Deuteronomy 4:24

24 God, your God, is not to be trifled with - he's a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Deuteronomy 4:24 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 4:24

For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire
To his enemies; his wrath is like fire to burn up and destroy all that oppose him and break his commands, and especially idolaters; whose sin of all others is the most provoking to him, since it strikes at his being, his honour and glory; wherefore it follows,

even a jealous God;
who is jealous of his honour in matters of worship, and will not suffer his glory to be given to another, nor his praise to graven images, without resenting it or punishing for it.

Deuteronomy 4:24 In-Context

22 This means that I am going to die here. I'm not crossing the Jordan. But you will cross; you'll possess the good land.

23 So stay alert. Don't for a minute forget the covenant which God, your God, made with you. And don't take up with any carved images, no forms of any kind - God, your God, issued clear commands on that.

24 God, your God, is not to be trifled with - he's a consuming fire, a jealous God.

25 When the time comes that you have children and grandchildren, put on years, and start taking things for granted, if you then become corrupt and make any carved images, no matter what their form, by doing what is sheer evil in God's eyes and provoking his anger -

26 I can tell you right now, with Heaven and Earth as witnesses, that it will be all over for you. You'll be kicked off the land that you're about to cross over the Jordan to possess. Believe me, you'll have a very short stay there. You'll be ruined, completely ruined.