Deuteronomy 4:15-24
4:15 a form: No image could capture the transcendent glory and power of the invisible God (Neh 9:20 b; Isa 63:10-14 c; Zech 4:6 d; John 4:24 e). Any form of the Lord could become an object of worship in lieu of worshiping God himself.4:16 f idol: Idolatry inherently confined the Lord to the artist’s imagination. Israel was not to make idols in the form of any of his creatures (4:17-18 g). Idols and images could lead to worship of the creature rather than the Creator (5:8-9 h; Rom 1:23-25 i).
4:19 j forces of heaven: This phrase refers to the stars and other heavenly bodies, which, like earthly creations, were thought to embody or represent deities. Instead, they are servants of God, named by him to carry out their duties of marking the times and seasons (Gen 1:14-19 k; Isa 40:26 l).
• The Lord your God gave them: Rather than worshiping these heavenly bodies, the people of Israel were to recognize that God’s creation was made, among other reasons, to serve humankind (Gen 1:28 m).
4:20 n An iron-smelting furnace was used to refine metal ores and separate the pure metal from the dross. Israel’s trials in Egypt made the Israelites more spiritually and morally pure.
• special possession (literally people of inheritance): Israel itself was God’s inheritance. This concept is confirmed by the parallel phrase describing Israel as his very own people. As such, the Israelites were now fit to enter, conquer, and occupy the land (cp. 1 Pet 2:9-12 o).
4:24 p God does not have the petty human emotion of jealousy. Rather, the phrase jealous God shows that God was asserting his uniqueness and claiming exclusive worship (6:15 q; Lev 10:2 r; Num 16:35 s). The Hebrew word can be rendered as “jealous” or “zealous.” God zealously protects his own reputation as the universal sovereign.
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