Paul was worried . . . maybe kind of sick inside. It had seemed like a match made in heaven as Paul had brought the two of them together and they seemed to hit it off just great. Paul had helped her as she got to know of Him and then Paul watched as she started to fall in love with Him. Paul could see the Savior wooing those with “hears to hear” at Corinth . . . and was there when “she” responded to heaven’s call . . . when “she” accepted the proposal and the “two crazy kids” were engaged.

But then things started going south. She started “hearing other voices” . . . questioning stuff that she had not questioned before . . . exploring things she really shouldn’t be exploring . . . listening to people she really shouldn’t have been listening to. The result? She started playing the field again . . . stopped “wearing the ring” when she went out on Friday nights, putting it back on her finger only for Sunday mornings. Darkness seemed less dark. Truth seemed less black and white. The pilgrim path seemed less clear. And Paul, the matchmaker, . . . the one who had been there from the beginning . . . the one who had brought them together . . . the one who had facilitated their engagement . . . this Paul was worried . . . sick to his stomach . . . overwhelmed with a divine jealousy.

I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.    (2Corinthians 11:2-3 ESV)

I’m hovering over the thought of divine or godly jealousy. The idea of the mind growing excited with a passionate indignation . . . the soul being roused with an envious and contentious rivalry . . . the Spirit compelling Paul, the gospel-proclaimer, the matchmaker, to fight for the relationship he had had a part in establishing.

Paul saw the church . . . not the building . . . not the organization . . . but the people, as a betrothed bride. And it killed him to see the church playing fast and loose with other scummy suitors . . . tore him up to see her flirting with other guys . . . disheartened him to see what had once been love-struck eyes fading and becoming grey. He knew the battle wasn’t against flesh and blood . . . that the enemy of God’s people from the beginning was sowing his seeds of confusion . . . presenting “another Jesus” . . . “a different spirit” . . . “a different gospel” (11:4). And it stirred him up to see her being led astray by his lies.

And I guess I can fit into this scenario in a couple of ways. One, I am she. I’m that betrothed virgin . . . brought into covenant relationship with One who has drawn me to Himself . . . awaiting that day when He returns . . . when I will be presented to Him . . . when the wedding feast will occur. As such, I should determine, as much as lies in me and by the power of the Holy Spirit, to ensure I’m dressed in the pure, white wedding garments of “a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” That my eyes never stray far from looking “down the aisle” and to the altar and the One who waits for me . . . even now preparing a place for me that where He is, I may be also (John 14:1-3).

And the other way I can fit into this divine love story is as a “wedding coordinator” fueled by a godly jealousy to see the Bride and the Groom united as intended. I can contend for those in my little world who are betrothed to the Savior . . . encouraging a steadfast faithfulness as we approach the day . . . exhorting toward a passionate pursuit of the One who has pursued us . . . exposing the deceiving counter-messages seeded by the serpent.

Oh, that by His grace I would not stray from a since and pure devotion to Christ . . . and that I would be fueled by a divine jealousy . . . for the Bride of Christ . . . and for the glory of the King . . .