Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
Is His name Jealous, or is He just a jealous God? The same word is used in both places in this verse, there is no difference in the name Jealous and the act of jealousy. Both words are ganna in the Hebrew. This is further confirmation that God is His character and actions.
In any personal relationship you want a certain amount of zeal or zest from your partner. It indicates they love you. The custom of a wife taking the husband’s last name indicates a separation from her parents and entering into a relationship with this new family.
Men should do everything within their power to see to it that another does not steal his wife’s affections. That isn’t done by being possessive, it is done by providing the wife with all the security and affection that is expected in marriage. A marriage becomes strained when the man does not keep up his end of the bargain.
We are talking about God in this relationship and as such, we should have an expectation of performance on His part. He is after all God and His character dictates is actions. We are betrothed to His Son Jesus Christ are to be treated as daughters, a cherished member of the family of God. It stands to reason then that we should understand His character so that we can see that we are being treated fairly.
Since we began here with jealousy let us examine it first. The source of jealousy is stated in the verse above. Worshipping other gods is seen as cheating on God, being unfaithful in your relationship. So what happens when you cheat on God?
Exodus 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Ouch.