The Nature of Israel’s God

4:15 Be very careful,23 then, because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire. 4:16 I say this24 so you will not corrupt yourselves by making an image in the form of any kind of figure. This includes the likeness of a human male or female, 4:17 any kind of land animal, any bird that flies in the sky, 4:18 anything that crawls25 on the ground, or any fish in the deep waters of the earth.26 4:19 When you look up27 to the sky28 and see the sun, moon, and stars—the whole heavenly creation29—you must not be seduced to worship and serve them,30 for the Lord your God has assigned31 them to all the people32 of the world.33 4:20 You, however, the Lord has selected and brought from Egypt, that iron-smelting furnace,34 to be his special people35 as you are today. 4:21 But the Lord became angry with me because of you and vowed that I would never cross the Jordan nor enter the good land that he36 is about to give you.37 4:22 So I must die here in this land; I will not cross the Jordan. But you are going over and will possess that38 good land. 4:23 Be on guard so that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he has made with you, and that you do not make an image of any kind, just as he39 has forbidden40 you. 4:24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire; he is a jealous God.41