We’ve made it to Leviticus 9. The tabernacle is ready. The priests are dressed and ready. Aaron is offering the first sacrifice, the burnt offering, the one that is entirely consumed by the Lord, as opposed to the ones that also provide meat for a meal. Aaron lays out the offering on the altar. God provided the fire. Verse 24 says,

“And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.“

Now the fire on the altar was to never go out. In chapter 6 we read,

“A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.”

God’s fire is to never go out from the altar in the tabernacle.

Where is the tabernacle now? You are God’s tabernacle. We all are God’s tabernacle.

We can’t let the fire go out. There will always be a remnant, so the fire will never go out completely, so all we can do is care for the flame within us. Paul warns to not quench the Holy Spirit. Don’t put out the flame! The fire of the Holy Spirit in us is how we live. He gives us our understanding, teaching us and providing wisdom.

He’s the love expressed between the Father and yourself; the most important commandment can’t be fulfilled without Him.

He convicts and guides and purifies with that fire, burning away what’s not of God. The Lord sent fire to consume their sacrifice and His fire was to never go out.

In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul talks about how we’re each given tasks to do. Some plant, some water, but God gives the growth. Paul says that he laid the foundations, but that it is the job of others to build on it. Then he says that their work will be tested by fire to see what remains.

If we were walking in obedience and sacrificing and serving unto the Lord, then it will remain. If we were building in the flesh, fulfilling our own dreams and desires, then our work will not have lasting, eternal impact.