“You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about His relationship with you.” (Exodus 34:14 NLT)
Moses was a man of God who had a unique relationship with the Lord. Moses understood the indispensable value of worship, and he was driven to his knees on numbers of occasions. His dependence upon God was enviable as was his ability to cut to the chase when it came to his need of God.
Why do you suppose God was so adamant about worshipping only Him? Yes, of course, He’s a jealous God, but what does that mean? As with many other characteristics and attributes of God, we tend to “humanize” them in an effort to understand them. But to do so in this instance would be a grave error, not from the standpoint of definition, but of application.
Jealousy is defined as: “demanding complete devotion,” and that’s exactly what God requires of us. But why? From a human perspective, jealousy arises because we fear the person we love and from whom we demand devotion will tire of us or find someone who will better fulfill their needs. God has no such concern.
His jealously arises from the fact that He knows with absolute certainty that no other “god” can love us or offer us anything close to the measure of devotion, care, and love that He gives us. He’s never jealous “of” another, He’s only jealous “for” us, because He knows how fickle we are, and He understands the hurt and heartache we’ll experience if we don’t find in Him everything we think we need.
So, what does this have to do with the wisdom of worship? Worship comes from a couple of old English words that mean “worth-ship.” And the picture they paint is of a dog licking his master’s hand. It speaks of devotion, love, honor, respect, and reverence for a divine being, which is a posture only the true and living God of the Bible deserves.
Yet, humans are famous for trivializing worship by exalting created things above their Creator. God knows and understands that what we worship defines us. That to which we give our devotion will rule us. That’s the wisdom of worship.
We can say we love and worship God all day, but whatever defines us is our god. It can be another person, possessions, money, a job, a child – the list is virtually endless of what we can so easily substitute for the position only God deserves. Why is this so vital to understand?
We’re put on this earth for essentially one reason. Jesus summed it up in Matthew 6:33 when He said: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” Notice He didn’t say “in place of all else.” We have other relationships and responsibilities that demand our time and energy. But God’s intention is for us to allow Him to live in and through us in whatever activities in which we’re involved.
Our priority is Jesus “above all else!” Virtually every circumstance of our lives is designed to give illustration to Whom or what we worship. Worship speaks to priority, that’s why Jesus demands we seek Him above all others. It’s not that He’s insecure and jealous we’ll find greater satisfaction in someone or something else. He understands that if we do, it will be a far inferior substitute that will ultimately disappoint and leave us wanting.
His desire is to give us a fullness of life that will satisfy in ways that human relationships and material things never can. For nearly 60 years I’ve found my wholeness and hope in Jesus. He’s always been more than enough!
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 