You can’t go wrong with spending time together as a family! There’s always something to take away. Sweetheart, Agbenu, and I were in the kitchen making Puff-Puff (deep-fried dough), chatting away and with some of our favorite gospel songs playing in the background. Suddenly, Agbenu interjected:

“Oh yeah! Mom, dad, why do people call God ‘a jealous God’ if He’s never sinned?”

Sweetheart and I were simultaneously speechless, blown away and excited!

Me: “Mama, that was such an awesome question. Come here! (Hi-five 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️)

Sweetheart: “Yeah Mama! (Hi-five 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️, then she cleared her throat) We really need to think about this one before answering.”

Me: “Yeah.” (Now smiling suspiciously at the thinking behind her curiosity)

I knew this must be tackled with facts, not by just personal intellect. So quickly, I whipped out my phone, opened my bible app, and located Exodus 20: 5.

Sweetheart: “While dad is getting ready to answer. I may not have the answer, but this is what I think. God is God all by Himself and has commanded us to worship Him and have no other god. So, when we begin to pay attention to other things more than we do God then He becomes jealous, but He does not sin.”

Agbenu: “So when mortals become jealous it is sin, but when God gets jealous it is not sinning.”

Sweetheart: “Exactly!”

Agbenu: “I think I get it now” (I perceived that she wasn’t yet convinced.)

Sweetheart: “Over to you, dad.”

Me: “Ok, Mama first let’s check it out in the bible.”

So, we read:

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

Exodus 20: 5.

Me: “So first, it’s not people who say so but God Himself and it’s a part of His Ten Commandments…”

Agbenu: “I get the commandment, what I don’t get is why would God be jealous. Jealousy is a sin.”

Her thinking was just like I suspected. I was even more intrigued and excited to see how this will all unfold.

Just to digress a little bit: Guys, think about when you asked out your wife, girlfriend or the lady of your dreams and you exuded so much confidence because you knew it was a done deal, so you relaxed and enjoyed being friends and the romance in the pursuit. Ladies, think about when Mr. Right pursued you or imagine he was chasing you, nice to you, treated you with respect, and you felt safe with him. You knew you would say yes but, in the meantime, you’re enjoying the friendship and romance. Do you know that excitement? That’s how enthused I was knowing that I didn’t have the answers yet but that we’ll figure it out from research, and I love research!🕺🏾

Me: “Ok let’s look at the meaning of jealous,” which we looked up as 👇:

Nos. 1- 3 were eliminated for being out of context. No.1 was instantly adjudged sinful. Nos. 2 and 3 were deemed necessary as needed. Then, No. 4 was it!!!! I was super excited to see it.

Me: “So basically God is telling us that He’s the only God that we should worship and that we should not have another god because He will get so angry, defend Himself (like the 3rd meaning) and give us very strong consequences. Say if I hate God and worship another god, He’ll punish me, punish you, publish your child, and your grandchild. That’s how bad it can get.”

Agbenu: “Does that mean God will be angry forever?”

Me: “No, He always forgives us whenever we’re sorry, and ask for forgiveness.”

Agbenu: “Oh, now I get it. I see why God will not be jealous in a sinful way.”

Me: “Exactly! Again, I’m so glad that you asked this question. Continue to ask us any questions that you have, if we don’t have the answers to them, we’ll research and figure them out like we just did.”

Agbenu: “Mm..hmm” (her usual agreement gesture)

Hi-five 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️.

Honestly feel so happy about this one and I also feel as though this definition was included in Google just for us, for this moment. I loved every bit of the engagement more so because it modeled fact-verification technique. So, bring them on, child!

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Luke 11: 9 – 10.

• 1/19/19