THE FIRST FIRE

THE FIRST FIRE

The first fire on the Brazen Altar, that is. You will recall that the Lord had taken great pains to fully instruct Moses and the people about how the sacrifices were to be conducted, and the ceremonies of the Tabernacle were to be performed.

For many years, I had not been aware that the fire on the brazen altar was NOT ORDINARY FIRE. It was not, by any means. True, it LOOKED just like other fire, and normally ACTED like other fire, but that is where the similarity stopped. Have you ever considered just how long it would take to BURN the carcase of an animal, using ORDINARY fire? Stop, and think about it.

No, the fire on the Altar was a special fire. The Bible tells us, Leviticus 9:24 AND THERE CAME A FIRE OUT FROM BEFORE THE LORD, AND CONSUMED UPON THE ALTAR THE BURNT OFFERING AND THE FAT: [which] when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

God started that fire, but there were certain rules that Moses and Aaron must observe in the CARE of that fire. Leviticus 6:12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall BURN WOOD on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. The fire shall EVER BE BURNING UPON THE ALTAR; IT SHALL NEVER GO OUT.

That command created a problem of fuel supply. THAT WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAN-- to keep the fire burning on the Altar. This speaks volumes to me. We must DO WHATEVER IT TAKES to keep the Fire of God burning in our souls. Three main elements make up the FUEL for the FIRE OF GOD in our souls. They are: The WORD (Rhema) of God, PRAYER and OBEDIENCE to the Spirit. I used the term "Rhema" instead of "Logos" because the Logos is not always the Rhema to us. Rhema is the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT. Rhema is the WORD OF FAITH (which we preach). Rhema is the WORD OF CREATION, which we understand through faith.

God gave a demonstration of what that fire COULD do when Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. I Kings 18:24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

I Kings 18:37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou [art] the LORD God, and [that] thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that [was] in the trench.

Two of the sons of Aaron broke the rules of worship by taking ordinary (strange) fire to burn incense before the Lord, instead of getting their (eternal) fire from the Altar. The cost of that mistake was sudden death by the same CONSUMING fire that had been put on the altar. Leviticus 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

I am wondering-- Is God concerned about our mode of worship today? What do you think?

The Bible tells us that when the Lord showed His Glory to Israel in the wilderness, it was like a devouring fire. Exodus 24:17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD [was] like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.