take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you.  for the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.  [deuteronomy 4:23-24]

 

we are warned by moses here: “take care, lest you forget.”

 

our sin is rooted in our choosing not to remember or believe the promises of God.  when we are tempted to sin, and when we sin, we need specific truths, promises to combat our sin:

it is the Lord who goes before you. he will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. do not fear or be dismayed.” [deuteronomy 31:8]

no temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. and God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. but when you are tempted he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. [1 corinthians 10:13]

 

fear not, for i am with you;

    be not dismayed, for i am your God;

i will strengthen you, i will help you,

    i will uphold you with my righteous right hand. [isaiah 41:10]

 

instead of finding our identity in Christ and looking to him for rescue from sin, fear, pride, suffering, we forget–and we either run headlong into our sin or turn to lesser comforts than Christ (also a sin).  God’s fiery wrath burns against idols–he must oppose them with all his might!  God wants our joy, but he wants our joy to be full, found in the fountain of joy, himself!

 

sin is the lie, Christ is the truth.

sin is darkness, Christ is light.

sin is the wound, Christ is the balm.

sin is the cancer, Christ is the cure.

sin is death, Christ is eternal life.

 

God is a consuming fire, consuming lies, darkness, woundedness, cancer, death, he is jealous for us, jealous that we abide with him and experience truth, light, comfort, healing and life in Christ. his jealousy is for our good and his glory-let us praise him for his holy jealousy! 

 

~ ce