AltarFire

   

      The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is titled Tzav, meaning "Command", and comes from Leviticus 6 which says: "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Command Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering shall be on the hearth upon the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it...And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out...A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out." (Lev. 6:8-13, excerpt).

     The word Tzav צָוָ  is made up of two Hebrew letters: Tsadde and Vaw. These two letters when joined together could have the pictographic meaning: "Joined together to the journey pulling toward a righteous harvest." The commands of the LORD always pull us toward and join us to the way of His righteousness, and to the One who fulfills the Law for us. The way of righteousness is not made up of our own failing attempts, but the commands of God pull us toward the Gift of Righteousness, God's own Son, Jesus Christ: "For Christ is the end (telos - termination, the last, purpose, the end to which all things relate, to set out for a definite point or goal) of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (Rom. 10:4. See also Rom. 3:21-23, 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Cor. 1:30-31, Rom. 5:17). Jesus said that He came to fulfill the law and the prophets. (Mt. 5:17-18).

     Some of the Jewish interpretations of the always burning altar are that God desires to accept what is offered to Him as He desires to accept us. His arms are always open and awaiting us when we come to Him. This truth was also taught by Jesus in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The younger son took his inheritance and left his father's house, eventually falling into dishonorable ways and hard times. When the son remembered his father's house, he returned home to find that his father had been watching for him and saw him coming from a great way off and received him with a feast and great joy, as if he had received his son back to him from the dead. (see Lk. 15:11-32). In another part of scripture, the LORD also said: "I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good." (Isa. 65:2, Rom. 10:20-21). It is not surprising to know that Jesus died on the cross in a position of outstretched arms and hands. The Lord was and is still ready to receive any and all who would come to Him.

     Another thought from Judaism is that the eternally burning altar is a symbol of the ongoing purification, transformation, refining and elevating that God's people find at His altar. From another reading portion of this Tzav Sabbath, the LORD promises to send His Messenger of the covenant who will suddenly come: "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like launderers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the LORD an offering in righteousness." (Mal. 3:2-3, see also Lk. 21:34-36 of Jesus prophesying His return, also Rev. 3:18-20). The LORD also said from our Sabbath reading: "...It shall be a statute forever in your generations concerning the offerings made by fire to the LORD. Everyone who touches them must be holy." (Lev. 6:18).

     To me, there is also a duality of meaning to the eternally burning fire of the altar.  Jesus quoted Isaiah when He spoke about the worm that doesn't die and the fire that is not quenched, describing Hell (Isa. 66:24, Mk. 9:42-49). This eternally burning fire is fed by sin until, eventually, the whole earth will be consumed in fire, to be replaced by new heavens and a new earth. (2 Pet. 3:7, 10-13). This is terrible to think about, but the good news is that there is an eternal sacrifice that was made on that burning altar of fire, of much greater power than the sacrifice of animals. This sacrifice given for all of us is the eternal nature of Messiah/Christ's offering of Himself. His sacrifice was made once for all time and that sacrifice will be our righteousness into eternity: "For by one offering He (Christ) has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." (Heb. 10:1-4, 10, 14). Simply by walking into His outstretched arms, we will never have to face the "second death" (Rev. 21:6-8) and the fire that is never quenched, because we have received "the fountain of the water of life." In the same way, the blood of the Passover lamb applied to the doorposts and lintels of the households of the Israelites, spared them from the Angel of Death that struck Egypt. (Ex. 12:21-25). We will see below how the foundational truth upon which the sacrifice that appeases God was revealed.

     The first time the word "altar" is used in scripture was in the account of Noah in Gen. 8. After the flood waters had subsided, Noah, his family and the living creatures left the ark: "So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him. Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, and whatever creeps on the earth, according to their families, went out of the ark. Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a soothing (nihoah/nuah - satisfaction, soothing, quieting, pleasant, restful/to rest, ceased, give comfort, give rest, quiet) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, 'I will never again curse (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) living thing as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease." (Gen. 8:18-22).

     The sacrifice burned upon the altar that Noah built brought a certain fragrance up to God. Because of the fragrance of the sacrifice, the LORD was appeased and promised never to utterly destroy the living things of the earth, or the cyclical climate courses of the earth again. The aroma that the LORD smelled is noted in written Hebrew as being associated with Christ, (and with His believers) by the presence of the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega (see note below). According to the meaning of the Hebrew words above, the aroma causes the LORD to enter into a kind of Sabbath rest.

     We see this connection between the aroma of sacrifice and Messiah/Christ revealed in the New Testament: "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? (2 Cor. 2:14-16).

     How do we become this fragrance of Christ? Paul wrote in Romans: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice (thysia/thyo - slay and immolate as of the paschal (Passover) lamb, blow, smoke), holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Rom. 12:1-2). Paul is not recommending that we physically die as a sacrifice, although many believers have been and continue to be martyred. Living our lives in a manner that is dedicated to God creates the sacrificial fragrance of Christ as He came in the form of the Passover Lamb of God. Not only is it soothing to God and testifies of God's good and perfect will for mankind, but we are changed or transformed as well. The LORD has allowed us to become this sacrifice and aroma through Messiah/Christ that soothes Him while we are still alive.

     According to another reading portion from this Tzav Sabbath, one fragrance that did not please the LORD at all, but broke His heart, was when the Israelites sacrificed their own sons and daughters on the fires of demon gods. (Jer. 7:30-31). They sowed abomination and they reaped slaughter to themselves. (v. 32-34). 

     This Sabbath is also HaGadol Sabbath, meaning that it is a Great Sabbath. This Sabbath receives this designation because it is the sabbath before Passover. Scripture calls Jesus our Passover Lamb, and the Lord's Table, or Communion, was taken by Jesus from the elements of the Passover meal He shared with His disciples, specifically the bread and the wine, as we will see. The reading portion that is used during this HaGadol Great Sabbath is from Malachi 3, part of which we read above.

     After the refining, purging and purifying of the priesthood so they might "offer to the LORD an offering in righteousness," in Mal. 3, the LORD made this prophetic promise: "Then those who feared the LORD spoke (dabar - commune, pronounce, utter, tell, declare, be spokesman, teach, tell) to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance (zikaron/zakar - reminder, memorial, remembrance/remember, remembrance, mention, record) was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name. 'They shall be Mine,' says the LORD of hosts, 'On the day that I make them My jewels (segulla - possession, peculiar treasure, valued property, closely shut up), and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him." (Mal. 3:16-17).

     Immediately before His death, our Passover Lamb, Jesus, told His disciples at the Passover dinner to take the bread and the wine in what we recognize as Communion (see spoke:dabar, above). He also said, "...do this in remembrance of Me." (Lk. 22:14-20, and 1 Cor. 11:23-26). Our Communion is a living Book of Remembrance before the LORD, as prophesied in Mal. 3.

     The LORD desires to give us the saving gift of His own righteousness, a gift that we cannot buy nor earn, through His Son, Jesus.

     If you would like to know more about the open arms of God, you can pray with me: "Father and God of all, You provided a way for me to be spared from the consequences of the sin in my life. Your Son, Jesus, died for me even while I was still in my sins. Help me, by Your Holy Spirit, to be a living sacrifice, the fragrance of Christ, the sacrifice that appeases Your holiness. I thank You that You have made a way for us to run into Your outstretched arms of forgiveness and acceptance. This is Your desire for all mankind. As we remember Your great deliverance and salvation this Passover, and remember Your Son's sacrifice and victory over death on this coming Resurrection Sunday, write our names in Your Book of Remembrance as those who think upon Your holy name with heart-felt thanks and praise. I ask this in Jesus' Name. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.

          

 

Fire

My mother used to have a little wooden plaque hanging over the kitchen sink. I read that plaque many times as a child and onward. On the little plaque was a proverb that read:

"It is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool,

than to open it and remove all doubt!"        

Perry's Nut House
Belfast, ME

Many years later, my own family was travelling through Maine, when we passed a place called, "Perry's Nut House". I had to stop there and go in. As well as selling nuts, sure enough, they also had on their walls for purchase plaques of proverbs in all different sizes. NOW I knew where my Mom had found her little plaque all those years ago.
The years have proven my Mom's plaque to be a true proverb. Our Book of Proverbs in the Bible also has numerous verses regarding the pitfalls of the tongue, and the words out of our mouths. Here are just a few, including one that must have been the inspiration for the words on my mother's plaque:
"He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive."   Prov. 17:27-28
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." 
                                                                                                    Prov. 18:21
"A fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart...A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul."   Prov. 18:2, 7

How many times I remember something I have said, and wince at the stupidity of it. I say to myself, "You should have kept your mouth shut." I used to be talkative, but after hearing my own words played back in my mind, as well as the words of others, I became much more reticent to open my mouth.
To multiply the problem of careless words, the world is full of unfortunate "Tweets" and regrettable Facebook posts. We don't realize what our outpouring of words reveals about ourselves. Regardless of a desire we might have to be careful in our speech, often, it seems, the words pour out of our mouths, seemingly beyond our ability to stop them. Jesus said that what we say reflects what is in our hearts, and many times, it isn't a pretty picture:
"Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things."  Mt. 12:34-35
"But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man..."   Mt. 15:18-20
We may think that because we know and sincerely love the Lord that we are not the ones for whom Jesus meant these words, but for unbelievers only. Not so. Jesus also heard what came out of His own disciples' mouths, and discerned that the source of the words spoken were evil spirits, and even Satan himself (Mt. 16:23, Lk.9:54-56). One of these instances concerned the disciples' suggestion that they call down fire from heaven in judgment, while thinking that they were speaking righteousness according to the will of God. What have we spoken that we thought was righteous, but might cause Jesus to say to us, "You don't know what manner of spirit you are of "?
Paul wrote:
"Let no corrupt (rotten, unfit for use, of poor quality, worthless) word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification (building up), that it may impart (give, deliver, bestow a gift, furnish, supply) grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor (loud quarreling), and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another..."   Eph. 4:29-32
Jesus said that the end times would be like the days of Noah. In the days of Noah, evil and violence totally pervaded the hearts of men (Gen. 6:5), and we know that out of the heart, the mouth speaks. We only have to hear a small portion of the news to see this same level of evil and violence flowing out of people's mouths, and filling their actions. This evil is spreading like a fire, because of the times in which we are living. We are not immune to these spirits, especially if we are careless and unwatchful.
In discussing the danger of the words that we speak, we must go to the Book of James:
"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath...If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless...Even so, the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course (a circuit of physical effects, to incur extreme peril which requires the exertion of all one's effort to overcome) of nature ("genesis": nature, course of life, existence, lineage, human origin, generation-the whole multitude of men living at the same time); and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."    James 1:19, 26, James 3:5-8

We are literally setting the world, a whole generation of the living and their progeny, on fire with our tongues. The Greek language used in these verses does not limit the devastating consequences of reckless words to the spiritual realm, which is serious on its own, but the Greek specifies effects to the natural realm on a huge scale as well. And James was writing to the brethren, the believers. As I see out-of-control fires destroying homes and taking lives, I never realized that these raging fires could be a manifestation of the words out of man's mouth, out of my mouth.
I did not expect to make this discovery when I started this entry, but I should have known not to take the scriptures lightly on this topic, or any other. As we saw above, Jesus took this topic very seriously and warned:
"But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."   Mt. 12:36-37
And David, a man after God's own heart, prayed:
"Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips."  Ps. 141:3
I don't want my words to kindle fires, spiritual or natural.

Our Father is urging us to bridle our tongues.

Fire

 

Our Father is described as a fire in scripture:

"For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God."
                                                    Deut. 4:24

The above truth is repeated in Hebrews 12:27-29, as well. Many people find this description of our Father to be frightening, and perhaps, in the context of judgment, unmerciful. I think, if we look at the depths of it, we might feel differently.
 God being fire in the context of the Hebrews verses, refers to the removal by fire of "those things" that can be shaken (v. 27). The shakeable things, according to the Greek root of the word, are things that flatter, fawn upon (false flattery), agitate, disturb, and trouble. So the fire is directed to those things that plague and deceive creation. Those things which cannot be "shaken" will remain. The unshakeable things are those things that comprise the kingdom of God (v. 28)
Similarly, in Luke 3:17, John the Baptist warns the crowds that the Messiah who is coming, will separate the useful kernel of wheat from the useless chaff, and ultimately burn up the chaff with an unquenchable fire. The word "chaff" in Hebrew means something that is carried on the wind. The root of the word means "squeezer, oppressor, extortioner". So again, the fire is directed at a malevolent thing. 
Let's look at the fire of judgment in another passage of scripture:

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up."
                                                       2 Peter 3:9-10

First point here is that the Lord waits patiently to bring this judgment, giving mankind the longest time possible to repent and enter into the haven of His salvation, His kingdom. But, at the appointed time, it says that at a surprising moment, the heavens will "pass away". The meaning of the phrase in Greek means "of persons moving forward". The Greek root meaning is "to arise, to come forth". This is a forward movement of creation, a rising or coming forth of the spiritual and natural heavens of creation. When we "move forward", we have to pass by those things that are not moving forward.
Again, the scriptures use this language in the following:

"Therefore, is anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
                                                        2 Cor. 5:17

Something new is happening. Old things have passed away. "Old things", according to the Greek, means "that has been from the beginning. primal, ancient, first place, principality, rule, of angels and demons." These old things that will not be included in the new creation are demonic principalities. No one should mourn the passing away of these things! The scripture from 2 Cor. goes on to say "all things" have become new. Not only is the newness for man, but for all created things at the same time.
Going back to the 2 Peter scriptures above, it is stated that the elements, and the earth are "burned up". The Greek meaning of "burned up" refers to "laid bare, light", in other words, revealed. Not only does fire release the form of heat energy, but also light energy. The purpose of the burning is to expose what is hidden. To bring the light of fire to what hides in the darkness, even the darkest recesses, that we are not aware of. Our Father will expose these things.
The throne of God in Rev. 4:5 is described as being surrounded by noise, fire, and light. The Spirits of God present there are "lamps of fire".Therefore, where the Father is enthroned will be surrounded by noise and fire. In the Book of Acts 2:3, as the Holy Spirit baptized the believers in the upper room, He appeared as "tongues of fire" upon their heads. In Luke Chapter 3, John the Baptist describes the coming Messiah as One who would "baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (v. 16). So fire is very much associated with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Continuing in 2 Peter is the following:

"Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,"   (v. 11)

The word "dissolved" above, though perhaps sounding frightening, really means: "to loosen bonds and ties, to set free, discharge from prison, to deprive of authority." What the Lord is dissolving here are those evil powers, and the bondage they have exercised over man, and over creation.

Continuing in the following verse 12, we are advised:

"looking for and  hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with a fervent heat?"

We are told in verses 11, and 12, above, that we are to "look for" these things to happen. That this is holy and godly to do.
"Look for" means "expect, hope, wait for, to watch for". We are to hope for this "dissolving".
We are also instructed to "hasten" it!  Now that we understand what the fire and dissolving are truly about, it is easier to understand why we should "look for" it. But it is shocking to me that the Lord tells us that we are to actually "hasten" this to come about. It is amazing to know that we even have the ability to "hasten" it! We need to find out what "hasten" means, in order to understand how we are to do it.
The word "hasten" means to desire earnestly, to make haste. The root meaning is very powerful. The root means to "put a foot on the vanquished". It means "sitting at a teacher's feet" or "laying hold of the master's feet".
Many wonderful things in scripture, happened at the feet of Jesus. Here is just one example:

"Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them."
                                                                  Mat. 15:30-31

These incredible things happened at His feet. Bondages were broken, healings came forth. Miracles were accomplished and people glorified God as a result. Here is something else that scripture describes at His feet, that also agrees with the root meaning of the word "hasten":

"Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule, and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death."
                                                                1 Cor. 15:24-26

What is taking place under the feet of Jesus is exactly what we have been learning about. These "old things" have been conquered, and placed under His feet. To "hasten" the events, in obedience to the scriptures, we must, ourselves, take up a position at His feet. He is our teacher and our master. At His feet is where the bondage is broken and all things are made new.

Again, as we return to 2 Peter and continue in v. 13, we are told to "look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."

"Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless."
                                                               2 Peter 3:14

How are we to be blameless and without spot? We have these things by His blood. But we can find this continuing condition at the feet of Jesus. Look at the following description of the Son of God:

"And in the midst of the seven lampstands  One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;"                                       Rev. 1:13-15

It says His feet are like fine brass. The term "fine brass" means, "like gold, if not more precious". The root meaning is powerful: "frankincense tree, holy incense, a white resin burned as incense, to make white, to purify." In the verses above from Revelation, we see a living, glorious example of the product of the fire of our Father! Even His own Son, incorporates flames of fire into His being, and has been through the fire of a refining furnace.

So the ability to become blameless, and without spot can also be found at the Feet of Jesus! Holy incense to be burned, releasing its fragrance, and purity are found there. This is the place where we need to abide. At His feet is where the old is conquered, burned away, and the new is purified, and comes forth. 


Peter is telling us, that if we truly understand the purpose of the fire of God, we can look forward to that day, and be at peace about it. The fire of God is not unmerciful for those to whom He has shown mercy. We are not to fear it, nor wait passively for it, thinking it is far away and far to come, but we are to be eager to see it, even to hasten it, not only for our own benefit, but for the benefit of all creation.


Our Father is a consuming Fire!


"All Honor, All Glory"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHOM-hOi7uU
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