Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you...
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from you heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them....
For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God...
But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul...
For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath...
Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other...
These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more...
From Deuteronomy 3 & 4 NIV
God has given Israel instruction on: how to live, public health matters, relationships, vows, food, the preisthood, how to worship Him and so much more. His love of, want for the best for, desire for unity within, and command for obedience from Israel is great. From His desire for the best, the term jealous is used to describe an attribute of God.
My dictionary gives several definitions of jealous as follow:
Feeling resentment because of an interpersonal rivalry
Feeling resentment because of another's success
From suspicious fears or envious resentment
Inclined to or troubled by suspicious fears of rivalry or of
unfaithfulness as in love
Solicitous or vigilant in maintaining or
guarding something
(Bible) Intolerant of unfaithfulness or rivalry
God is desiring for unity among his people and that knowledge of Him is passed on to future generations. He is not jealous of us, but rather jealous for us. He is vigilant in guarding us and is intolerant of unfaithfulness. He does welcome us back after unfaithfulness by grace and by the gift of His son as propitiation for us, to make us favorable in His sight, to turn away His anger.
Open your minds to God's word, write the word on the tablet of your heart, put the word on your lips. Tell the Story.
Thoughts:
What attributes of God do you consider today?
How are you keeping His commands on your heart? How are you teaching your children and grandchildren?
How do you understand God to be jealous for you and not of you?
Pray for those in peril, from earthquakes, war, flooding, or other disaster.
In Christ,
David P
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