For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
The Lord demands exclusive loyalty and tolerates no rival, and as a consuming fire He burns against evil and is fiercely opposed to idolatry. He spoke this to a people brought out of the iron furnace of Egypt to be His inheritance as they stood to go over Jordan into the good land, recalling how He spoke from the midst of fire at Sinai, forbidding them to forget His covenant and give the place that belongs to Him alone to any graven image or created thing. Turning to idolatry and evil after receiving the promised land would provoke His anger and bring destroying judgment, perishing from the land and scattering among the nations. His infinite love and compassion do not make sin safe or exempt the offender, for He has not changed and does not treat sin lightly, and though He bears long with the impenitent their presuming on His mercy does not remove certainty of judgment, for His forbearance has limits and He will vindicate His word concerning the sacredness of His law. Yet when the scattered people face tribulation in the latter days and seek Him wholeheartedly and obey His voice He is merciful and will not forsake nor destroy them nor forget the covenant sworn to the fathers, while He is a place of safety for His people and, as applied in Hebrews, calls for serving Him with reverence and godly fear.
Setting and Covenant Warning
The warning was given to a people brought out of the iron furnace of Egypt to be an inheritance people, as they stood ready to go over Jordan to possess the good land while Moses himself was barred from entering. Deliverance from Egypt and the nearness of entry into the land form the setting in which forgetting the covenant is forbidden.
The consuming fire recalls God speaking from the midst of fire at Sinai, and the directions in the chapter are sacred truth spoken by the voice of God from the pillar of cloud, telling the people what to do and what not to do. Christ was guiding and protecting Israel in the pillar of cloud while Moses gave the warning in verses 22-26, and Israel's murmuring and complaining show the need to honor that guidance and respond faithfully to given light and privileges. His mighty acts had shown Israel that He alone is God and called them to keep His commandments, and the chapter holds out wonderful promises if those commandments are observed.
Forgetting the covenant means making a graven image or likeness of anything forbidden, giving any created thing the place that belongs to God alone. Because He alone made the covenant, worship of the sun, moon, and stars is forbidden along with graven images. Turning to such idolatry and to evil after receiving the promised land provokes His anger. Disobedience brings destroying judgment, perishing from the land, with destruction and scattering among the nations, and God will vindicate His word when His people depart from His commands.
Holy Jealousy and Mercy
God demands exclusive loyalty and tolerates no rival, for the Lord alone is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. As a consuming fire He burns against evil and is fiercely opposed to idolatry, a devouring fire to those who break His law. His infinite love and compassion do not make sin safe or exempt the offender, and He does not treat sin lightly. He has not changed, so sin is no more acceptable now than it was among ancient Israel. He vindicates His word about the sacredness of His law by judging those who depart from His commandments, as was verified when only two of the adults who left Egypt entered Canaan while the rest died in the wilderness.
The same vindication was seen when Moses for his transgression at Kadesh was refused entry despite his plea, and in the cases of Miriam, Aaron, David and others showing it is not safe to sin in deed, word, or even thought. The more exalted the offender the firmer the decree and the more certain the punishment, and so He will vindicate His word today if leaders depart from His commandments. Because He bears long with the impenitent and delays punishment, careless sinners presume on mercy, cast off restraint and flatter themselves He is too good to punish, but delay does not remove certainty. His forbearance has limits, and when its boundary is reached He takes up the case of the presumptuous sinner and does not cease till He has made a full end. While He is fire to lawbreakers, He is a place of safety for His people amid tempest, earthquake, and pestilence.
Yet when the scattered people face tribulation in the latter days and seek Him wholeheartedly, turn to Him and obey His voice, He is merciful and will not forsake nor destroy them nor forget the covenant sworn to the fathers. As applied in Hebrews, this truth calls for serving Him with reverence and godly fear. Those who refuse His warning and turn away from His voice will not escape, for He will shake what can be shaken and remove what is temporary, while His unshakable kingdom remains.
Study and Obedient Living
The whole of Deuteronomy 4, and the instruction in chapters 4-8, is to be studied carefully as a solemn lesson and charge, for its lessons apply to later generations as they did to Israel. That chapter is connected with the law proclaimed at Mount Sinai, and God's covenant-keeping people are urged to give it careful study because it sets forth His claim and what obedience requires. It calls for knowing that the Lord alone is God in heaven above and on earth beneath, for obeying His commandments and refusing rebellion, and for keeping His statutes so that it goes well with His people and their children after them. It is to be studied now because the day of God's great final review is near, when the world must stand before the Judge of all the earth to answer for deeds, for the present is the time of investigation when every character will be investigated and every case decided for eternity.
That instruction shows what God required of His ancient people that they might be a holy people unto Himself, and God's holiness and claim make obedience to His commandments essential. The directions are sacred truth spoken by the voice of God from the pillar of cloud, telling what to do and what not to do, laying out the principles of His law to be acted out in all religious service toward God and toward one another. Those principles are to love as brethren, to do no injustice, to be Christian gentlemen, and always to show liberality, tenderness, compassion and true courtesy, the very same principles expressed in James 3. They are expressions of the mind of the infinite God that never lose their force, and every word is to be cherished and preached.
The chapter belongs to the account of the Lord coming down on Mount Sinai before Israel and giving them His law, including the true Sabbath God gave to be kept holy. Those who identify themselves with God's people are to observe that Sabbath, as part of obeying the law proclaimed at Sinai. Wonderful promises are held out to Israel if they observe His commandments.
Keeping His statutes and commandments is the condition for prosperity, for its going well with the people and their children after them, and for prolonging days in the land God gives forever. Israel's murmuring and complaining, even while guided and protected by Christ in the pillar of cloud, show the need to honor God's guidance and to respond faithfully to given light and privileges. Turning to God and obeying His voice brings mercy even when tribulation comes, so that He will not forsake nor destroy nor forget the covenant sworn to the fathers.
Reverence for the jealous God calls for choosing pure and righteous counselors, rejecting unrighteousness and selfishness, and treating others justly rather than using power to oppress them. He is to be represented by His people through correct principles in everything, and all who depart from His word in action misrepresent His character, while light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart who keep them. The infinite God will not be trifled with or made a thing of naught.
When He manifests His power, to disbelieve it and remain in doubting unbelief is very nigh unto the sin against the Holy Ghost, and the revealings of His power should move and stir persons from that position. Those in unbelief must get out of the snares of the devil, pray, lay hold of God's hand and humble themselves, for God has waited for those standing in the way to humble themselves, but if they do not He will humble them. If they wait until every difficulty is laid out clear they will wait until the judgment, where they will be weighed in the balances and found wanting. He has not changed, sin is no more acceptable to Him now than among ancient Israel, He does not treat sin lightly, and those who indulge wicked passions while the church overlooks wrongdoing bring His displeasure upon themselves and the community.
The Lord demands exclusive loyalty and tolerates no rival, and as a consuming fire He burns against evil and is fiercely opposed to idolatry. He spoke this to a people brought out of the iron furnace of Egypt to be His inheritance as they stood to go over Jordan into the good land, recalling how He spoke from the midst of fire at Sinai, forbidding them to forget His covenant and give the place that belongs to Him alone to any graven image or created thing. Turning to idolatry and evil after receiving the promised land would provoke His anger and bring destroying judgment, perishing from the land and scattering among the nations. His infinite love and compassion do not make sin safe or exempt the offender, for He has not changed and does not treat sin lightly, and though He bears long with the impenitent their presuming on His mercy does not remove certainty of judgment, for His forbearance has limits and He will vindicate His word concerning the sacredness of His law. Yet when the scattered people face tribulation in the latter days and seek Him wholeheartedly and obey His voice He is merciful and will not forsake nor destroy them nor forget the covenant sworn to the fathers, while He is a place of safety for His people and, as applied in Hebrews, calls for serving Him with reverence and godly fear.
Setting and Covenant Warning
The warning was given to a people brought out of the iron furnace of Egypt to be an inheritance people, as they stood ready to go over Jordan to possess the good land while Moses himself was barred from entering. Deliverance from Egypt and the nearness of entry into the land form the setting in which forgetting the covenant is forbidden.
The consuming fire recalls God speaking from the midst of fire at Sinai, and the directions in the chapter are sacred truth spoken by the voice of God from the pillar of cloud, telling the people what to do and what not to do. Christ was guiding and protecting Israel in the pillar of cloud while Moses gave the warning in verses 22-26, and Israel's murmuring and complaining show the need to honor that guidance and respond faithfully to given light and privileges. His mighty acts had shown Israel that He alone is God and called them to keep His commandments, and the chapter holds out wonderful promises if those commandments are observed.
Forgetting the covenant means making a graven image or likeness of anything forbidden, giving any created thing the place that belongs to God alone. Because He alone made the covenant, worship of the sun, moon, and stars is forbidden along with graven images. Turning to such idolatry and to evil after receiving the promised land provokes His anger. Disobedience brings destroying judgment, perishing from the land, with destruction and scattering among the nations, and God will vindicate His word when His people depart from His commands.
Holy Jealousy and Mercy
God demands exclusive loyalty and tolerates no rival, for the Lord alone is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. As a consuming fire He burns against evil and is fiercely opposed to idolatry, a devouring fire to those who break His law. His infinite love and compassion do not make sin safe or exempt the offender, and He does not treat sin lightly. He has not changed, so sin is no more acceptable now than it was among ancient Israel. He vindicates His word about the sacredness of His law by judging those who depart from His commandments, as was verified when only two of the adults who left Egypt entered Canaan while the rest died in the wilderness.
The same vindication was seen when Moses for his transgression at Kadesh was refused entry despite his plea, and in the cases of Miriam, Aaron, David and others showing it is not safe to sin in deed, word, or even thought. The more exalted the offender the firmer the decree and the more certain the punishment, and so He will vindicate His word today if leaders depart from His commandments. Because He bears long with the impenitent and delays punishment, careless sinners presume on mercy, cast off restraint and flatter themselves He is too good to punish, but delay does not remove certainty. His forbearance has limits, and when its boundary is reached He takes up the case of the presumptuous sinner and does not cease till He has made a full end. While He is fire to lawbreakers, He is a place of safety for His people amid tempest, earthquake, and pestilence.
Yet when the scattered people face tribulation in the latter days and seek Him wholeheartedly, turn to Him and obey His voice, He is merciful and will not forsake nor destroy them nor forget the covenant sworn to the fathers. As applied in Hebrews, this truth calls for serving Him with reverence and godly fear. Those who refuse His warning and turn away from His voice will not escape, for He will shake what can be shaken and remove what is temporary, while His unshakable kingdom remains.
Study and Obedient Living
The whole of Deuteronomy 4, and the instruction in chapters 4-8, is to be studied carefully as a solemn lesson and charge, for its lessons apply to later generations as they did to Israel. That chapter is connected with the law proclaimed at Mount Sinai, and God's covenant-keeping people are urged to give it careful study because it sets forth His claim and what obedience requires. It calls for knowing that the Lord alone is God in heaven above and on earth beneath, for obeying His commandments and refusing rebellion, and for keeping His statutes so that it goes well with His people and their children after them. It is to be studied now because the day of God's great final review is near, when the world must stand before the Judge of all the earth to answer for deeds, for the present is the time of investigation when every character will be investigated and every case decided for eternity.
That instruction shows what God required of His ancient people that they might be a holy people unto Himself, and God's holiness and claim make obedience to His commandments essential. The directions are sacred truth spoken by the voice of God from the pillar of cloud, telling what to do and what not to do, laying out the principles of His law to be acted out in all religious service toward God and toward one another. Those principles are to love as brethren, to do no injustice, to be Christian gentlemen, and always to show liberality, tenderness, compassion and true courtesy, the very same principles expressed in James 3. They are expressions of the mind of the infinite God that never lose their force, and every word is to be cherished and preached.
The chapter belongs to the account of the Lord coming down on Mount Sinai before Israel and giving them His law, including the true Sabbath God gave to be kept holy. Those who identify themselves with God's people are to observe that Sabbath, as part of obeying the law proclaimed at Sinai. Wonderful promises are held out to Israel if they observe His commandments.
Keeping His statutes and commandments is the condition for prosperity, for its going well with the people and their children after them, and for prolonging days in the land God gives forever. Israel's murmuring and complaining, even while guided and protected by Christ in the pillar of cloud, show the need to honor God's guidance and to respond faithfully to given light and privileges. Turning to God and obeying His voice brings mercy even when tribulation comes, so that He will not forsake nor destroy nor forget the covenant sworn to the fathers.
Reverence for the jealous God calls for choosing pure and righteous counselors, rejecting unrighteousness and selfishness, and treating others justly rather than using power to oppress them. He is to be represented by His people through correct principles in everything, and all who depart from His word in action misrepresent His character, while light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart who keep them. The infinite God will not be trifled with or made a thing of naught.
When He manifests His power, to disbelieve it and remain in doubting unbelief is very nigh unto the sin against the Holy Ghost, and the revealings of His power should move and stir persons from that position. Those in unbelief must get out of the snares of the devil, pray, lay hold of God's hand and humble themselves, for God has waited for those standing in the way to humble themselves, but if they do not He will humble them. If they wait until every difficulty is laid out clear they will wait until the judgment, where they will be weighed in the balances and found wanting. He has not changed, sin is no more acceptable to Him now than among ancient Israel, He does not treat sin lightly, and those who indulge wicked passions while the church overlooks wrongdoing bring His displeasure upon themselves and the community.