Godly Jealousy by K. Erik Thoennes - Conclusions

Having finished Godly Jealousy by K. Erik Thoennes(Thoennes, K. Erik. Godly Jealousy: a Theology of Intolerant Love. Scotland: Christian Focus, 2005. p216), I will share some of Thoennes material from the the final chapter of the book. In this chapter he makes some concluding remarks that help the reader sum up the major themes of the book.

Thoennes narrows his work down to four main conclusions:

1. the theocentric perspective at the heart of godly jealousy
2. the legitimacy of this deeply felt godly emotion
3. the rejection of religious pluralism
4. limitations and applications

Here are some quotes from the concluding material:

"We have seen that God's primary goal in human history, a goal for which he is intensely jealous, is his own glory and honor. This jealousy is foundational to all godly jealousy. God desires the fidelity of his people because he loves them, but ultimately because he is most glorified when they ascribe to him the honor that belongs to him alone." (258)

"Any cause of Scripture is part of the greater purpose of displaying God's glory. God is righteous, and therefore values above all else what is of ultimate value." (258)

"God's jealousy for his glory does not conflict with his love. God is unique in that he alone is able to perfectly love while seeking his own glory. God's perfect justice and love necessitate his own self-exaltation." (259)

"God's ardent interest in his own glory and honor is a part of his eternal nature. However, before creation, God's jealousy would have not had occasion for expression. The perfect expression of relationship within the triune godhead would have left no place for God's jealousy to be provoked. After creation, God's jealousy is provoked by his finite creatures who deny him his rightful honor.From God's jealous reaction to Satan's rebellion ... to the final, violent reclaiming of his kingdom ... this jealous reaction to an abrogation of his honor is present throughout the history of redemption. God's intense desire to protect his own glory ... is not a peripheral or accidental attribute. It is a necessary attribute of his divine nature and a necessary aspect of divine love." (275)

Phineas and Religious Pluralism

"Perhaps the most important application for the contemporary Christian of Elijah's confrontation with the Baal prophets is the absolute rejection of religious pluralism that it portrays."

(Thoennes, K. Erik. Godly Jealousy: a Theology of Intolerant Love. Scotland: Christian Focus, 2005. p216)

Phineas and Godly Jealousy

In the book Godly Jealousy (Thoennes, K. Erik. Godly Jealousy: a Theology of Intolerant Love. Scotland: Christian Focus, 2005.), the author discusses examples of godly human jealousy from Scripture. He starts by considering three examples from the Old Testament.

The three examples were; Phineas, David, and Elijah. According to Thoennes, "The clearest example of godly human jealousy in the Bible is found in Numbers 25:11"(149). Here is that passage which has God speaking to Moses:

“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’”

The event which leads to this declaration by God is found in Numbers 25:1-9 which is as follows in the ESV:

25:1 While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. 4 And the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the Lord, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” 5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”

6 And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand 8 and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. 9 Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.

Thoennes walks the reader through this event with an clear explanation of Phineas' righteous jealousy and the result and implications of it. In concluding his remarks about this priest, Thoennes writes, "In the jealousy of Phineas we have a clear example of a man who so shared God's perspective that he felt and acted on God's behalf in an accurate and godly way. the godly jealousy expressed by Phineas is the purest kind, for it is intensely and ultimately concerned about the goal for which God is most intensely and ultimately concerned-his own glory ... His radical behavior flowed out of a godly character and perspective and that enabled him to have the courage necessary to boldly act on God's behalf." (168-171)

Godly Jealousy by K. Erik Thoennes - Chapter 2

I'm two chapters into Godly Jealousy. (Thoennes, K. Erik. Godly Jealousy: a Theology of Intolerant Love. Scotland: Christian Focus, 2005. Print.) I'm thoroughly enjoying the book and learning much about the significance of God's jealousy to his character and his actions. I have also been a little surprised by the pervasiveness of this communicable attribute of God throughout the Bible. The book is clear, concise; just the way I like it.

Here are a few of the many passages I noted for consideration from chapter two.

"It will be shown that in the Bible, when understood properly, jealousy is not a minor incidental aspect of God's work in human history; rather,it is a deep and pervasive quality of his that is foundational to everything he does in human history." (34)

"God is jealous (1) for his own glory, and (2) for the faithfulness of his people. The latter is related to, and based on, the former. God is ultimately jealous for the faithfulness of his people because he is jealous for his own glory." (34)

"God's desire for his glory drives his constant revelation of himself in the lives of his people. He wants to be known, and recognized for who he is, so that he will receive his deserved glory. God wants humanity to know that he is Lord, and this motive is frequently given as the cause of his actions." (36)

Godly Jealousy by K. Erik Thoennes

Thoennes, K. Erik. Godly Jealousy: a Theology of Intolerant Love. Scotland: Christian Focus, 2005. Print.

Fellow blogger Chris Power bought me this book at T4G. I hope to post some blogs as I read through it.

Here is a start:

"God's jealousy for his own glory is his inherent jealousy that desires that his glory be acknowledged and proclaimed.

God's jealousy is more than a passing mood; it springs from his innate character and is the foundation of all godly jealousy. It is one of the enduring characteristics that make up his communicable attributes. It is with jealousy that God always responds to the abrogation of his exclusive right to be acknowledged as the only true God. Gos 'will admit no derogation from his majesty.' God demands that his people recognize his exclusive claims on them (Deut. 6:13-15). When God is jealous, it means that he 'continually seeks to protect his own honor.' It is not only the emotion that leads to divine wrath, it is also the cause of God's loving pursuit of his rebellious people when they go astray." (22-23)