Zeal for the Lord

(Bible verses and names are taken of the english Version of the Bible of Yehoshua Mashiah)

„But his disciples remembered that it is written: the zeal of your house has consumed me“ (John/Yohanan 2:17) 

1)    What is zeal?

The dictionary defines zeal as 

1. earnest endeavour, pursuit of a goal
2. enthusiasm for a cause
3. excited haste [1]

The ancient Greek word for „zeal“ is zelos. This word originally meant caring so passionately about a cause or a person that it resulted in heated excitement, whether in a positive meaning as zeal or a negative meaning as jealousy. This heat or fervour in a positive sense is the enthusiasm and passion of the spirit, when fighting for something or someone. This can also be called enthusiasm. In another sense, zelos can also mean jealousy, either of people, but also Elohim’s (God’s) jealousy.

„14 And he found in the temple the sellers of oxen and sheep and doves, and the money-changers sitting. 15 And having made a whip out of small cords, he cast them all out of the temple with the sheep, and the oxen. He poured out the small coin of the money-changers, and overturned the tables. 16 And he said to the sellers of doves: Take these things away! Do not make the house of my Father a house of merchandise. 17 But his disciples remembered that it is written: the zeal of your house has consumed me“ (John/Yohanan 2:14-17)

2)    The consuming zeal

The people at that time surely thought that this man who whipped the merchants out of the temple was mad. But it was zeal for the Lord, indeed, the zeal of the Lord. The concern that the temple was being defiled was too great! But where is this zeal to stand up for the Lord in us? Zeal must be like a fire that cannot be stopped.

„26 For if we sin voluntarily after receiving the precise and correct knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain terrible expectation of judgement and a fierceness of fire, which is about to devour the adversaries„ (Hebrews 10:26-27)

3)    Judgment

The greek word zelos mentioned above is translated as „fierceness“ in this Bible passage. The zeal of the Lord is thus compared to an ember, a fiery flame that consumes everything that stands in its way. This was the same zeal that drove Yehoshua to cleanse the temple. This zeal judges the works of darkness. However, it must be clearly distinguished from the false zeal we read about in the following verses.

„13 Who is a wise man and intelligent among you? Let him show out of a good behavior his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter zeal and partisanship spirit in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descends not from above: But is earthly, animal, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and partisanship spirit is, there is disorder and every evil work“ (James/Yaakov 3:13-16)

4)    Bitter zeal

There is a false, malicious zeal. This begins in the heart, because Mark, chapter 7, says that all things come from the heart. The person with bitter zeal has a problem in his heart; he is trapped and needs deliverance, but he doesn’t know it. Paulos, for example, also had zeal for the Torah, the Jewish law, even before his conversion to Christ. He was 100% zealous and had enormous passion for his cause, but in the wrong direction. There was no wisdom, no love to be found there. 

„1 Brothers, indeed my heart’s desire and supplication to Elohim on behalf of Israel is, for salvation. 2 For I testify to them that they have a zeal for Elohim, but not according to precise and correct knowledge. 3 For, not knowing Elohim’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, did not submit themselves to the righteousness of Elohim“ (Romans 10:1-3)

5)    Our own righteousness or Elohim’s righteousness?

If we search our hearts carefully, we will discover whether we want to establish our own righteousness or Elohim’s righteousness. When we want to tell someone the truth, let us ask ourselves: Are we speaking to justify ourselves and to show off, or are we speaking to defend the Lord’s cause?

If one has bitter zeal, one does not shy away from hurting others in order to defend the own cause, the own reputation, the own position. (Yes, it is true that several people will feel hurt in their feelings , even when someone tells them the truth. That’s not what we’re talking about here.) However, in order to distinguish true zeal from false zeal, one must examine whether it is about the Lord’s cause or the own ego. There are people who are zealous to expose others. They do what they do not out of love for the Lord, but only to show that they are right and the other person is wrong. This is precisely what is meant by „bitter zeal“. This kind of zeal causes division because it is a partisan spirit. Bitter zeal is also racist, for example. It presents itself as better. Let’s watch our hearts!

„15 But if your brother sinned against you, go and convict him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be established. 17 But if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly, and if he also refuses to listen to the assembly, let him be to you as a pagan and as a publican“ (Matthew/Mattithyah 18:15-17)

6)    Winning back your brother

These verses show us how to win your brother, that is, to win him back for Yehoshua and not for any other purpose. That is why it is so important that our hearts are pure, even when there is something to be settled between brothers and sisters. If two people are unable to forgive each other and reconcile, they are acting out of bitter zeal. They are not converted, and this kind of false zeal is also called witchcraft; the spirit of partiality is at work.

„14 And to the angel of the assembly of the Laodiceans write: These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of Elohim: 15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor boiling! I wish you were cold or boiling. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor boiling, I am about to vomit you out of my mouth. 17 Because you say: I am rich, and have become rich, and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I advise you to buy from me gold burned out of the fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness may not appear, and anoint your eyes with eye-salve that you may see. 19 I, if as many as I love, I rebuke and chastise. Therefore be zealous, and repent„ (Revelation/Apokalypsis 3:14-19)

7)    Cast away lukewarmness

We live in a time when we lose our strength as children of the Lord and our zeal if we do not profess our faith in the Lord. Nowadays, we are no longer as interested in things for the Lord. We must also always remember that it is not our plans in our heads that make the seed grow. We feel well organised, even superior. Just like the church in Laodicea described above. Our way of thinking destroys our faith. Many people  lack flexibility, although scripture says, we have to be like the wind (John 3). Christians pursue their own plans and feel rich in doing so. For example, when Bible teaching takes place, people want to stick to the planned hours exactly and become nervous as soon as the pre-planned time is exceeded. Zeal wanes. We, however, should be ready and burning. The Lord should be able to do with us what He wants. We have to repent.

„10 For grief according to Elohim produces repentance to salvation not to be regretted, but grief of the world produces death. 11 For behold, this same that you grieve according to Elohim, how great earnestness it produced in you! What defense! What indignation! What fear! What longing desire! What zeal! What revenge! In everything, you have proved yourselves to be pure in this matter.“ (2 Corinthians 7:10-11)

8)    Hard soil – a lot of work

Not all soils are the same. There are regions where you sow seeds and they begin to grow without any effort. However, there are other places where you have to plough, harrow, water and weed before anything finally grows. We may find ourselves on such soil. As in the Bible passage just mentioned, we therefore need such diligence and such defence, such indignation, such fear, such desire, such zeal, such revenge for the Lord’s cause. 

 „27  And whoever does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28  For who of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough for its completion, 29 so that, he having laid the foundation and not beeing able to finish it, all who are beholding may begin to mock him, 30 saying: This man began to build, and was not able to finish?„ (Luke/Loukas 14:27-30)

9)    Resuming our initial zeal

Where is our zeal? We remember when we started with the Lord. How zealous we were then. We are entering a phase where we must not give up. In order to have a breakthrough with the Lord here and now, we must go deep, dig and fight through, otherwise we will lose our passion and zeal and in the end we will „lack the get up and go“. If we are not steadfast, it will be very difficult to see fruit in the future. Let us pray that we will once again be filled with this passion for the Lord.

„For the zeal of your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproached you are fallen upon me“ (Psalm 69:10)

10)    Enduring persecution

The word reproaches in the above verse is another word for insults and mockery. It also means contempt and persecution. Since the zealous Christian takes a clear stand, he must endure opposition from the camp of the enemy. The mature Christian rejoices in the insults because he remembers that he is allowed to suffer like his Lord or for his Lord. May Yehoshua help us to acquire this attitude!

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[1] https://de.wiktionary.org/wiki/Eifer