INTRODUCTION

Much like anger, jealousy is strongly connected to a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 29:20The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.
See All...; Psalm 79:5How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?
See All...; Ezekiel 36:5Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.
See All...; Ezekiel 38:19For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
See All...). As man provokes the Lord to jealousy, the Lord responds with judgment. At times that judgment may be the consumption of the one who provoked the Lord, at other times that consumption might be of what a man put before the Lord. Either way, God’s jealousy is a consuming fire (Zephaniah 1:18Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
See All...; Zephaniah 3:8Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
See All...). At one point in history, this consuming fire was stayed because of the zeal of a man named Phinehas (Numbers 25:11Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.
See All...). Men would be wise to seek the Lord today in hopes of staying this fire upon their nations and homes.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For smaller children) In many Old Testament stories, God's jealousy was aroused and judgment came by fire (Numbers 11:1-2 [1] And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. [2] And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.
  See All...). Future judgment on earth will be with fire (2 Peter 3:10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
  See All...) and final judgment for the unsaved will also be with fire (Revelation 20:11-15 [11] And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. [12] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. [13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. [14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
  See All...).
• We live in an age that highlights the grace of God. Should this drive us to leave off the fear of the Lord? How could His jealousy be the downfall of a nation? What should we do as a nation to stay this fire?
• How can God be a God of love and jealous at the same time? How do the two work together?

PRAYER NEEDS

• Ask God to open the eyes of those in national leadership.
• Ask God to strengthen your desire to stay His hand of judgment.

HYMN

Amidst Thy Wrath Remember Love

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