Jealousy is an intense emotion which may be seen in a positive light as zeal or in a negative light as envy. It is a single-minded devotion which, when turned inward to one's self, produces hatred and envy of others or, when turned beyond one's self, produces intense zeal leading to total selflessness.

 The Hebrew word for jealousy is qana' which means "to become dark red" (Numbers 5:14; Prov. 6:34). There is heightened color resulting from the deep personal emotions being felt. The Greek word zeloo, meaning "to boil," may be translated "zeal" or "jealousy" depending on its context. This term is used for both God and man (Deut. 32:21; Acts 7:9; Rom. 10:19; 11:11; I Cor. 10:22; 13:4).

 God reveals himself as "a jealous God" (Exodus 20:5; 34:14). He alone is the true living God and has the exclusive right to the worship and service of his people. He is jealous for the well-being of His people (Zech. 1:14). He is a "consuming fire" against all evil both within and without Israel, but full of zeal on behalf of the salvation of His people (Deut. 4:24). God's jealousy pictured His anger against adulterous generations    provoked by idolatry (Deut. 32:16) and by disobedience (Isaiah 59:17-18) because such course destroys those who pursue it.

The matters of absolute, right and wrong, are always involved when God is concerned. Man can also possess a jealousy or zeal for God and for the things of God. Elijah declared, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty" (1 Kings 19:10). Paul speaks of his godly jealousy with regard to the Corinthian Christians: "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy" (2 Corinthians 11:2).

Paul also indicates that the godly sorrow of these same Christians created in them an intense zeal for doing the will and purpose of God (2 Cor. 7:11). A strong passion for God and for his purpose based on Bible doctrine is the kind of motivation which causes his people to remain faithful to him.  Jealousy has a double meaning as it relates to man. In contrast to godly zeal there is envy.

Cain's murder of Abel in Gen. 4 is the first biblical illustration of the destructive and negative force of jealousy. Paul makes it clear that envy is the antithesis of love (1 Cor. 13:4; 2 Cor. 12:20). He also identifies jealousy as being among the "works of the flesh" (Gal. 5:20). Jealousy in this sense is resentfulness toward others for what they have in possession, advantages, relationships, or whatever. It destroys one's spirituality (Job 5:2; Prov. 14:30).

 From a psychological perspective jealousy in its negative sense distracts a person from his own intelligence and productivity, and ultimately destroys him. Jealousy distorts one's entire perspective of the world, producing an enormous amount of tension and conflict. The jealous person is always an angry person who is filled with self-pity. For the jealous person both his past and his future seem empty and the desire to cut other people down to his own size becomes intense. Jealousy is a forceful negative motivation.

The jealous person responds defensively and is easily irritated. He develops hypersensitivity toward everyone and interprets both the deeds and conversations of others in the most negative light possible. Jealousy sets a person at cross-purposes to everyone, robbing him of any virtues belonging to the Christians.. It has been found that jealousy is basic to all character disorders.

Jealousy can easily destroy the normal function of the soul (Job 5:2, Proverbs 14:13) leading to mental problems like neurosis and psychosis. Neurosis is a mental and emotional disorder that affects only part of the personality, is accompanied by a less distorted perception of reality than in a psychosis, and is characterized by various physiological and mental disturbances such as visceral symptoms and impaired concentration.

Psychosis is a serious mental derangement characterized by defective or lost contact with reality. The primary psychoses are schizophrenia and the delusional disorders (megalomania), but extreme cases of depression and certain varieties of dementia are also understood to share important features with psychoses. The major symptoms, aside from delusions and hallucinations, are disorganized speech and behavior and often mood disturbances. Most cases of neurosis and psychosis started as anxiety or jealousy.

Nothing can liberate the envious person until he sees that he is the source of his own painful situation. Jealousy is a prison cell that trapped anyone who allowed himself to be become a victim of his own emotion. The root cause of the problem is relatively simple but the damage when it is not controlled is very extensive. Jealousy is irrational, suspicion; resentment from mistrust of another is the strongest of the mental attitude sins (Proverbs 27:3-4). It is the most cruel mental attitude sin that creates the arrogance and hatred complexes of sins. Jealous persons always fail to think logically and realistically but insist on assumption and suspicion already established in their imagination.

Jealousy thrives on the logic of suspicion. Basically, suspicion is not factual unless established by data and reliable information. A jealous person is an unhappy person. Jealousy removes all happiness from the believer. Jealousy is a mental attitude sin by which a person becomes miserable and futile by allowing his old sinful nature to control over his soul. Jealousy is common to every person born into this world. It is a common characteristic of all sinful creatures born in this world. Some are jealous without reason. Every person can become the object or subject of jealousy at any given situation.

Some people cannot stand the success of others, especially those whom they have regarded as inferior; as a result, jealousy destroyed the relaxed mental attitude, which is the basis of genuine friendship. Jealousy is capable of destroying any human relationship even between the most romantic couples or the sweetest of friends (Song of Solomon 8:6). It can be the basis for destruction of any romantic love affair. Jealousy is impatient and easily irritated by anything it considers an annoyance. It is neglectful, inconsiderate, biased and antagonistic toward others.

The sin of jealousy was considered great by the Mosaic Law that a whole offering of the Levitical Code was prescribed for it (Numbers 5:11-31).  It is the only offering that was designated for only one sin. Actually, jealousy is the engine room that pulls a chain of mental attitude sins like arrogance, envy, greed, hatred, anger, suspicion, and many more. It is a complex sin that stagnates and hinders the souls from spiritual growth and fruit bearing.

Jealousy always results to revenge (Prov. 6:34) motivated by the old sinful nature that based its conclusion on suspicion and hypothesis. Jealousy basically is very selfish and self-protective. For example, the brothers of Joseph sold him to the slave traders (Acts 7:9) to protect their inheritance. Jealousy takes real or apparent wrongs out of hands of the Lord and intrudes on the divine prerogative of judgment (Deut. 32:35, Romans 12:19).

The nation of Israel was split because of Ephraim’s jealousy of Judah (Isaiah 11:13), in the same way, governments are being split today by various political factions. It is true that Communists are jealous of democratic governments but politicians in non-communist countries are killing each other for the same reason. Religious people are jealous people. They hated and will continue to hate genuine believers. Remember, the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified by the jealous religious leaders (Matthew 27:28, Mark 15:10). False doctrine and apostasy produce jealousy (1 Tim. 6:4) towards the genuine Church Age saints.

The cosmic system will continue to operate in human negative volition that manifests in ever-increasing jealousy (Romans 1:28-29). Since jealousy rejects the Bible doctrine, mental attitude sins will continue to increase (Acts 13:45, 17:5) and will accelerate as the Rapture of the Church is coming near. The only protection of believers is the Bible doctrine systematically taught in God's designated classroom (the local church) by spiritually trained, equipped and matured pastors. The real spiritual battle is on-going right inside every soul of the regenerate believer. Many will remain spiritual losers. Their defeat started from negative mental attitude of jealousy, self pity, and arrogance.

©2005-2009   J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries