God is a Consuming Fire - Ezekiel 5-7 and Hebrews 12
It is unusual that the writer of Hebrews told us that God is a "consuming fire." It seems like what Ezekiel or one of the Old Testament prophets would say. However, it is true. God is not only love. He is a consuming fire.
He consumed Israel because of their sin. He consumed them by the sword, by famine, by fire, and by pestilence. He left a remnant, but everything was done to show all of them that He is Lord. That is the one essential truth for everyone, and sometimes, God must bring destruction to show Himself as Lord.
In Hebrews the picture is of a father correcting his children. When God chastens or punishes us, it is to produce the "peaceable fruit of righteousness." It matters how we live. We must live like He is Lord over our lives, or He will become that "Consuming fire" to lead us to acknowledge Him as Lord of our lives. I pray that we will all listen to Him and obey Him as our Father and our Lord, so we don't have to experience God as a "consuming fire."
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 8-10 and Hebrews 13.
He consumed Israel because of their sin. He consumed them by the sword, by famine, by fire, and by pestilence. He left a remnant, but everything was done to show all of them that He is Lord. That is the one essential truth for everyone, and sometimes, God must bring destruction to show Himself as Lord.
In Hebrews the picture is of a father correcting his children. When God chastens or punishes us, it is to produce the "peaceable fruit of righteousness." It matters how we live. We must live like He is Lord over our lives, or He will become that "Consuming fire" to lead us to acknowledge Him as Lord of our lives. I pray that we will all listen to Him and obey Him as our Father and our Lord, so we don't have to experience God as a "consuming fire."
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 8-10 and Hebrews 13.