Title: Don't Light the Altar
Do not put out the fire on the altar (Leviticus 6:8-13)
This summer, each institution experienced a warm grace through the summer retreat. It is easy to receive grace, but to lose it is momentary. Do not put out the fires in your hearts, in your institutions, or in your churches! The decisive difference between humans and other animals is that they know how to use fire. So, one of the most important things in human life was to preserve the embers.
In the tabernacle, the prototype of the church today, there were always three fires that were never extinguished: the fire of the altar of burnt offering, the fire of the lampstand, and the fire of the altar of incense. These fires are very important to us Christians today. First, the fire on the altar of burnt offering means the fire of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for me. The fire on the altar of burnt offering slaughtered animals and made them bleed and burned, so that the sins of God's people were forgiven and they were reconciled to God. This means that Jesus Christ shed His blood and died for us. May the fire of the blood of the cross in our hearts not be extinguished day by day. Second, the lighthouse fire in the sanctuary is the fire of love that illuminates the darkness, the fire of Christ who is the light. Jesus called us the light of the world (Matthew 5:14) and told us to let this light shine into the world so that people might glorify God in heaven. Don't put out the fire of love! (The bazaar for 100 people's eye surgery was great.) Third, the fire of the incense altar is the fire of the Holy Spirit. Do not let the fire of the Holy Spirit go out!! It was really hard to catch fire. I cried a lot, repented, and received grace.... That's why I gave you the fire of the Holy Spirit, but never put it out!!
In today's text, the priests are given a stern command, "Do not put out the fire on the altar!" repeatedly three times. (9, 12, 13) Why should the fire not be extinguished? 1) Because this fire is a fire that God has kindled. In Leviticus 9, at the first sacrifice of the Israelites, fire came from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the oil on the altar. Of course, there was already a natural fire that Aaron had set on the altar, but God's fire fell on it. So that fire became a holy fire, a very special fire. Why did Aaron's sons die? It was because incense was burned with a fire other than the altar fire. 2) Because this fire is not easy to rekindle. Because it is a fire that must be kindled by God. 3) This is because we can have fellowship with God only if we have this fire. If the fire on the altar goes out, you cannot offer sacrifices, and if you do not offer sacrifices, you will not be able to meet God. 4) When this fire is extinguished, the fire of the world, the fire of hell, the fire of lust, and the fire of the devil are ignited.
How can you not put out the fire on the altar? 1) We must put away the ashes (verses 10-11). We must remove the ashes of our sins and transgressions, the ashes of resentment and complaints, and the ashes of self-pride and pride every day. These ashes block the work of the Holy Spirit. If left as it is, the fire gradually weakens and eventually goes out. 2) The wood must be supplied continuously (verse 12). The wood must be placed on the fire so that it burns well without being extinguished. What is the tree here? 1 Peter 2:24 says that Jesus Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree. That is, the tree represents the cross. Each morning we begin our day with the thought of the cross of the Lord. Furthermore, the tree represents our daily bread, the word of God. When we meditate on the Word, our hearts are warmed. At this time, the fire of the Holy Spirit is rekindled in our hearts.
1 Corinthians 3:16 says that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. I hope that the fire of grace that you received this summer, the fire of the altar, will not go out in your hearts as temple people. May the fire of light and salt burn brightly toward the world. I bless you that the fire of the Holy Spirit burns brightly in every heart and every institution.