness
b: disposed to suspect rivalry or unfaithfulness
2: hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage
3: vigilant in guarding a possession – new colonies were jealous of their new independence-
Here is the definition of envy, also according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
1: painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage
2: obsolete: malice
3: an object of envious notice or feeling -his new car made him the envy of his friends-
You see God is not jealous of you, He is jealous for you. He is not envious of anyone or anything. God is jealous for His people as a husband is for his wife. When God’s people commit idolatry it is like a man’s wife committing adultery.
God’s jealousy is not a flawed human envy, but a loving jealousy for us. God is jealous as in “vigilant in guarding a possession.” He does not want anything to come between Him and his people, so yes, He is hostile toward a rival that attempts to do so. God is jealous, not envious.
Don’t flatter yourself Oprah.