“The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.” (Leviticus 6:13)
This fire is the fire that came from heaven and was to be kept going day and night and never put out. “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.” (Leviticus 9:24) This fire on the altar was to burn and did burn without being put out until Nebuchadnezzar came. At which time it’s recorded in Maccabees (books that are not canonized in the Bible but were kept in the Catholic Bible) that it was carried, hid and kept burning until Nehemiah returned 70 years later to restore the Law and sacrifices in Jerusalem. “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.” (Leviticus 6:12) I do want to mention that although the Maccabee books are not canonized, they are recognized as historical. We don’t read and study these books, but like the books of Josephus, the ancient historian, they help us understand those events better.
When we remember that all things in the Old Testament point to Jesus, we can make an analogy of the fire that burns within us for the Lord. Paul wrote, “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.” (2Corinthians 5:14-15) That word “contrains” has been translated rules, controls, compels, urges, guides, drives and overmasters in other translations. Yes! It’s that love of Christ much more but similar to the love for parents, family, spouse that rules, controls, compels, urges, guides, drives and overmasters us. Solomon wrote about this love of Christ that is gift and so precious that nothing can be traded for it. “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.” (Song of Solomon 8:6-7) Jesus spoke of this love. “He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for My sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39) Let this Scripture find the Truth of it for us. If the love of Christ can be overshadowed by anything or anyone else, we’re not worthy of Him. John records that if we truly love Jesus, we will keep His commandments and keep His word. (John 14:21-23) He must be our all. This love of Christ comes from the Father because it’s divine and beyond our understanding. (Ephesians 3:18,19) It cannot be humanly possible to have that love of Christ in our human capabilities. It’s given when we surrender all and when Jesus is truly the Lord of our lives.
Paul wrote, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.” (1Corinthians 16:22) Paul was an extreme Christian as we should also be. He said if they don’t love Jesus, let them be divinely declared accursed. He was inflexible when it came to living for Jesus. He surrendered all and He understood what Jesus said about loving Him more than father, mother, son or daughter. It’s Truth for meditation.
In the Old Testament that fire on the altar was kept burning day and night. Is our fire burning day and night? Are we keeping the flame of our love of the Lord continually burning? It’s that warmth that overcomes us when we are in His presence. We only feel that flame when we are in His presence. Jesus went off to Himself to commune with the Father. This communion, this time spent with the Father kept confirming to Jesus what to do and what to say, even to the cross. “And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:8) If we cannot be obedient even if it means our death, I don’t know if we love Christ like He commanded us to love Him. This can only be done when we have spent time with Him, alone, worshipping Him and receiving from Him, His love, His approval, His confirmation, His strength and His supernatural ability to be obedient.
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