Bible Verses About Religious Zeal: Exemplified

Moshe went back to ADONAI and said, "Please! These people have committed a terrible sin: they have made themselves a god out of gold.

Now, if you will just forgive their sin! But if you won't, then, I beg you, blot me out of your book which you have written!"

Moshe said to Hovav the son of Re'u'el the Midyani, Moshe's father-in-law, "We are traveling to the place about which ADONAI said, 'I will give it to you.'Come with us, and we will treat you well, because ADONAI has promised good things to Isra'el."

But Moshe replied, "Are you so zealous to protect me? I wish all of ADONAI's people were prophets! I wish ADONAI would put his Spirit on all of them!"

Then I fell down before ADONAI, as I had the first time, for forty days and nights, during which time I neither ate food nor drank water, all because of the sin you committed by doing what was evil in the sight of ADONAI and thus provoking him.

I was terrified that because of how angry ADONAI was at you, of how heatedly displeased he was, that he would destroy you. But ADONAI listened to me that time too.

"Therefore fear ADONAI, and serve him truly and sincerely. Put away the gods your ancestors served beyond the [Euphrates]River and in Egypt, and serve ADONAI!

If it seems bad to you to serve ADONAI, then choose today whom you are going to serve! Will it be the gods your ancestors served beyond the River? or the gods of the Emori, in whose land you are living? As for me and my household, we will serve ADONAI!"

The people answered, "Far be it from us that we would abandon ADONAI to serve other gods;

David said to the men standing with him, "What reward will be given to the man who kills this P'lishti and removes this disgrace from Isra'el? Who is this uncircumcised P'lishti anyway, that he challenges the armies of the living God?"

(for they will hear of your great reputation, your mighty hand and your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house;

then hear in heaven where you live, and act in accordance with everything about which the foreigner is calling to you; so that all the peoples of the earth will know your name and fear you, as does your people Isra'el, and so that they will know that this house which I have built bears your name.

But Mikhay'hu answered, "As ADONAI lives, whatever ADONAI says to me is what I will say."

then hear from heaven, from where you live; and act in accordance with everything about which the foreigner is calling to you; so that all the peoples of the earth will know your name and fear you, as does your people Isra'el, and so that they will know that this house which I have built bears your name.

Then I would feel consoled; so that even in the face of unending pain, I would be able to rejoice; for I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

Arise, ADONAI! Don't let mortals prevail! Let the nations be judged in your presence.

Strike them with terror, ADONAI! Let the nations know they are only human. (Selah)

so then I said, "Here I am! I'm coming! In the scroll of a book it is written about me.

Doing your will, my God, is my joy; your Torah is in my inmost being.

I have proclaimed what is right in the great assembly; I did not restrain my lips, ADONAI, as you know.

I did not hide your righteousness in my heart but declared your faithfulness and salvation; I did not conceal your grace and truth from the great assembly."

Then I will teach the wicked your ways, and sinners will return to you.

For your sake I suffer insults, shame covers my face.

I am estranged from my brothers, an alien to my mother's children,

because zeal for your house is eating me up, and on me are falling the insults of those insulting you.