Today’s Bible Reading: LEVITICUS 4:1-6:30
Leviticus 6:13
A fire shall always be burning on the altar: it shall never go out.
Fires need fuel to burn. Without it they would go out. But fires need a specific substance to stay lit. They need combustible material to last. The constant flow of flammable material must be supplied for the fire to survive. If noncombustible objects were added to the fire, it would eventually die.
Within the courtyard of the tabernacle was positioned the brazen or bronze altar. It was the place designated for the various sacrifices prescribed by God. Upon completion of the tabernacle, God instructed the priest to place a sacrifice upon the altar. With fire from heaven, He consumed the sacrifice and started the fire on the altar (Lev 9:24). He then commanded the priests to keep the fire burning on the altar continually (Lev 9-12-13). The priests meticulously maintained the fire so it would “never go out”.
The court of the tabernacle didn’t’ have a roof. It was placed in the center of the Israelite’s camp. The altar’s location allowed the smell of its fire to permeate the camp and the smoke from the fire to be seen throughout the camp. These two results of the fire helped the people recognize the seriousness of their sin and God’s sacrifice for sin. The fire upon the altar must “never go out’ to remind the people of God’s judgement upon sin and that God’s justice is met by the sacrifice for sin.
It was God who started the fire, but the priest who had to daily put the fuel on the fire to keep it burning. The fire on the altar ignited by the Lord was kept burning throughout their wilderness journey. It was kept burning because of the faithfulness of the priests. It was their duty day and night to make sure the fire kept burning!
It was to “always” be burning suggesting an ongoing process of constant care and concern. An unattended fire would go out. So, the priest had to be methodical and persistent in perpetually maintaining the fire.
As believers the Lord has started a fire in you the moment you believed. But like the priest you are responsible to keep it burning. Every morning and evening the priest would burn a sacrifice on the altar. They would make sure through thick and thin, through tough times and times of leisure that the fire was burning continually. Their duty demanded their diligence.
Our passion for the Lord waxes and wanes. Life can put God on the back burner rather than keep His flame burning. Daily duties diminish the flames He ignited. Disobedience drives us away from the desire to fuel the fire. We must be committed to daily provide the “combustible" material of daily time with Jesus to fan the flame. Time in His word and prayer provides the daily fuel for our fire. As the priest did in the wilderness, we must be disciplined and diligent to daily stroke the fire He started. We must regularly rekindle the fire that God begun within us. We must tend to it and stroke its embers daily to fan His fire lit within us.
Commit today to keep His fire burning within. Put fuel on it today; fan the coals till you get a flame. Plan that no matter what to have a personal time each day with Jesus. You are responsible to rekindle the flame. No one will do it for you. Don’t let the duties of life keep you from diligently reigniting the flame of His passion within you. Never let His fire go out. Fan it every day.
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