[There is an updated/revisited version of this post, contributed by BAN@S6K—please check out: Revisit: Is our God a “jealous, wrathful, and a vengeful God”? —Admin1.]
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Is our God, a jealous, wrathful, and a vengeful God? This is a perplexing question asked by believers and non-believers alike, not only in our times but in times past. It causes a lot of pondering and discomfort for many, and historically, a source of derision and disapproval.
Why do we ask such a question? I believe the answer lies in our understanding of the words used to describe God with our 21st century comprehension. It is through a misinterpretation of the words that causes us to attribute these words when describing God. We have to remember that the prophets wrote the scriptures during a period when gods were perceived by the ancient near east culture as gods who can be capricious depending on their whims.
This issue is most of the time stated as a contrast between “God’s wrath and vengeance in the OT” as against “God’s love as exemplified in the NT”. Unfortunately, the use of the words wrathful, angry, jealous, and vengeful are clouded by the English language and western culture of today, since the concepts involved in the biblical portrayal of God in which these words are used, are difficult to translate into single words. For our times, the best recourse is to examine the words as used in its context at the time of writing. The three terms as used in Nahum 1:2 represents it best:
“The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies.”
A reading of the OT consistently portrays God as a passionate Being where the inner experiences of love, compassion, grief, delight, joy, peace, anguish and moral outrage at atrocity dwarfs ours in the extreme. The bible speaks unashamedly of God’s passion, presenting him as an intense and passionate Being, very much involved in the world of man. There is no embarrassment in God’s expressing emotions; rather, it is celebrated (2 Sam. 8:9-16, Ps. 145:8).
The God of the OT desired fellowship and interaction with people in HIs World, but that He is a person and anger is part of the actualization of His desire. This is fundamental to understanding the bible and to knowing God. Emotions can be appropriate responses to given situations. For instance, the bible argues that just like us people, emotions are not mutually exclusive and exhaustive at any given moment. Just as our parents could have felt anger, compassion, etc. all at the same moment, so too can we, and so too can God. God is described in these terms in the Prophets in his love for His people, Israel (compassion and affection) is also simultaneous with his feeling of anger at their atrocities against each other ad His hopefulness that they will end up treating one another better in keeping with the covenant contract they signed as a community.
Hosea 11 is so vivid in showing the struggle in God’s heart. There is no contradiction in ascribing multiple emotional stress to a person since we consistently experience these in our lives. And God is apparently no different in that respect.
Image from www.wheatandtares.org
As an example, God is said to be angry with the wicked everyday. Wickedness in biblical term is generally related to treachery, atrocity, and oppression. Of course, God is disturbed by this, at the same time, the bible says, God is patient, hoping the wicked will come around and rejoin the community in love, even nurturing them and influencing them in that direction. His moral anger at personal evil has nothing to do with His being caught “off guard” or surprised by it. His response is in the treachery involved, not the circumstance of it. Same with us, if we read about human atrocity, in individual or group scale, there is no element of surprise in our response but still, we get upset.
JEALOUSY: In biblical sense, this is essentially a passionate commitment to someone and his/her wellbeing. The word refers to an exclusive single-mindedness of emotion which may be morally blameworthy or praiseworthy depending on whether the object of the jealousy is the self or some cause beyond the self. In the former, the result is envy, or hatred of others, (Gen. 30:1, Priv. 3:31, Ezk. 31:9) which for the NT is the lack of love and therefore the enemy of a true believer’s fellowship. However, the OT also presents the other possibility which is divine jealousy.
Divine jealousy is a consuming single-minded pursuit of a good end, (1King 19:10, Exo. 20:5) This positive usage is frequently associated with the marriage relationship where a jealousy for the exclusiveness of the relationship is the necessary condition of its permanence (Numbers 5:11ff, Ezk. 16:38)
Jealousy is used solely of God, primarily in His self-revelation at Sinai (Exo. 20:5, 34:14). Against this covenantal background, it denotes the Lord’s deep, fiercely protective commitment to his people and His exclusive claim to obedience and reciprocal commitment (Deut.4:24, 5:9). When this reciprocal commitment is threatened either by Israel”s unfaithfulness or by foreign oppression, the inevitable expressions of such jealousy are “vengeance and wrath” directed to restoring that relationship. (Numbers 25:11).
Jealousy can be morally good or bad, depending on the motive behind the zeal. As stated above, it refers to single-mindedness of emotion which may be morally blameworthy or praiseworthy depending on whether the object of jealousy is self or some other causes beyond self.
God is often presented as a jealous God in the OT. Jealousy in essence is intolerance of rivals. It can be a virtue or sin depending on the legitimacy of the rival. God would allow no rivals in the covenant between Him and Israel. He bound Israel exclusively to His service and swore to protect them against all enemies (Nahum 1). It is important to note that divine jealousy is part of the “fire” that is ardent love. Song of Solomon 8:6ff – the beloved’s desire to be the cause of such jealous zeal.
“Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.”
In OT times, a seal was used to indicate ownership of a person’s valued possessions. So the beloved asked to be her lover’s most valued possession that would influence his thoughts (over your heart) his actions (over your arm).
- Verses 8:6-7 sum up the nature and power of the love depicted in the song. It is as universal and irresistible as death, exclusive and possessive (in the sense of being genuinely concerned of the one loved) as the grave, passionate as blazing fire, and as invincible and persevering as many waters ad rivers or all of this is true because love is supported by the Creator who possesses all power. The words like a mighty flame are like the very flame of the Lord. Thus, the Lord is portrayed as the source of this powerful love.
- Verse 8:7. The final statement about love depicted in the song is that it is priceless. All one’s wealth would be totally inadequate to purchase such love. In fact such love would be scorned because love cannot be bought. If love is priceless, the answer is, it must be given, ultimately love is a gift of God.
This is a picture of the love God has and puts “jealousy” into a different light. It is not insecurity or self-interest, but a powerful emotion in support of loyalty and intimacy. We often fail to appreciate the intensity of this yearning of God’s heart for us, but OT prophets understood. Hosea gives us a disturbing look at the inside of God’s heart. But besides using the picture of marriage, Hosea uses the picture of a father to describe God’s unfathomable love for Israel, whom He loved in Egypt and drew to himself with bonds of love(Hosea11:1ff). Israel turned away, so Hosea pictured the struggle which he saw as going inside God’s heart as that between the jealous wrath of a deceived father and His glowing love (Hosea 11:8ff) and shows the zealous and passionate love of God. The love of God does not show destructive power, but tender and compassionate love, which suffers thru the faithlessness of His people and does not hand them to ultimate ruin.
Too often, our English language makes “jealous of” the default meaning of jealousy instead of the biblical “jealous for”. Jealous of is envy and is not ascribed to God. The “jealous for” means jealous for protecting and maintaining our enjoyable and fruitful relationship of intimacy. “Jealous for” in context of His love for His people is used predominantly of God.
Joel 2:18ff: “Then the LORD will be jealous for His land and on His people. The LORD will reply to them: I am sending you grain, new wine and oil enough to satisfy you fully; never again will make you an object of scorn to the nations. (See the link between and pity)
Zechariah 1:14ff: Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this word, This what the LORD Almighty says: “I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion but very angry with the nations. that feel secure. I was only a little angry but they added to the calamity.
Therefore, this is what the LORD says, I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem, declares the LORD Almighty.
Proclaim further, This is what the LORD Almighty says: My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem (Note the contrast between “very jealous” and “very angry” and that it is aimed at mercy and blessing for His people)
Zechariah 8:1ff: Again, the word of the LORD Almighty came to me. This what the LORD Almighty says: “I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.”
This is what the LORD says; I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of truth and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.
This is what the LORD Almighty says; Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. City streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there. (Note that this jealousy produces closeness with God and benefits for His people)
We can appreciate how different the meaning of “jealousy” in the OT is, from our modern, negative sense. It is a beautiful passionate commitment to someone, not a petty, insecure, suspicious outrage. What is clear in biblical usage of jealousy is not equal to modern use. What we have is not our customary meaning of jealousy but an expression showing commitment, intense ardor and protective love., God’s jealousy is a guarantee that we do not drift away. He is our good shepherd and loving spouse. This kind of intense and loyal and active trustworthy love is sought by all.
God’s wrath is often a topic of discussion. As we read the OT about God’s wrath, we will come to a conclusion that it is not generally an emotion ascribed to God. Most of the time, we compare God’s wrath to human anger. The wrath of God in the OT is not the same as human anger.
As Abraham Heschel had written in his book, The Prophets, “it is essentially in some respects the difference between “passion and pathos.”
- Passion can be understood as an emotional combustion which makes it impossible to exercise free consideration of principles and the determination of conduct in accordance with them. The OT discusses human anger much less frequently than divine wrath. It shows human anger as a loss of self control and censures it as shown in the Wisdom writings. (Prov. 14:29, 16:32. 19:19, 29:22, 30:33. eccl. 7:9)
- “Pathos on the other hand is an act formed with care and intention, the result of determination and decision. It is not a “fever of the mind” that disregards standards of justice and ends in irrational and irresponsible action. It is righteous indignation. The wrath of God tends to be portrayed this way in the OT, especially in the Prophets, it seems not be an essential attribute or fundamental characteristic of Yahweh’s persona but an expression of His will; it is a reaction to human history, an attitude called forth by human misconduct.”
In the ancient near east, this kind of wrath was divine responsibility which the ANE (Ancient Near East) kings or gods carried out to their human community as an act of judicial sentencing. God is portrayed as angry with Israel for its repeated violation of its covenant obligations. The driving force is duty to uphold moral foundation for human life.
Wrath of God results because of His commitment to His people and not sudden rage. Wrath of God is equal with the implementation of God’s judgment. This judgment is not an angry response but judgment proceeding from a just legal context. In justification of God’s wrath, the motive has rationality. It helps us understand why God is angry. It provides motivation for proper behavior.
This leads us to the goal and purpose of God carrying out the judicial sentence; fulfilling His duty to His subjects/community, to intervene in support of the community welfare and moral stability of the group. In short, the purpose for which royal wrath is to re-instate the moral, civil, just order, by a restructuring event or series of events, primarily dealing with removal of power or existence of the oppressors and or treacherous.
Various means are used to depict God’s wrath, but it always threatens the existence of those concerned. The final aim of divine wrath is total destruction in the form of historical defeat and banishment from the land, this dealing with internal and nearby oppressors.
Note that the first OT occurrence of God exhibiting anger appears in passages intimately tied to God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 15:7) God’s divine anger first appears as God’s response not to generic human sinfulness but to whatever would impede efforts to free the Israelites from Egyptian enslavement. Note that the restructuring is aimed at freedom for the oppressed Israelites. Once done, the wrath is no longer active or needed.
The failure to provide the social justice implicit within the stipulations of the covenant also makes Israel liable to divine wrath (Ps. 50:21-22, Isaiah 1:23-24; 42:24-25, Amos 8:3-10; Micah 6) which is designed to lift up the poor and needy in the land. Thus God’s wrath is righteous because it destroys the wickedness that impedes deliverance, (isaiah 34:2) and for this reason, the psalmists repeatedly yearn for it. (Ps. 59:14) It is a means to an end—the goal is deliverance.
God’s anger is always a lawful reaction to the violation of a law or to opposition against his historically determined activity, in which God not only requires the violation or opposition, but also wills to effect the restoration and maintenance of the order, he has set between Him and man.
Reluctance in the performance of God’s duty is always evident. God is often portrayed tempering his anger against Israel with compassion and love (Exodus 32:12-14, Isaiah 54:7-8, Hosea 11:8, Micah 7:18) God is depicted as having the desire to restrain His anger. God is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Despite its tragic necessity, God’s anger is not depicted as an emotion God delights in, it grieves God to be angry. God does not give free rein to wrath, but is long suffering. He warns people to repent as the writings of the prophets bear witness. He is quick to show clemency, He exercises restraint as in the case of Nineveh.
Hence, wrath is associated not so much with final judgment as with the expression of divine judgment within history. The biblical usage of wrath is the vigorous and welfare motivated intervention by God in breaking oppression and delivering His people, by forceful removal of the habitually and aggressively treacherous from their lives, and by a restructured reality, characterized by blessing and peace for the good. This is indeed the hope of the abused, the exploited, the victimized, the violated everywhere that the good hearted God would see all this in history and say once again with reference to a wider group —
” I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land.”