Exodus 34:14 "For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous..."

"For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14).
 

Question:

The Bible says God’s name is jealous and is a jealous God. This does not seams very God-like to me. If I can myself raise above jealousy, does that mean I am above God?

Comment:

One of the great challenges of the Bible is understanding the ways in which the character of God seems to change, from angry, demanding and jealous in the early Hebrew Scriptures to loving, supportive and creative in the teachings of Jesus Christ. God, of course, does not change. What does change is our ability to understand the Allness of God. As we grow in spiritual awareness and expression, we are able to understand more and more of the infinite Light and Love that are the energy we call God. That's why Jesus uses, as an important teaching tool, the construct "You have heard it said ... but I say to you." He's basically saying “That was then, this is now.” "You have heard it said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth' but I say to you Love your enemies and do good to those who persecute you."   In other words, there is a time in our spiritual development when God seems to be a magnification of our worst fears—dictatorial, judgmental and jealous. God is really a power of infinite Love. But just as we can misuse the power of love within us so that it expresses as jealousy, we assume that God can do the same. As we grow in awareness we realize that jealousy is based more in fear than it is in love. And there is no fear in God. The Lord of our being—our own Christ Nature—is eager for us to remain focused solely on God—on love. But that means the Lord is loving—as a loving parent wants only the best for his/her child—not that the Lord is jealous. Whatever jealousy there may be is entirely coming from our own fear-based attitudes.   So rising above jealousy doesn't make you “better than God.” It makes you exactly as loving as God eternally is.   Blessings!

Rev. Ed