BETWEEN LOVE AND FIRE TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 4:14-24 KEY VERSE: “For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God” ( Deuteronomy 4:24). One of the “great awakening” preachers once said, “If the architect of a house had one plan and the contractor had another, what conflicts would there be! How many walls would have to come down, how many doors and windows would need to be altered before the two could harmonise!” Of the building of life, God is the Architect, and man is the contractor. God has one plan, and man has another. Is it strange that there are clashes and collisions? Moses, in his valedictory exhortation to the nation of Israel, reiterated the need for absolute compliance to the will of God, to be able to continually enjoy His blessings and provisions in the promised land. Specifically in this passage, he zeroed in on the sin of idol-worship. God had earlier on Mount Sinai, given Israel the “ten commandments”( Exodus 20:1-17), which is the summary of His will, the divine blueprint, or national constitution. Commandment one and two forbade the worship of other gods and the erection of any “graven image” with the aim of worshipping them. Moses, at this time, reminded Israel about the danger of taking God and His promises for granted. He told them that God was faithful to His promises of preservation, protection and provision. Yet, the ball was in the court of Israel to reciprocate with implicit obedience to the commandments. Failure to keep their side of the bargain would make God to cancel His promises to them. Today, Christians are busy erecting idols in many shapes and forms. Anything that is esteemed highly than love for God is idolatry. The twin idols of materialism and worldly pleasures are wreaking havoc in many Christian circles. The two are the “thorns of thistles” that choke the spiritual lives of many Christians today. Like their counterparts in the Old Testament, believers are exhorted to repent of every form of idol worship and syncretism before it is too late. NOTE: He who is the God of love is also a consuming fire.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 09:16:54 +0000
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