“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Give this order to Aaron and his sons: This is the law for the burnt offering. It is what goes up on its firewood upon the altar all night long, until morning; in this way the fire of the altar will be kept burning.’”
(Leviticus 6:8-10)
The beginning chapters of Leviticus, with their instruction regarding the presentation and preparation of sacrifice, are the details for the ministry at the Brazen Altar introduced in Exodus 27. The purpose of the Altar was to be a place of sacrifice – meaning “to draw near.” While the structural details for the building of the Altar are important, we learn of a detail in this portion that is of equal importance – the fire.
The fire on the Brazen Altar was ignited by fire that came forth from the presence of the Lord (Lev. 9:24). This fire, as we read above, was to be kept burning continuously, as it was a “perpetual fire,” an אֵשׁ תָּמִיד. Priests had to continually stir the coal on the Altar and clean the ash to ensure that the sacrifice was being consumed, and the coals remained hot. This necessitated that at least one priest had to stand watch at the Altar during the night – a time when he would naturally desire to sleep.
This continuous process at the Brazen Altar reveals an important aspect in the life of faith – the necessity for a continuous tending to the flame that draws us close to who we are to be in the Lord.
The apostle Paul draws on the imagery of the Brazen Altar, its sacrifice and perpetual fire when he writes, “I beseech ye therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Ro. 12:1). David Stern captures the essence of this picture in the Complete Jewish Bible translation of Romans 12:1, “I exhort you, therefore, brothers, in view of God’s mercies, to offer yourselves as a sacrifice, living and set apart to God. This will please him; it is the logical “Temple worship” for you.”
This tending to the flame of the sacrifice today assumes a different appearance than two thousand years ago. As a living sacrifice, Yeshua/Jesus followers must tend to the flame by avoiding the temptations in life that so easily ensnare us (Heb. 12:1; similar to cleaning the ash away from the coals); thereby walking worthily of our calling (Eph. 4:1); leading to continual prayer (1 Thess. 5:17); studying the Word of God (2 Tim. 2:15); and worshipping the Lord (Heb. 13:15) in communion with other brethren (Heb. 10:25).
The above referenced practices are steadily incorporated into the daily lives of the believer; each an aspect of drawing near to the God of our salvation, by daily dying to self in the light of his glorious abiding presence. As the flames of the renewed life grow stronger, we are gradually confronted by the reality that it is not we who keep the fire burning alone; but rather, the presence of the Holy Spirit in us, who is “a consuming fire” (Deut. 4:24; cf. Acts 2:3; Heb. 12:29), that inspires and leads us on in the life of faith to the glory of the covenant Lord alone.
Be well, shalom;
Dr. J.D. Elwell