Deuteronomy 4:24
God is a jealous God and a consuming fire. What does this mean?
“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”
Deuteronomy 4:24
“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire”
The LORD is called a consuming fire, because of His hatred of sin and His righteous judgment against sinners. One day, He will judge us righteously. The books will be opened. His wrath will destroy those who did not repent.
- Deuteronomy 9:3: “Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you.”
- Psalm 78:21: “Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious; So a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;”
- Isaiah 33:14: “The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: ‘Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?’”
- Hebrews 12:29: “For our God is a consuming fire.”
- Revelation 20:12: “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.”
“A jealous God.”
Our God is called a jealous God. He does not want to share His glory with false gods, and He will not share His praise with carved images. This is very important for us to remember. God loves us. He is the only God. And therefore, He cannot tolarate seeing us bow down to false gods.
- Isaiah 42:8: “I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images.”
- Isaiah 48:11: “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.”
- Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9: “You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me;”
- Exodus 34:14: “(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)”
Today’s lesson: The LORD, our God, is a consuming fire. He will judge the unbelievers and forgive those who trust in Him. He is a jealous God. He loves His bride, the Church. Do you follow Him?