Consuming Fire
Deuteronomy 4, Hebrews 12:28-29
Let’s lay some context for our Deuteronomy text today. There’s a lot going on here.
The book of Deuteronomy is the last book of the Torah [a Hebrew word meaning instruction or guide]. It takes place a generation after the Exodus. The generation who survived the Exodus had passed away in the wilderness before they had reached the promised land. So, Deuteronomy is essentially a series of speeches from Moses to this younger generation. He instructs them in the ways of Yahweh and tells them to be faithful to the covenant laws between Israel and Yahweh. As stated in the beginning of chapter 4, alignment to these covenant laws is going to be essential to their life in the promised land. Moses is urging this generation to be more faithful than their parents were.
Moses knows that he is going to die before Israel acquires this land, so this instruction is crucial. So what crucial things does he tell them about God? He mentions many things that have been mentioned or alluded to previously in the Torah: That God is near, that he is Lord above all creation, that he is merciful, that there is no other God like him.
But in this text, Moses calls God something not recorded elsewhere in the Torah up to this point: “A consuming fire.” (verse 24)
The generation before the generation of Deuteronomy is a generation marked by idolatry. They were the generation that made the golden calf incident happen (Exodus 32). Additionally, this generation was often enticed by the gods of the nations around them, such as Baal. The people who were supposed to be God’s representatives - His idols to the world around them - were ironically often lured away by other idols.
Moses is exhorting this generation to be different. He tells them that God is a consuming fire, jealous for their attention. If they want to honor their covenant with Yahweh, they can’t be making idols like their parents. It is essential that they recognize that Yahweh alone is deserving of their worship and devotion. Or else, life in the promised land isn’t going to work out for them. Moses has seen what happens to a community that gives their devotion to things other than Yahweh, and it didn’t go well.
Yahweh is the only one who can sustain all of our devotion. All of the other idols we try to find our worth in, whether it be money, relationships, or success will leave us unfulfilled. Yahweh alone deserves our devotion, for he has given us everything we need. He is the only one truly good. We, like the Israelites, would be wise to let this good and loving God consume us before idols of the world do.
The author of Hebrews encouraged their community to have this response: “to worship God…with reverence and awe.”
Today, spend some time in worship, reverence, and awe of God. Bring to him other idols that consume you. Remind yourself that Yahweh is the only one who can truly sustain your devotion. Allow him to consume you as you repent of allegiance to other idols.
