Despite the ever-present symbolism of fire in the Old Testament, you may be surprised to find out that God only sends fire to consume sacrifices six different times.
The first time we see that happening in Scripture is here in Leviticus 9:24. The others are Gideon (Judges 6:21), Manoah (Judges 13:19-20), David (2 Samuel 24:25), Solomon (2 Chronicles 7:1), and Elijah (1 Kings 18:38)). All six times, they’re done to show God’s approval of the sacrifice. These instances highlight the profound connection between divine response and the sacrificial acts of worship. As we reflect on these moments, it serves as a reminder that true worship goes beyond physical offerings; it must also encompass worship in our hearts. Only then can we fully grasp the depth of our relationship with God and the sincerity of our devotion.
It makes sense that this would be the first time we see something, since it comes on the heels of the full ordination of the priests. The scene must have been shocking indeed, since the people that saw God’s flame screamed and fell face down on the ground.
What makes this scene even more amazing is that the fire didn’t simply evaporate as at other times. Instead, according to what God said in Leviticus 6:12-13, this fire never went out. God started the initial fire, but it was up to the priests to keep it going by continually placing wood on it every morning.
If you jump a little forward in the narrative to Leviticus 10:1-3, this situation also gives some color to the whole Nadab and Abihu debacle. In those verses, they put “strange fire” on their firepan—fire that had not been commanded by God—and used that to offer incense.
As we’ll see later, the priests were to take fire directly from the altar when offering their incense (Leviticus 16:12). That fire was the one started by God here in Leviticus 9:24, so by taking it from somewhere else, Nadab and Abihu “profaned” the worship of God.
But I digress. The real impact of Leviticus 9:24 not only comes from the fact that God started it directly, but, according to tradition, it remained lit until the time of the Babylonian captivity, several hundred years later.
Let’s be honest, though: By that point in Jewish history, the flame was probably the last remaining part of God’s presence in Israel. The people had slipped into such terrible apostasy that most of them probably didn’t even recognize the Temple, much less revere it. The light of God’s presence had gone out in their hearts long before.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Paul tells the church at Thessalonica to not “quench the Spirit.” This undoubtedly has reference to obstructions that we place in between us and the work of God, but the word itself talks about extinguishing a fire, just like you would do with a campfire.
In that view, Paul tells us to do better than that of the Israelites. Whereas their idolatry and immorality led to the extinguishing of the fire in the Temple, we should live in such a way that the fire of God’s presence never goes out in our lives. And that’s done not by ignorance, but by willfully turning away from His Word.
