Only God’s Fire

In scripture, God clearly lays out the detailed instructions to be followed in the ways of worship, offerings and sacrifices for Aaron the High Priest. Sacrifices and offerings were consumed by that holy fire. This pure and holy fire was to be the only source of acceptable fire before Him. 

He charged the priests to never let the fire on the altar go out. His desire was to have constant and intentional worship. They were to be diligent in tending to the fire, stirring it up and adding wood to the flames every morning and leaving the sacrifice in the hearth on the altar all night (Leviticus 6:9).

And Aaron was to teach his four sons all that he had been instructed, including preparation of themselves to go before the Lord, preparation of the sacrifices and offerings, as well as the importance of keeping the original fire continually burning on the altar, never letting it go out. His sons knew what the Lord had required in regard to sacrifices and offerings and how to carry out these deliberate and extensive instructions. 

But two of Aaron’s sons, Adab and Abihu, didn’t rely on stirring up and tending the fire that had been entrusted to them. Instead, they brought “strange fire” before the Lord, which was so displeasing to Him that His holy fire consumed them instead. Though the severity of God’s actions in consuming these men with His holy fire seems quite shocking to us in the natural, we see it again as David was trying to take the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. 

Again, God had given specific instructions on how the ark was to be carried. It was to have poles that were to be put through the rings on the sides of the ark. The poles and rings were provisions by a holy God to carry the ark without touching it. However, sometime later the Philistines stole the ark and transported it with a cart pulled by oxen. That was the Philistine way to move it, not God’s way. 

Several years after the Philistines have returned the ark, David longs to have the ark of God’s presence with Him. Though David builds a new cart rather than using the Philistine cart, he does not use the poles through the rings on the sides of the ark to move it. The oxen nearly overturn the cart at the threshing floor of Chidon, and Uzza reaches out to hold and steady the ark. God immediately strikes Uzza down and he dies for touching the ark. David becomes angry with God for striking Uzza.

Just as David became angry with God for striking Uzza down, in our flesh we can question God’s reaction, but we know He is holy and righteous and good. We see how Aaron’s sons’ arrogance and presumption failed them. We see how moving the ark in the Philistine way of a cart pulled by oxen (which seems practical to us) is not how God had intended His ark to be transported. God had made provision for His way in the design of the ark, and all they had to do were to follow His instructions and use what He had intended and provided. 

We see in scripture how deeply God felt about something holy being treated as commonplace or something to be tampered with. And we must learn from these stories to be diligent and obedient, to be reverent and intentional – not from a place of legalism or in an attempt to earn God’s favor, but rather simply from a place of love. And because of that love, choose to know God’s heart and how your worship might best bless Him. For though there is grace in the learning, how much better to do that which is pleasing to Him in the first place. 

So be intentional to know Him. Intentional in pursuing holiness. Intentional in your love. And give all honor and glory to Him as is His due. 

{Hearing} Beloved, reach out and stir up the fire I put in you. Let My fire burn in you continually and never go out. My fire accomplishes what I have set it to do: it lights up the night, illuminates truth, burns away the dross in your life, warms hearts, draws people out of darkness, creates sparks that catch and blaze! Walk in My acceptable fire. My fire is so much more than anything you could make on your own.

• Leviticus 6:13 (AMP) The fire shall be burning continually on the altar; it shall not [be allowed] to go out. 
• Leviticus 10:1-3 (AMP) Now Nadab and Abihu, the son’s of Aaron, took their respective [ceremonial] censers, put fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange (unauthorized, unacceptable) fire before the Lord, an act which He had not commanded them to do. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “ This is what the Lord said: ‘I will be treated as holy by those who approach Me, And before all the people I will be honored.’ “
• Exodus 25:13-15 (AMP) You shall make [carrying] poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, and put the poles through the rings on the sides of the ark, by which to carry it. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it [so that the ark itself need not be touched].
• 1 Samuel 6:8 (AMP) Then take the ark of the Lord and put it on the cart; and put the articles of gold which you are returning to Him as a guilt offering in a box beside it. Then send it away [without a driver]. 
• 1 Chronicles 13: 7; 9,10 (AMP)  They carries the ark of God in a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abindab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold and steady the ark, for the oxen [that were drawing the cart] nearly overturned it. The anger of the Lord burned against Uzza, and He struck him down because he touched the ark; and there he died before God.