God is a jealous God.
And Joshua 24:19 states that He is not only a jealous God, but He is a holy God. God is jealous for holiness. That is, He loves and preserves holiness. He loves His own holiness, and He loves holiness in His people. That was the reason Joshua challenged people when they affirmed they would follow God — following God also meant being jealous for holiness even as He was (and is) jealous for it.
But not only did God’s jealousy relate to His passionate love for holiness in the Old Testament; that passion remains the same in the New Testament and to this day. Notice, for instance, Paul’s affirmation for the purpose and end of salvation:
…who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. (Titus 2:14)
These verses (11-14) affirm multiple times the work of God in the process of salvation: He is bringing salvation, He is instructing us, Christ is our Savior — the great God and Savior, He (Christ) gave Himself, He redeemed us, He purified us, He purified us for Himself, He purified us for Himself to be possessed by Him. The work of salvation is by God and for God (cf. also Col. 1:16-17).
Moreover, that salvation is all for the purity of those who would be saved. God did not (and does not) save people so they might have the penalty of sin removed and then stay in it. They are saved so they might have the penalty of sin removed and then be made able to live in purity.
In fact, His jealousy for His people is not only to demonstrate His love to them for their salvation, but He is jealous for them to be zealous for good deeds (holiness). We might say it this way — God is passionately loving and jealous for His people to be passionately jealous for Him.
The overflow of God’s jealousy for His own holiness is that He seeks the holiness of His people.
Yes, God is jealous. His name is Jealous. And that jealousy is a great and loving gift to His people.
Words of Grace 