All right now, if we're honest, reading the Bible consistently can be a challenge, but it's never

too late to start, and we're in this together. This is the Join the Journey podcast.

Thanks for joining. My name is Seth Master, and today I will be covering Deuteronomy chapters

four through six, and looking at the question, what does it mean for God to be jealous?

I think today jealousy often carries with it a middle school vibe. We usually carry jealousy and define it in our minds as envy or bitterness towards another because they have something that we do not have. This is not the meaning of God being jealous.

He's not envious or bitter, but wholly jealous over us. And we're going to unpack that as we

walk through the text today. But in Deuteronomy's chapters 4 through 6, these are some of my

favorite Bible passages, if I'm being honest. Deuteronomy is the law again, but this time after years

and years in the wilderness, Moses is reminding the people of who they are and how they live

before they enter God's promised land. The years of the wilderness were marked by disobedience,

wondering, and constant questioning and doubting of the Lord's provision and word by Israel.

But the wilderness years were also marked by God's faithfulness to sinful people,

God's provision for his people, and the institution of the law and tabernacle

so that God could be with his people.

So we see God's desire that despite his people's sinfulness, he wants to be with them.

He gives them ways to approach him through sacrifices, and he leads them through the clouds

and the pillar of fire, day and night.

In Deuteronomy 4-7, we see that the unique factor of the people of Israel is the fact that

their God is close to them.

In Deuteronomy 4-7 it says,

For what great nation is there that has a God so near to it as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call upon him?

We see that from this defining characteristic of the nation,

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