We are in the third week of our Names of God sermon series. God has many titles and names that He presents to us in scripture, each revealing something unique about Himself. However, this one can make us uncomfortable.
Jealousy is an uncomfortable topic.
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This week’s name has us talking about jealousy. As a human emotion, it’s something we feel when our relationships feel threatened. When something interferes with our relationships, our feelings can play off of our insecurities and fears. It can cause us to react in ways that don’t typically end well.
We can feel jealous over small and silly things, like when a pet seeks attention from someone else. Maybe it happens with romantic relationships, friendships, or even work relationships. Our fear of someone coming between us and someone important to us can cause us to act in ways we normally wouldn’t or do something we’ll regret.
In Shakespeare’s play “Othello,” Iago hatches a plan to divide Othello and his wife. He plants a seed of jealousy in Othello when he says:
O beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.
Othello, Act 3, Scene 3
Jealousy can eat us up. It can infect our thoughts and actions. It’s a human emotion we often understand as something we should avoid.
Our experience with jealousy makes it hard to understand a jealous God.
This is where this week’s Godly name causes some discomfort. When we looked at the name Adonai, we understood the majesty and sovereignty of God. We looked at El-Roi and saw a God who sees us and cares for us. These are admirable traits.
In contrast, today we’re exploring the name “El-Kanna,” which means “Jealous God.” Because of our concepts of jealousy, writing this message created an uncomfortable feeling. However, understanding what that name means teaches us something else wonderful about who God is.
El-Kanna and His Deliverance of Israel from Egypt
God brings Moses up to Mt. Sinai after bringing Israel out of Egypt, and here he’ll provide His ten commandments.
We know this is a holy and set-apart place. Maybe the mountain itself wasn’t so special, but instead it was the place where God would meet Moses. It was holy because of the presence of God. It’s here that God provides His commandments. We’ll look at the first commandment that He gives:
And God spoke all these words. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them for I the Lord your God am a jealous God.
Exodus 20:1-5 (NIV)
The Hebrew name that was used for “jealous God” was El-Kanna.
This situation is different than the first two names we looked at in this series. Abram saw God’s sovereignty and called Him “Adonai.” Hagar discovered she was seen by God and named Him “El-Roi.” These names were given by others, but in this case, God is the one naming Himself. Those names spoke of what we think of as admirable qualities of God, but El-Kanna makes us a little uncomfortable.
Again, it’s our understanding and experience of jealousy that makes it uncomfortable. However, we’ll discover that El-Kanna is a wonderful name, describing something wonderful about God. There are two things I want us to understand about El-Kanna here:
God’s jealousy is a reflection of His holiness.
God’s jealousy is a reflection of his holiness, not human pettiness. The context of giving His name is in giving the Ten Commandments. The first thing God says is, “I want you to know that I’m the one who brought you out of Egypt. I was the one who brought you out of slavery and the land of idols.”
Egypt was a land riddled with idols and false gods. Israel was exposed to multiple gods, sacrifices, and idols for generations. Their concept of worship and understanding of God can be skewed over time. When they’re finally free from Egypt, God says it’s time to start over.
He says, “I don’t want you to worship anybody else, to create any other gods or bow down before them. I don’t want you to make them from the heaven above or the earth or beneath the sea.” God is covering his bases here, making sure they understand the exclusivity of who He is and what He expects from His people.
God reminds them that HE was the one who delivered them. No one else saw them in the desert or heard their prayers. No other god was hearing their cries for help. He’s a jealous God, but jealous for that which already belongs to Him. I can understand God not wanting gods who don’t even exist to get credit for the liberation of His people.
He is God and he is God alone. He is holy. God’s jealousy isn’t petty, but a reflection of who he is. He wants nothing in your life to take His place. His jealousy is a reflection of his holiness.
God’s jealousy is rooted in love.
God’s jealousy is not rooted in immaturity or pettiness. It’s not based on fear, bad past experiences, or insecurity. Instead, it’s rooted in an immense love for His people.
Going back to Abraham, God created a covenant with His people. It’s like a marriage, a commitment, and bonding between people. God said “I will be your God and you will be my people. I’ll hear you when you call. I’ll be with you all the way and give blessings that last generations. I will go before you and fight your battles for you. I’ll treasure you as my people and my love for you will run deep.”
He doesn’t want us to throw that away by worshipping other idols. God uses this covenant language, and it’s like “Don’t cheat on me with these idols you created.” It betrays the love and relationship between us and Him.
God’s jealousy says more about His feelings for us than His apathy would. If He didn’t care for His place in our lives or our priority for Him in worship, that would mean He doesn’t care as much about us and what we do, showing he’s not concerned about us as people.
His jealousy is a reflection of His care, whereas apathy would indicate indifference. When the love we have for Him is given to another, it provokes His jealousy due to His care for us.
Human jealousy and God’s jealousy are not the same.
When God says he’s jealous, it’s not saying that he’s insecure or that He feels threatened by other idols. It’s not saying He’s been hurt in the past and that he’s over-protective of His feelings, immature, or in need of counseling.
What God is saying by telling us of His jealousy is, “I know who I am and what I’ve done. I’m holy. There’s no one like me. I have blessed you in ways that no one else can and heard you in ways that others have not. Nothing should take my place in your life, for my love, grace, and affection are upon you. Put nothing ahead of me in your life, for I am El-Kanna and I am a jealous God.”
It’s a wonderful name. The beauty of this name is that although this name was spoken generations ago and instilled during the time of Moses, the name is still alive, active, and true. He is still El-Kanna and he’s still jealous for you today.
This isn’t something that God needs to grow out of because it comes from His character and love.
We saw God’s jealousy in the Old Testament when he met Moses on Mt. Sinai. We saw it in the New Testament when Jesus preached about inviting everyone to come to His kingdom and be part of what God is doing. Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple when people made the temple more about money than about worship.
We saw God’s jealousy for us when Jesus’s blood was spilled as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. God did that because he is jealous for you. He desires for us to be his people and for him to be our God.
God is jealous for you, not about you.
There’s a distinction I wanna make clear: God is jealous for you, not about you. He’s jealous because He cares, because He created you. God is jealous for you because, as Psalm 139 says, he knit you together in your mother’s womb. He’s jealous for you because He has a purpose for your life. God gave you gifts to use for His glory.
God is so jealous for you that He took the place of your sin and died for you. He’s so jealous for you that he came back from the grave three days later to make sure that he got you. This is not immature, petty, stalker-like jealousy. It’s something that comes from His holiness and love.
He is El-Kanna, a jealous God, but he’s jealous for you. What a wonderful name that is.
Knowing the name El-Kanna demands a response from us
The jealousy of God is not a negative trait. It’s one of the clearest signs that he cares about you. However, we need to know that this name demands certain responses. It’s a wonderful name that illustrates how much He cares. However, the characteristics revealed in that name require a very real response.
When God gives his name, Moses and the Israelites are reminded of his love, but they’re also reminded to make sure that they live their lives in a way that they have put nothing ahead of God. For the Israelites, idols and false gods were their thing. They came from a land of idols and they would turn to worshipping those idols.
For God, it wasn’t just about there being no other gods beside him. Instead, their worship belonged to Him and to Him alone.
We may not bow down to idols. However, we may have made money into an idol. Perhaps we made an idol out of freedom, leisure, or hobbies. We may have elevated our significant others, friends, or family to the point they get our attention ahead of the Lord. When we put other things or people ahead of God, we have made idols out of them.
As we think about this, there are three questions we can ask ourselves. Knowing the name El-Kanna should cause us to reflect on these:
Are there any created things that I have elevated over the Creator?
Are there created things that I have given the Creator’s seat in my life? Is there anything out of order in my life that needs to be addressed? Is there anything that I have given greater value than God? If so, we might have an idol in our lives.
What things do I give attention to that would rival my attention to God?
Many things require our attention. That’s just a fact of life. They may be important, or things we cannot escape. However, we should still ask if it rivals our devotion to God. Does it rival our attention for Him or have first place in my life?
I know that I mess up. Not because I’m young, but because I’m human and I love to sleep. I think sleep is great. But when I think of what I’ve made an idol of, are there times in my life where instead of getting up and praying I’m thinking instead, “God, just fifteen more minutes?” And then I’m late for work and I have to go. How many times have I said “you know what, God? I’m really tired, let’s wait on praying or reading Your Word.”
But then, I have time for Instagram.
If we are giving these things priority over God in our lives, we may have an idol in our lives.
Giving God the rightful place in our lives gives us blessing.
His name is El-Kanna. He’s a jealous God and he wants first place in our life. God is holy, unique, loving, and worthy of first place. Let’s give him that.
You may have noticed something that I’ve seen: When you reorder your life and restructure it so God is on top, it often results in a blessing.
When I put God on top, it affects my marriage. It affects the ways that I interact with my family. When I put God on top, it affects the way that I perceive and interact with my money and with my free time.
There is a blessing that occurs when lives are ordered appropriately, but it begins with giving him the place that He demands first place in our lives.
He’s holy and he’s loving and he’s worthy of first place. El-Kanna, Jealous God, is jealous for you. What a wonderful name it is.
Wrapping up, there are three responses I believe happen when we understand His name as El-Kanna.
Knowing His name is El-Kanna leads us to evaluate where he rests in our lives.
Understanding His name, His jealousy, and His deep love can give us the willingness to be honest with ourselves. If we look at the priorities of life as a pyramid, we can ask if God is truly on top. Have we given Him the place He is asking for, and in fact rightfully demanding?
We know that His jealousy is rooted in holiness, which means no one should take the place that is rightfully His. Our knowledge of His great love for us should cause us to return our love by giving Him the place He deserves in our lives.
Knowing His name is El-Kanna leads us to repent.
The word repent has so often been used to wound and hurt, as opposed to leading people to the love of Christ. However, it simply means to turn away from whatever it is that keeps us from Him. If we do not give Him the rightful place in our lives, we can apologize and turn from that.
“God, I’m sorry that I have not ordered you where I need you to be. I have not put you ahead. Would you help me put you where you need to be?”
Knowing His name is El-Kanna leads us to place and keep Him at the top of our lives.
This means we reorder our worship. We place Him at the top and keep Him there.
That will look different for each of us. But we make sure that he has first place, that he has our worship and our devotion. It means we haven’t created false gods, and that we’re truly serving and devoting ourselves to Him. We make sure He is where He asks to be because there is no one like Him.
He is El-Kanna. He is a jealous God, and He is worthy of our worship.
A prayer to El-Kanna
As with the other messages in this series, we have closed with a prayer to God using the name we have learned. To be clear, it is the same God: the One and only God. We’re not praying to another God, but it’s a prayer ascribed to a specific facet of who He is.
El Kenna. Thank you for loving me so relentlessly and passionately. Help me to comprehend what that means. Show me any areas of my life that I have made an idol. Enable me to remove the idol taking your rightful place and forgive me, Father. Thank you for never letting me go or giving up on me. Give me such a divine hunger for more of you. Amen.
Prayer written by Karen O’Reilly at Scriptural Grace