Topical Bible: Zeal: Sometimes Wrongly Directed

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Zeal, a fervent and passionate commitment to a cause or belief, is a quality often praised in the Scriptures. However, the Bible also provides numerous examples where zeal, when not aligned with God's will, leads to misguided actions and consequences. This entry explores instances where zeal is wrongly directed, drawing from biblical narratives and teachings.

Old Testament Examples

1. Jehu's Zeal for the Lord: Jehu, anointed as king of Israel, was known for his zeal in eradicating the house of Ahab and the worship of Baal. While his actions fulfilled God's judgment, his excessive violence and failure to turn away from the sins of Jeroboam demonstrate how zeal can be misapplied. "But Jehu was not careful to walk in the Law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit" (2 Kings 10:31).

2. Uzzah and the Ark: Uzzah's zeal to protect the Ark of the Covenant led to his downfall. When the oxen stumbled, Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark, an act of irreverence that resulted in his death. His zeal, though well-intentioned, was not in accordance with God's instructions. "But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen had stumbled. And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence" (2 Samuel 6:6-7).

New Testament Examples

1. Paul's Zeal Before Conversion: Before his conversion, Paul (then Saul) was zealous for the traditions of his fathers, persecuting the early church with fervor. His misguided zeal was rooted in a misunderstanding of God's plan through Christ. "For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I severely persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers" (Galatians 1:13-14).

2. The Zeal of the Jews: Paul also speaks of the Jewish people who had a zeal for God but lacked the knowledge of His righteousness through faith in Christ. Their zeal, though sincere, was not based on the truth of the Gospel. "For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge. Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness" (Romans 10:2-3).

Lessons on Zeal

The Bible teaches that zeal must be accompanied by knowledge and discernment. Zeal without understanding can lead to actions that are contrary to God's will. The Apostle Paul, after his conversion, exemplifies how zeal can be redirected towards the true knowledge of God and His purposes. "It is good to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and so always, not just when I am with you" (Galatians 4:18).

In summary, while zeal is a commendable trait, it must be guided by a correct understanding of God's Word and His will. The Scriptures encourage believers to seek wisdom and discernment, ensuring that their zeal aligns with the truth of the Gospel and the character of God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Samuel 21:2
And the king called the Gibeonites, and said to them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn to them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.)
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Acts 22:3,4
I am truly a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as you all are this day.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Philippians 3:6
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Argument for the Immaculate Conception.
... was taken up and advocated with great zeal and energy ... fifth general assembly of the
order directed its teachers ... 231] Anselm, who is sometimes wrongly quoted on ...
/.../ 29 the argument for.htm

Instructions to Converts.
... generally arise from their having been wrongly dealt with ... Sometimes people will neglect
to pray because they are ... hearts were warm and their zeal ardent enough ...
/.../lectures on revivals of religion/lecture xix instructions to converts.htm

Psalm LV.
... good counsel thou hast given, perchance sometimes thou hast ... own, lifted up; not having
a zeal for God ... let them not suppose that we thus wrongly understand men ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lv.htm

Second Part
... but the name Jacob assigned (rightly or wrongly) to him ... connected with it, by the
orthodox zeal of Cyrus. ... Sometimes, however, his references seem to be to the ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/second part.htm

Translator's Introduction.
... bad according as the love is rightly or wrongly placed. ... when we study his teaching
(x.) on zeal and anger ... It is sometimes said that a translation should read as ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/translators introduction.htm

Christianity Misunderstood by Believers.
... fully understood and often interpreted wrongly, as we ... and exhortations and professions,
which sometimes seem like ... clergy, and of late years with especial zeal. ...
/.../the kingdom of god is within you/chapter iii christianity misunderstood by.htm

The Sovereignty of God in Salvation
... it because they evidenced an earnestness and zeal in inquiring ... man" from the text,
but has wrongly inserted it ... Sometimes the wind blows so softly it scarcely ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter four the sovereignty of.htm

How to Preach the Gospel.
... Thus the writer, in his zeal to recognise and honor God ... 5. There are two objections
sometimes brought against the kind ... We have been wrongly educated, all of us ...
/.../finney/lectures on revivals of religion/lecture xii how to preach.htm

Prolegomena.
... and many of them evidently placed wrongly in order of ... which you sustain in your
unwearied zeal for the ... affliction from gout, leaving him sometimes hardly able ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leo/writings of leo the great/prolegomena.htm

Introduction to Oration ii.
... the heart, [2588] and our warfare is directed against that ... For these classes differ
sometimes more widely from each ... erred from piety, who have zeal, though not ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/introduction to oration ii.htm