A Consuming Fire
Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 4:15-24 (NASB)
15 “So watch yourselves carefully, since you did not see any form on the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire, 16 so that you do not act corruptly and make a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky, 18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water below the earth. 19 And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. 20 But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own possession, as today.
21 “Now the Lord was angry with me on your account, and swore that I would not cross the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. 22 For I will die in this land, I shall not cross the Jordan, but you shall cross and take possession of this good land. 23 So watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the Lord your God has commanded you. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
SUMMARY
Moses warns the people to watch themselves carefully because he was aware of how easily they were led astray by idol worship. He tells the people that God had no form when He spoke to them at Horeb in the midst of the fire, and thus, not to make an image in the likeness of any created thing on the earth or in the sky. Moses reminds the people of what God has done for them by taking them out of the iron furnace of Egypt. He also reminds them that they will not have him with them in the promised land, so they need to really watch themselves. Then, Moses tells the Israelites that "God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
This entire passage seemed to highlight God's holiness to me, and I was filled with awe at His holiness. Fire is mentioned two times in this passage in relation to God. In verse 15, God spoke to the Israelites "from the midst of the fire." This reminded me of the time when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush. "Then He said, 'Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground'" (Exod. 3:5). Later on, God also told Joshua, Moses' successor, to remove his sandals from his feet for the place where he was standing was holy ground (Josh. 5:15). Removing sandals from one's feet held the meaning of property transaction (Ruth 4:6-10; Ps. 60:8). In these contexts, Moses and Joshua were invited to remove the sandals from their feet before God was going to do what only He could do in and through their lives. When I surrender myself wholly unto the Lord, this is standing on holy ground. And from this place, God brings about the highest good for all, for He is holy.
The second instance fire is mentioned in relation to God is in verse 24, "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." This time, God is identified as a consuming fire and this is equated to His attribute of being "a jealous God." God is jealous, or passionate about protecting and upholding what is precious to Him. Here, I see that the nation of Israel is God's precious possession. She is valued to God as a husband values his wife (Hosea 2:19). That's how God values me and all my brothers and sisters in Christ. I believe that God was and is jealous to keep His covenant with His people Israel, and His people that make up His Church. The proof of this is in the event of God sending His only Son to die on the cross, and it is through Jesus’ obedience that when we believe, we are cleansed of all our sins. Moreover, He has deposited the Holy Spirit in those who believe, to keep them and sanctify them until He presents them blameless before the presence of His glory (Jude 1:24).
APPLICATION
These days, God has been revealing to me the secret, innermost sins lying deep within my heart. Through unpleasant and difficult situations and circumstances, I feel that He is bringing these sins to the surface. It is as if I am being put in the fire through these difficult circumstances, and as the dross of my heart comes up to the surface, God is purifying me as gold. I really hate seeing the dross in my heart, but I believe God is inviting me to come to the foot of the cross, and repent, be cleansed, and be freed from the weights of these sins. I am able to come freely before Him with my sin because of the work of Christ on the cross. I don’t have to be ashamed and remain guilty, I am forgiven in Jesus Christ. These situations that are revealing the hidden sins in my heart is God's way of showing me grace and mercy. I will allow God to continue to show me my sin, as well as to show me how to overcome them by the blood of the Lamb and the power of the Holy Spirit.
PRAYER
Father God, You are a consuming fire. You are perfectly holy and unlike any other. You are good. I thank You that I am fully forgiven in Jesus Christ. Please purify my heart and make it as pure as gold. I pray that it will shine the light of Your love in dark places.
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