God is a jealous God?

Exodus 20:3-6 (NASB) - “You shall have no other gods before Me.  4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.  5 “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,  6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

God was not to be viewed as one among many gods, but as the Only God!

-    No other Gods
-    No idols, (of any kind) that includes pagan idols of Buddha as well as money… cars… houses… sex… alcohol… fame… etc.
-    Even creating an image of the true God in your mind that is contrary to the Bible is idolatry.  Most do this in order to clear the conscience and make God more palatable to them.

Why, view God this way?

v5b - for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,  6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

He is a jealous God.  That is to say that God has a passion and a zeal for the truth that He is the only true God.  Jealous of any rivals.  And because God is perfect, His jealousy cannot be understood as man's jealousy.  Man has no right to be envious of anyone else or anything because we are not the perfect example of anything. 

The Hebrew word ‘visiting’ there means that God comes in divine judgment to those who attempt to supplant Him as God.  However, for those who acknowledge Him in all things, for them He demonstrates loving-kindness.

Mark 12:28-30 (NASB) - One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?”  29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord;  30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

This statement sums up ALL 10 commandments.  Because if we do this then all else will follow.  Love God and Love People.  If you love God, you’ll love people.  If you don’t then nothing else will matter or help you change your guilty circumstances.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians quoting from Isaiah.  1 Corinthians 2:9 (NASB) - but just as it is written,
“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

In Ephesians 6:24 he writes that a Christian is one who loves our ‘Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity’.

Christians must be characterized by sincere love.  Sincere love for God is the first mark of a genuine faith.  That is true, not because we can do anything or demonstrate any sort of love or righteousness of our own.  But because of God, because He IS Love and through His Spirit He enables us to love both Him and others!

Romans 5:5 (NASB) - and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

The love of God ‘has been poured out in our hearts’ (given that you are a born again Christian).  God’s love, poured out on us.  Love, true love, comes from Him and Him alone.  Therefore ALL praise must be given to Him and Him alone for He alone is WORTHY!