The Fire Shall Ever be Burning Upon the Altar

The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out (Leviticus 6:13, KJV)

Is your fire for God ablaze, cooling down, or somewhere between? Today, we explore God’s directive to Moses for daily operations at the Tabernacle, a revelation for your Christian life: the fire must always burn on the altar.

Let’s examine the remarkable event following the completion of the Tabernacle:

“And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.” (Leviticus 9:24, KJV)

The fire on the altar was ignited by God Himself—a spiritual fire that birthed physical fire. God commanded that it never go out, requiring daily maintenance by the priests.

The Lord first lit this heavenly fire, which needed continuous upkeep. The priests ensured there was wood and cleared the ashes so the fire could persist. What does this mean for you in Christ?

On the Day of Pentecost, God lit a similar fire:

“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.” (Acts 2:3, KJV)

That Holy divine fire has burned on Earth since Pentecost. When a sinner accepts Jesus and receives the Spirit, they, too, are ignited. This fire must be maintained daily in your Christian life and ministry. You are on fire when the love of God, the fruits of the Spirit, and spiritual gifts blaze in you and when your prayer life, ministry, and God’s wisdom and power impact others.

Here is God’s command: a heavenly fire was lit within you by the Holy Spirit, so do not let it go out. In the New Testament, Paul brings this truth home and then gives us one of many ways the fire of the Spirit can be extinguished,

“Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19–20, KJV)

The term “quench” immediately draws our attention to the idea of putting out fire—the fire of the Holy Spirit. When the gifts of the Spirit are suppressed, the fire is extinguished. Of course, the same is true of the fruit.

How is your fire for God? Burning? Diminishing? Extinguished? The Lord calls you to rekindle or fan it back into flames!

Meditate

Picture how God supernaturally ignited the altar’s fire and apply it to your life.

Apply the Word

The world is full of divine fire extinguishers: culture, people, social media, etc. God has tasked you with keeping your fire alive, though you live in an anti-fire environment.

Pray

Ask the Spirit to help maintain your fire at all times.

Recommended reading

• How to Set Your Prayer Life on Fire
• Understanding the Pillar of Cloud and Fire
• The Fire of the Holy Spirit
• I Must Be About My Father’s Business
• Fruit of the Spirit: Peace
• View All Deshen Daily Devotionals

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