As I read this passage there were two things that stuck out to me, today.
     1. God is a jealous God
     2. God’s love and blessing far outweigh His anger and punishment
 
God is Jealous?
God says He is jealous or something similar several times in the Bible. Sometimes we hear this and it can be confusing because we have the wrong idea of jealousy in our minds. Today, we often use jealousy and envy interchangeably, thus we may think God is saying that He is envious of us.
 
Jealousy, however, also means having a strong feeling for the protection of something you already have. For example, I am jealous for my wife. I would not be alright with her dating another man. When God says He is jealous, He is saying that He does not want us worshiping any other god. The threat of punishment that follows makes it clear that He’s very serious.
 
We may be offended by this, but remember, we are not our own. For Israel, God had made them His people and brought them out of slavery with His mighty hand. For Christians, today, we have been bought by nothing less than the precious blood of Jesus Christ. God, alone, rightly deserves our praise and worship. He created us and He redeemed us out of His great love.
 
God’s Love is Bigger:
After the threat, God demonstrates He isn’t some horrible dictator telling us not to defy Him. He is a loving father who’s love is far greater than anything we can imagine. He will punish the third and fourth generation those who hate Him, but show love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.
 
That’s a ratio of somewhere between 333:1 and 250:1. God loves us. It is His love which led Jesus to the cross. It is His love which forgives our sins and adopts us as sons and daughters. We respond to His great love by worshiping Him alone.