Provoked to Jealousy (5 of 12)
Series: Return and Seek: The Minor Prophets
Patrick Edwards
Jonah
Introduction
As a teenager I remember one of the most commonly employed strategies for trying to get a member of the opposite sex to be into was the old jealously tactic. You know how it went. You might flirt a lot with the target's friends or parade someone else in front of them in hope that they would see how desirable you are and perhaps that you're unavailable, because we all know that you want what you can't have. You did all of this, however, in hopes to provoke said crush to jealously, that they would come to want the attention you were offering to another and, well, eventually they'd be yours.
I'm not sure I recall the strategy ever actually working, but you know we did it anyway.
I'll even admit I sometimes try it with my kids. You know when one of them is having a hard time following the rules but the other isn't, my wife or I might try praising the obedient child in hopes that the other will see that and change their attitude. I mean I'm sure there's some child psychologist out there saying that I'm screwing my kids up, and that's probably true, but hey, whatever works.
Regardless of the circumstance, the principle is pretty basic: One party sees the joy and blessing of another party, wants that for themselves, and responds in turn. And it turns out it's a strategy we find in the Scriptures, only more perfectly executed by the sovereign and only wise God. Paul outlines this in Romans 11,
I ask, then, have they [Israel] stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Now if their transgression brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring!
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Insofar as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if I might somehow make my own people je ...
Series: Return and Seek: The Minor Prophets
Patrick Edwards
Jonah
Introduction
As a teenager I remember one of the most commonly employed strategies for trying to get a member of the opposite sex to be into was the old jealously tactic. You know how it went. You might flirt a lot with the target's friends or parade someone else in front of them in hope that they would see how desirable you are and perhaps that you're unavailable, because we all know that you want what you can't have. You did all of this, however, in hopes to provoke said crush to jealously, that they would come to want the attention you were offering to another and, well, eventually they'd be yours.
I'm not sure I recall the strategy ever actually working, but you know we did it anyway.
I'll even admit I sometimes try it with my kids. You know when one of them is having a hard time following the rules but the other isn't, my wife or I might try praising the obedient child in hopes that the other will see that and change their attitude. I mean I'm sure there's some child psychologist out there saying that I'm screwing my kids up, and that's probably true, but hey, whatever works.
Regardless of the circumstance, the principle is pretty basic: One party sees the joy and blessing of another party, wants that for themselves, and responds in turn. And it turns out it's a strategy we find in the Scriptures, only more perfectly executed by the sovereign and only wise God. Paul outlines this in Romans 11,
I ask, then, have they [Israel] stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Now if their transgression brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring!
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Insofar as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if I might somehow make my own people je ...
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