* Our God is a Consuming Fire *
"for our “God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29)
Fire was considered by certain of the ancient pantheistic philosophers to have been the primeval element out of which all things had evolved. Formed by some as the "Big Bang" theory.
The fact is, however, that fire is a creation of God used both actually and symbolically as God's vehicle of judgment on sin.
It is significant that both the first and last references to fire in the Bible mention both fire and brimstone, used in flaming judgment on human rebellion against God.
First- "Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens." (Genesis 19:24)
And also- "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)
Today's verse is a reference to Moses' words to the tribes as they were preparing to enter the promised land after his death.
Warning them against corrupting their faith through idolatry, he said:
"For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." (Deuteronomy 4:24)
Its New Testament context is a grave warning against rejecting God's Word:
"See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?" (Hebrews 12:25)
In a sense, God's Word is also God's fire.
"But if I say, "I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."
(Jeremiah 20:9)
It is better to be refined with the fire of God's Word than to be consumed by His judgment fire.
Passages of Scripture are from the New International Version Bible (NIV).........................
"for our “God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29)
Fire was considered by certain of the ancient pantheistic philosophers to have been the primeval element out of which all things had evolved. Formed by some as the "Big Bang" theory.
The fact is, however, that fire is a creation of God used both actually and symbolically as God's vehicle of judgment on sin.
It is significant that both the first and last references to fire in the Bible mention both fire and brimstone, used in flaming judgment on human rebellion against God.
First- "Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens." (Genesis 19:24)
And also- "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)
Today's verse is a reference to Moses' words to the tribes as they were preparing to enter the promised land after his death.
Warning them against corrupting their faith through idolatry, he said:
"For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." (Deuteronomy 4:24)
Its New Testament context is a grave warning against rejecting God's Word:
"See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?" (Hebrews 12:25)
In a sense, God's Word is also God's fire.
"But if I say, "I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."
(Jeremiah 20:9)
It is better to be refined with the fire of God's Word than to be consumed by His judgment fire.
Passages of Scripture are from the New International Version Bible (NIV).........................
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