Value of treasure increased by jealousy

Romans 10:19

Deuteronomy 32:18-21

Acts 13:46-48

The clip-on earrings sat neglected on the couch for nearly an hour before one of my daughters spotted them and decided to put them on. Her sister immediately protested, claiming they belonged to her and she wanted to wear them, NOW. As long as they were available, she was happily playing with her stickers. But as soon as someone else showed interest in the earrings they became a hot commodity which she may or may not want to use herself but certainly did not want enjoyed by another person. (I sent both girls to bed half an hour early that night, which was about 2-3 hours later than I would have liked to...)

God pursued a relationship with the Israelites over thousands of generations. He offered them every blessing imaginable, asked comparatively little of them, sent prophets and leaders to speak to them, and forgave them for every wrongdoing when they repented of their sins. Yet still they rejected Him. They broke their commitments, ignored the prophets, and killed His Son. And yet they were incensed that God might offer such a close relationship to anyone else. They didn't want it; they should have known that the gift they rejected would eventually be given to another group of people. Like the neglected toy, unwanted by the original owner, it gained great value when another showed desire in it. Hopefully for some Israelites that interest shown increased the value of the relationship with God and caused them to renew their faith in Him.