Tuesday, December 23, 2003 (58)
THE LORD REVEALING HIMSELF BY FIRE. It must be restated here that fire is not the Lord, but that according to the scriptures, the LORD is a consuming fire. Deut. 4:24 We would then anticipate that He will chose to reveal Himself in just such a manner. It was a blazing, burning flame contained within a bush that attracted the attention of Moses. The bush was prickly or a bramble bush, not one for a garden. The Lord does not always use the most eloquent to accomplish His purposes. It was here that the angel of Jehovah appeared to Moses and called him. Ex. 3:2 To the human eye, the sight of the glory of the LORD appeared as fire. Mt Sinai must have seemed to Israel as a flaming volcano, spewing out smoke, lightning and fire. Ex. 24:17 The presence of the LORD is an awesome thing. The LORD descended on Mt Sinai in fire. The mountain literally trembled violently. Ex. 19:18 It is further described as darkness, gloom and storm. Heb. 12:18 Anything, anyplace anyone who is a recipient of the glory of the LORD is going to appear as the Bride in Revelation twelve. Clothed with the sun, clothed with light, clothed with fire. Moses entered into that glory until that glory entered into and saturated him. Ex. 34:35 Israel lived by and were led by the cloud and the pillar of fire. It was the presence of the LORD among them in the wilderness. To the Egyptians there was no benefit other than darkness from the pillar of fire. To the Israelites it gave the best of light all during the hours of darkness. Ex. 14:20 To the redeemed, the fire of the Lord is joyous but to the unsaved it is darkness.
FIRE AND THE ALTAR. The two are associated throughout the history of Old Testament sacrifice. Fire was used to consume the flesh of the sacrifice. It foreshadowed not only the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus but also the presentation of the Christian as a sacrifice unto the Lord. We are to present ourselves as living sacrifices unto the Lord. This is a must for everyone who would serve the Lord to the fullness. The day of Pentecost evidenced the fire falling on the living sacrifices of the one hundred twenty in Jerusalem as they were filled with the Spirit. Acts 2:3 The fire on the altar of the Tabernacle was lit by the Lord Himself. Lev. 9:23-24 It was to be a continual fire and never be let die. Lev. 6:12 The fire of the Spirit once lit in us should never die but be fed continually, ever blazing, ever burning. When Solomon dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem once again the glory descended from the Lord and filled the Temple. At the same time the fire on the altar of the Temple was lit. 2 Chr. 7:1 The Lord always glorifies a temple or tabernacle which is dedicated solely to Him. So the Bride of Christ will be filled with all the fullness of the Lord Himself. She is manifest to the world as a woman clothed with the sun and all of its glory, might and majesty. The beauty of he Lord will be made known to the world through her. She is the climax of the workings of the Spirit and the Word. She bears his likeness and image. She has his Spirit and personality as her very life. She is like the Lord.