El Quanna is translated: “The Lord Is Jealous”. This is an unusual description of God since the bible clearly states we are not to be jealous. Let’s explore the defenition of this name more closely.
El Quanna is an adjective or title used only of God. It focuses on His desire for an exclusive relationship with His creation. It describes a jealousy that is unlike human jealousy in that it is not out of selfishness, but rather it is based from God’s pure and divine love for us. It has never been God’s desire to be separated from His creation.
Isaiah 30:18 expresses God’s love in a beautiful way, “Therefore the Lord waits [expectantly] and LONGS to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you”.
Sadly, we, mankind have allowed ourselves to become disconnected from God.
In our lives there are two areas which cause separation from God. The first is sin. “But your wickedness has separated you from your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
Sin is derived from both a Greek and Hebrew word used in archery and denotes “to miss the mark” or being in error. Sin is actually missing the standard that God has set for us to live by.
The second area is idolatry. In the Ten Commandments, God made the following statement: “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself any idol, or any likeness (form, manifestation) of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth [as an object to worship]. You shall not worship them nor serve them Exodus 20:3-5
Idolatry is devoting ourselves to worship something or someone in the place of God. It is a sin that leads us to desire more than what God provides, and to trust something or someone lesser than God to satisfy our wants and needs. Idolatry is giving more honor to any created thing rather than to God Himself.
God Goes on to tell Moses in Exodus 20:5, “ for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous (impassioned) God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine].”
God is faithful and loves us unconditionally and is telling us in this scripture, He is jealous of anything that separates us from Him. . Again, His jealousy is not out of selfishness, but a passionate love that says, “never will I leave you, never will I forsake you”.
The book of Hosea is an analogy of God’s love for His people, The cycle of repentance, redemption, and restoration clearly depicts our relationship with God. Hosea reveals a repetitious theme: though God will bring judgment on sin, He will always bring His people back to Himself.
Is there something in your life separating you from God? Whether it is sin or idolatry, it is our responsibility as we walk out our salvation, to remove this hindrance.
Father, I pray You would reveal to us any sin or area of idolatry in our life. We desire to surrender all to you. Create in us a clean heart.
