“The Fire Doesn’t Go Out” – The Holy Spirit in Us

In Leviticus 6, God repeatedly tells Moses that “the fire doesn’t go out” on the altar. What does that tell us about the Holy Spirit’s work in us?

Scripture:       

Leviticus, chapters 4-6; Acts, chapter 14

Leviticus 6:8-13 (NASB):

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law for the burnt offering: the burnt offering itself shall remain on the hearth of the altar all night until the morning, and the fire on the altar is to be kept burning on it. The priest is to put on his linen robe, and he shall put on linen undergarments next to his body; and he shall take up the fatty ashes to which the fire reduces the burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar. Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments, and carry the fatty ashes outside the camp to a clean place.

The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out, but the priest shall burn wood on it every morning; and he shall lay out the burnt offering on it, and offer up in smoke the fat portions of the peace offerings on it. Fire shall be kept burning continuously on the altar; it is not to go out.’”

Observations: The Fire Doesn’t Go Out

Many people find the book of Leviticus to be difficult to read. The instructions about different types of offerings all blur together. Explanations of prohibited behaviors, which we will find in the days ahead, are often uncomfortable. Modern Christians may decide that they don’t need to read Leviticus, because “we are not under Law, but under grace.” However, if we are tempted to skip over Leviticus, we should remember that all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to our spiritual growth (2 Timothy 3:16-17). “All Scripture” includes Leviticus. So what might God be saying to us in this unusual, and often difficult book?

Today’s passage supplies one example. Three times in these six verses (vv 9, 12, 13) God commands that the fire on the altar is to be kept burning continuously. In fact, these verses get more and more specific:

• It is to be kept burning on it [the altar] (v 9)
• It shall be kept burning and shall not go out (v 12)
• Fire is to be kept burning continuously on the altar (v 13)

So as the passage develops, God clearly commands that the fire on the altar is never supposed to go out.

Why the Fire Doesn’t Go Out

Several thoughts come to my mind as I reflect on these verses. First, the fire doesn’t go out because the offering – which represents sins committed – needs to be completely burned up. The fire doesn’t serve simply to “cook the food,” but to completely burn up the offering. That reminds us that God doesn’t want to just cover over our sins, but to remove them from us. When the sacrifice was laid on the altar, it remained there until it was completely burned up. Only ashes remained – and those ashes were then carried outside the camp. Completely burned up, and carried away – that’s a good metaphor for what God wants to do with our sin!

Second, the fire keeps burning because sin didn’t stop. As the writer of Hebrews points out, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). If those sacrifices could really take away our sins – “make us perfect,” to use the language of Hebrews 10:1 – then they wouldn’t have needed to continue. The fact that the fire wasn’t supposed to go out reminds us that the need for the fire didn’t stop.

Application: The Fire Doesn’t Go Out

Okay, but now Jesus has offered a different sacrifice – a better sacrifice. Hebrews 10 goes on to tell us, “But He, having offered on sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:12-14). So if Jesus’ sacrifice “has perfected those who are sanctified,” what does God want us to understand about the fire?

Remember that fire symbolizes the presence of God – and, in particular, the presence of the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of the believers as the Holy Spirit came upon them. In Exodus, Moses encountered the presence of God in a burning bush. God sent fire from heaven to consume Elijah’s offering at the context at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:36-38). And throughout the Exodus, God manifested His presence among His people with a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire.

The fire doesn’t go out, because the Holy Spirit lives in us. His presence purifies us and empowers us to do God’s will. That’s why Paul challenges us to not “quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Just as the priests in the Old Testament had to keep the fire burning, so we need to willingly embrace the Spirit’s work in us. The Spirit continues to “burn,” but we need to feed the fire in our hearts!

Prayer:

Father, thank You for reminding us of the gift of Your Holy Spirit. You call us to keep the fire burning. Your fire doesn’t go out, but we need to embrace the Spirit’s work. Help us to keep the fire burning in our hearts, so You can continue to purify and refine us.  Amen.