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- Fire in our Hearts
Despite what you may have heard, Leviticus is a great book. What on the surface looks like a bunch of random commands that have very little impact in our lives today, when you travel beneath the surface there’s depth that showcases the beauty, wonder, power, humility, holiness, and love of our God. There’s also deep wisdom layered within the book, and although we may not practice the same actions as the priests of old, we can apply the same understanding and find depth in our relationship with Christ.
A quick example. I recently read Leviticus 6, which is about the priest and the offerings God commanded them to make before him. Verse 12 says,
“The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings.”
The burnt offering was unique to the other offerings (grain, peace, sin, and guilt, which each have fascinating fulfillments in Christ and implications for New Testament believers that you should study if you’re unfamiliar with them!). In the burnt offering, the entire animal was consumed before God as a show of total surrender and devotion towards God.
Notice the priest was called to put “fire on the alter… wood on it every morning.” If you’ve ever built a fire, you know starting one is harder than sustaining one. Similarly, it is harder to start, after letting the fire of our hearts die out, our intimacy, devotion, and depth with Christ, than it is to sustain it.
Notice several of the elements in verse 12, and how they correlate with New Testament commands:
Element | Old Testament Meaning | New Testament Parallels |
Fire | God's presence, purification | Holy Spirit, zeal for the Lord |
Altar | Place of sacrifice and worship | Jesus (our meeting place) and our hearts |
Burning | Ongoing worship and atonement | Passionate, fervent devotion to God |
Not Going Out | Continual worship and presence | Perseverance, unceasing worship, and abiding in Christ |
Priest | Mediators and ministers | Believers as a royal priesthood |
Wood | Sustained the fire | Spiritual disciplines; the Cross |
Every Morning | Daily renewal of the altar fire | Daily devotion, renewal, and seeking God |
Burnt Offering | Total surrender and atonement | Christ's sacrifice; believers as living sacrifices |
Peace Offering | Fellowship and gratitude | Peace with God; communion; fellowship with others |
Since we are now priests (1 Pet. 2:5, 9, Rev. 1:6), we’re likewise called to put wood on the altar, daily. And what is the burnt offering now? It is our bodies—our very lives (Rom. 12:1)! The fire is our service and devotion, our “flame” and intimacy with God (2 Tim. 1:6, Heb. 13:15-16, Acts 2:3). Day by day we add to this fire (2 Co. 4:16) knowing that Jesus stands before God in heaven as our eternal sacrifice (Heb. 10:11-14), continually—“never going out.” The peace offering represents communion with God, where part of the sacrifice was eaten, showing peace with God and others (communion).
In short, we now, like the priests of old, should be kindling wood on our hearts to stay on fire for God. Prayer, Scripture, meditation, worship, fellowship, confession, evangelism, service, celebration, and the plethora of ways God has given us to connect with Him… we should “arrange the wood” daily so that our hearts would remain connected to Christ.
So, don’t let the fire go out! Keep it lit. You’ll find for all your devotion, and for every “animal” you sacrifice in total surrender, your soul will resurrect with abundant life.