Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

God takes idols seriously, because He sees how idols destroy our lives. Don’t think that idols are an ancient concept, for we are still prone to make idols of our career, relationships, even comfort. Yet these idols rob us of the very life of God, so God jealously calls us to keep our focus on Him. We may think that this is an action of insecurity, but God is the only source of life in the midst of ambitious imitators. God’s jealousy is a love that is so pure that it refuses to keep us ignorant – God forbids because God cares.