The Bible clearly teaches us not to be envious or jealous. 

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s. Genesis 20:17 NKJV

 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies.... Galatians 5:19-20 NKJV

Then why does the Bible portray God as being jealous?

You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, Exodus 20:4-5  NKJV

For they provoked Him to anger with their high places, And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images. Psalm 78:58 NKJV

There are different kinds of jealousy. Paul spoke of a godly jealousy.

For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2 NKJV 

The jealousy that is spoken against in the Bible is wanting something that does not belong to us. If a man lusts after another man’s wife, that is wrong because the woman is not his but belongs to another man. However if the husband loses his wife to another man, he has godly jealousy because his wife actually belongs to him and not the other man. (By the way, this still does not justify a husband getting jealous every time his wife speaks cordially to another brother in church etc., but I digress.)

Carnal jealousy is wanting what does not belong to us. Godly jealousy is wanting what does belong to us but is taken by someone else. 

God is jealous when His own people choose another god. He is both jealous and passionate because not only do we belong to Him and not the world, but He also knows the world will not love and care for us the way He does. This is why God tells us in Exodus 20:3 that we are not to have any other gods. God knows no other god will love and care for us the way He does. His passion for our welfare demands we have no other gods besides Him. Only He can love us the way we were designed to be loved. We do not belong to the world. We belong to God. See Psalm 24:1.

God’s jealousy is not a carnal jealousy of wanting what does not belong to us so we can use it to satisfy our lustful passions. God’s jealousy is a godly jealousy where He does not want to lose what is rightfully His, and His passion is a godly passion for our well-being.

God wants us to stay faithful to Him for our own well-being and not because of some carnal jealous ego. The reason we are to have no other gods before us is that  God is the only God who can give us the love and well-being we need. He is jealous for our welfare and not for Himself. 

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/godly-passion-and-jealousy/

Daily Lesson for Tuesday 21st of January 2025

In the New Testament, the same kind of imagery as in the Old is used to depict God’s compassion. Paul refers to the Father as the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3, NKJV). Further, Paul explains in Ephesians 2:4 that God is “rich in mercy” and redeems humans “because of His great love with which He loved us” (NKJV).

Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com

In various parables, Christ Himself repeatedly uses terms of visceral, gut-wrenching emotion to depict the Father’s compassion (Matthew 18:27, Luke 10:33, Luke 15:20). And the same language that depicts divine compassion in the Old Testament and New Testament also is used in the Gospels to depict Jesus’ compassionate responses to those in distress.

Again and again in the Gospels, Christ was said to be moved to compas­sion by people in distress or in need. And He not only felt compas­sion, He addressed the people’s needs, as well.

And yes, Jesus also lamented over His people. One might imagine the tears in Christ’s eyes as He looks out over the city—“ ‘How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!’ ” (Matthew 23:37, NKJV). Here, we see that the lament of Christ matches closely with that depicted of God throughout the Old Testament. In fact, many biblical scholars note that the imagery of a bird taking care of her young is imagery only used of divinity in the ancient Near East. Here, many see an allusion to the imagery in Deuteronomy 32:11, of God as a bird hovering over, protecting, and taking care of its young.

<–Monday Wednesday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25a-04-the-compassion-of-jesus/

The studies in this quarters pamphlet encourage us to see God’s Love and Justice, just as we may sing in 
Hymn 79 – O Love of God, How Strong and True! which is a beautiful theme hymn for our studies.

 Praise Ye The Father – Hymn 70 tells us of the great compassion of our Saviour (verse 2), as does
Great Is Thy Faithfulness – Hymn 100 in verse 1. There are more hymns telling us of the beautiful compassion of our Father and Saviour: 
Love Divine – Hymn 191 (verse 1), 
God Be Merciful To Me – Hymn 297 (verse 1), 
Where Cross The Crowded Way – Hymn 355 (verse 3) and, 
Lord, Whose Love In Humble Service – Hymn 363 (verse 2), just to name a few.

The amazing love of a mother discussed on Sunday, shows up in verse 2 of 
Hymn 565 – For The Beauty Of The Earth along with 
Hymn 29 – Sing Praise To God (verse 3) and 
There’s A Song In The Air – Hymn 120 (verse 1). And, yes, there are more of these in our wonderful hymn book. “God relates to us as His beloved children” and this is sung in 
Hymn 101 – Children Of The Heavenly Father.

The last hymn just written about, 
Children Of The Heavenly Father – Hymn 101 shows the unfathomable love of our Father God as studied on Monday.

The Compassion of Jesus (Tuesday) returns to us in 
Love Divine – Hymn 191 (verse 1).

The love studied on Thursday is such that it “can be exemplified in our lives only as the fruit of the Holy Spirit”. Let as ask for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as in 
Hymn 266 – Spirit of God and 
Hymn 269 – Come, Holy Spirit. We can then 
Sing Praise To God – Hymn 29. As we draw to a close on Thursday’s study, we are told “we cannot change our hearts, but that only God can”, hence we plead for this in 
Hymn 584 – There’s A Spirit In The Air (verse 6). We are then very grateful to have 
A Diligent And Grateful Heart – Hymn 639.

Please continue to search the scriptures this week to be blessed, and to bless others.

To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/

Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org/Search and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/4-god-is-passionate-and-compassionate-singing-with-inspiration/

Key Thought : In His passionate and compassionate love, God asks us to be like Him. In our compassion for others, we need to be actively caring for others.
January 25, 2025

1. Have a volunteer read Hosea 11:1-9.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. How does the imagery in these verses bring to life the way God loves and cares for His people?
3. Personal Application: What comfort can we draw from the reality of God’s love for us like a parent for their child? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “How do you reveal God’s compassion as a loving Father to those who didn’t have parents who had love and compassion for them? What other ways can God’s love and compassion be revealed?” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Matthew 9:36; 14:14; Mark 1:41; 6:34.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. How do these verses show the way God was moved by the plight of the people?
3. Personal Application: How can we model our lives focusing on the needs of others by showing it on love in tangible ways? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “How does remembering and forgetting play a part in God’s love for us like a mother loves her child? What does it mean by remembering and forgetting?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read I Corinthians 13:4-8.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. In what ways does this passage call us to reflect God’s compassion and love in our relationship with others?
3. Personal Application: Why is death to selfishness, corruption, and self the only way to reveal this love? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states: “What are some practical ways that you as an individual, or as a group, can meet the needs of those who need comforting?.” How would you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read I Corinthians 13:4, 2 Corinthians 11:2.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. If love is not jealous, how can God be a jealous God? How do we understand these ideas?
3. Personal Application: How can we reflect the same kind of “good jealousy” toward others that God displays towards us? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared. ”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/3-god-is-passionate-and-compassionate-teaching-plan/

Daily Lesson for Monday 20th of January 2025

The incalculable depths of God’s compassionate love for humanity are manifested in Hosea. God had commanded the prophet Hosea, “ ‘Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord’ ” (Hosea 1:2, NKJV). Hosea 11:1-12 later depicts God’s relationship with His people, but with the metaphor of a loving father for his child.

Image © Educational Concepts Collection at Goodsalt.com

God’s love for His people is likened to the tender affection of a parent for a child. Scripture uses the imagery of teaching a young child to walk; taking one’s beloved child in one’s arms; healing and providing sustenance; and otherwise tenderly caring for His people. Scripture also states that God “carried” His people just “ ‘as a man carries his son’ ” (Deuteronomy 1:31, NKJV). In “His love and in His mercy He redeemed them” and “lifted them and carried them all the days of old” (Isaiah 63:9, NASB).

In contrast to God’s unwavering faithfulness, His people were repeatedly unfaithful, ultimately pushing God away and bringing judgment upon themselves and deeply grieving Him. God is compassionate, but never to the exclusion of justice. (As we will see in a later lesson, love and justice go together.)

Have you ever been so upset about something that your stomach churns? That is the kind of imagery used for the depth of God’s emotions over His people. The imagery of one’s heart turning over and compassions being kindled is idiomatic language of deep emotions, used of both God and humans.

This imagery, of compassions being kindled (kamar), is used in the case of the two women who came before Solomon, each one claiming the same baby as her own. When Solomon ordered the infant cut in two (with no intention to harm the child), this imagery described the emotional reaction of the real mother (1 Kings 3:26; compare with Genesis 43:30).

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25a-04-gut-wrenching-love/