May the fire on my altar never burn out

“The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously, it must not go out.”  (Leviticus 6:12–13)

For me, there's something comforting about a fire: it gives warmth, mesmerizes my eyes, and tells my brain it can relax. Of course, sitting with my husband by a nice little fire brings much different feelings than sitting at a bigger fire with my children testing it! Fire can easily spread on dry objects, and the thought of one of my children (or anyone) getting hurt, or the fire getting out of control, encourages me to keep controlled fires.

The Israeli priests were not just keeping a nice little family fire burning, they were keeping a communal fire going. This fire was to never go out, had to be large enough for the community to be aware of it from within the city, and large enough for sacrifices of animals to be burnt on it. Can you imagine the amount of wood that needed to be collected to keep this fire going at such a rate?

Here's some "nerdy information" for those of us who really want to know, get a picture of what an altar looks like:   

This is an Old Testament altar. The high points of the four corners are called "horns" and the blood of the sacrificed animal was sprinkled on them. (eBible Teacher)

Old Testament altar materials varied, from early built earth or unhewn stone altars on mountains to the elaborate, bronze-covered, acacia-wood Altar of Burnt Offering in the Tabernacle and Temple.  While some were permanent structures, others were made with bronze rings for carrying poles to be transported as the Israelites moved around.  Most had a hollow, square structure with horns on the corners, while some may have looked like our simple fire pit made of stone.  The dimensions of an Old Testament altar vary depending on which altar is being referenced, as the altar from the Tabernacle, Solomon's Temple, and Ezekiel's vision all have different measurements. An ancient cubit, the unit of measurement used, was approximately 18 inches or 45 centimeters.

Tabernacle altar
The altar of burnt offering in the Tabernacle was the first of these altars and was a hollow box made of acacia wood overlaid with bronze. Dimensions: 5 cubits long by 5 cubits wide (7.5 ft x 7.5 ft) and 3 cubits high (4.5 ft).
Location: It stood in the courtyard, between the Tabernacle and its entrance.

Solomon's Temple altar
The altar in Solomon's Temple was a much larger version of the Tabernacle's, also made of bronze. Dimensions: 20 cubits long by 20 cubits wide and 10 cubits high (30 ft x 30 ft x 15 ft).
Location: This massive altar was in the Temple's courtyard.

Ezekiel's visionary altar
Ezekiel's prophecy describes a different, even larger, multi-tiered altar. The cubit used in this vision was a "long cubit," equal to a standard cubit plus a handbreadth (about 21 inches). The structure was comprised of several levels: Base: 12 x 12 cubits at the top, but 16 x 16 cubits at the ground level, 10 cubits high, with horns and steps.
Measurements: Ezekiel's vision details a complex series of ledges and a gutter surrounding the main hearth.

(eBible Teacher)

Altars held several purposes for the people of God, and because the fire on the altar was to never go out, they were a constant reminder of these purposes.

Sacrifice:
The primary function was the offering of sacrifices, which included animals, grain, and other offerings.

Memorial:
They served as lasting memorials of divine encounters, symbolizing a strong relationship with God and serving as a reminder of His promises.

Covenant:
Altars were symbols of covenant, divine presence, and trust in God's promises.

Today, we celebrate that we no longer have to offer burnt offerings, but we must not miss that our lives are to be an offering.  Sacrificing a goat may have been an "easier" offering!  Christ is our eternal offering of sacrifice for our sins, but we are to take up our cross: our mission for Kingdom impact, just as his sacrifice was for Kingdom impact. Read Hebrews 10:1-31; we are relieved of our sins and the sacrificial offerings required through the priests, and we now have direct access to our Holy Father through the blood of our righteous Saviour... And we are ourselves offerings, to be offered as Holy and acceptable unto the Lord (Romans 12:1-2).  What we do with our lives is our offering.

As we consider the fire upon which we offer our lives, we can be encouraged; for we go this not alone.  

The Holy Spirit is the fire- the one whose name is translated "helper".  The Holy Spirit dwelt in the flames of fire that fell at Pentecost in Acts 2:3-4, and He is the gift that dwells with us. When we submit to God, He becomes our consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). When we feel like the fire is going out, all we have to do is remember that the Holy Spirit is always available to us, and seek His presence by spending time in prayer, reading of and meditating on the Word, and worship.   Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 1:6 that we are to “fan into flame the gift of God.”  We can further praise God that the flaming fire of the Holy Spirit actually lives within us!

We are to be living sacrifices. To the altar we bring our lives. Through the gospel we have been offered resurrection life. Therefore, we offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1-2). Our time, gifts, bodies, dreams, families, ministry—we bring it all to the altar that burns with the flames of the Holy Spirit, as living sacrifices. Our sacrifice is the submission of our own desires for the desires that please God.  (Psalm 37:4)

The fire needs to be stoked daily. As followers of Christ, we fuel the fire through God’s word applied in our life. Through prayer, worship, singing and joyful praise. Through sabbath practice, study and community with others. Through loving one another and spurring each other on towards love and good deeds. We must stoke the fire daily, so that the fire may burn continuously on the altar.

In a day when we are concerned about things we can acquire, I hope it excites you that your flame is contagious. You can be stoked by others, and you can share the Spirit of fire within you.  Can you imagine:  God wants to make your life and faith in Him like a bonfire that burns with intensity. A flame that both warms all those in its presence as well as serves as a light to this dark world showing others where the love of God is to be found (Matthew 5:16).

Some days it may seem hard to find the wood to keep the fire roaring. Days when the flame seems to only flicker, or you feel like the darkness is closing in. In those moments, remember that the Holy Spirit never leaves you (Deuteronomy 31:6 & Hebrews 13:5), that He makes Himself available to you (Jeremiah 29:13), you just have to stop what you're doing and turn to Him!  There is great joy to be found when we shut out the things of this world for the presence of the Lord. Ask the Spirit for strength to get that fire burning bright once again.  Remember and repeat aloud what He has done, for it is by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony that we are saved, and we can rejoice (Revelation 12:10-12)!