“He is jealous for me.” So begins John Mark McMillan’s 2005 song, “How He Loves.” Well known. Heart stirring. But true? I’m thinkin’ . . .

Reading in Isaiah again this morning. And I encounter the well-known “for unto us a Child is born” passage. So, I pull out my colored pencils and dutifully mark what this inspired text tells me about the Father, the Son, and the kingdom which already is and is yet to come. But it’s the promise at the end, the one I have to pull out my orange-colored pencil for, that captures my attention. So, this morning, I’m noodling on the zeal of the LORD.

For a Child will be born for us,
a Son will be given to us,
and the government will be on His shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
The dominion will be vast,
and its prosperity will never end.
He will reign on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it
with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD of Armies will accomplish this.

(Isaiah 9:6-7 CSB)

That last sentence is a promise, isn’t it? The zeal of the LORD of Armies WILL accomplish this.

Zeal. That’s what catches my attention. That’s what I’m chewing on. The LORD of heaven and all its hosts is a LORD of zeal. Our God is a zealous God.

Far from any view of a stoic, dispassionate, uninterested deity, God chooses to let us know in language which gives us some understanding (though not full comprehension) that He is a God who is passionate about certain things. To use a word not used much these days, He is ardent. Interested, active, desirous with burning desire. Our God is intense. He feels intensely, He loves intensely. He is intensely eager and enthusiastic. Did I mention that our God is a zealous God?

And looking at my handy-dandy, online lexicon, the root of the word used here has the idea of being envious or jealous, hence zealous. So, is our God a jealous God? Yeah, He is! Check out Exodus 20:5 and Exodus 34:14.

So, what’s God jealous about? What will the zeal of the LORD of Armies accomplish? This. The zeal of the LORD of Armies will accomplish this.

This is the kingdom promised to David, a kingdom established and sustained with justice and righteousness forever. The zeal, the jealousy, of the LORD will accomplish this.

This is raising up the King of the kingdom. A Child born to us, a Son given. One who will forever be the ruling authority. Mighty God Himself. Eternal Father in undiminished essence. One not only with God the Father but also with God the Spirit, the Wonderful Counselor. Himself the Prince of Peace, the Author of Reconciliation. The zeal, the jealousy, of the LORD will accomplish this.

But go back to the beginning of Isaiah 9 and this is also me. Not me as in just me, only me, the individual me — but me as part of we.

The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
a light has dawned
on those living in the land of darkness. . . .
For You have shattered their oppressive yoke . . .

(Isaiah 9:2-4a CSB)

While God is zealous for His kingdom, while the Father is zealous for the Son to rule over the kingdom, God is also zealous for those who will comprise the kingdom. Those who once walked in darkness but now have seen a great light. That’s us!

Those rescued from the oppressive yoke of the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son (Col. 1:13). Those who were called out of darkness into His marvelous light (1Peter 2:9). Those who at one time were darkness but now are light in the Lord (Eph. 5:8). This is who we are. This is who we are becoming. This is who we will be.

And this is what the zeal of the LORD will accomplish. This work He has begun in us He will complete in us with ardent determination. This is the work He is zealous for. This is the work He is jealous for. And, if “me” is a part of “us” (and it is), then yes, John Mark, He is jealous for me.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Only by God’s amazing grace. Only for God’s awe-invoking glory.

Amen?