Don’t Let Your Light Go Out Series

Leviticus 6:8–13.8 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. 10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar. 11 Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 12 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. 13 Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out. (ESV)

Presently we live in a very contentious time of international relations. Previous international organizations, treaties, systems and trade have been disrupted. As Canadians we face the continued threat of tariffs which could result in thousands of jobs lost and major economic disruptions. The discussions of which have led us into a provincial election. National public and private interest groups are frantic in their discussions and the political, and economic offerings have a potential of national upheaval.

Leviticus 6-7 concerns the Handling of the Offerings unto the Lord. This section focuses on issues related to the proper handling, eating, and disposal of the various sacrifices and offerings. The sacrifices and offerings are either “holy” or “most holy” and must therefore be treated with due respect. If this was not done, the offering would not count and the offender would be punished (cf. 7:18, 20–21). God commands the priests to maintain the perpetual light of the fire on the altar, symbolizing His presence and the ongoing need for spiritual vigilance in worship. (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 223). Crossway Bibles.)

As believers in Christ, we are encouraged to not let our light go out and to keep our spiritual fervor alive. This section is a reminder of the danger of neglecting our faith which can lead to extinguishing the light of God's presence in our lives. It’s not one of losing salvation for a genuine believer but realizing the challenge to continually foster our relationship with God through prayer, worship, and service. Maintaining the fire of faith requires intentionality and regular commitment to God’s call, highlighting the communal responsibility of supporting one another in spiritual growth.

In Leviticus 6:9-13, we are cautioned to not light our light go out in three ways as illustrated through recognizing first, the: 1) Perpetual Presence of God (Leviticus 6:9-10), 2) Preventing Spiritual Extinguishment (Leviticus 6:11-12) and 3) Perseverance in Christ's Light (Leviticus 6:13)

First, we are cautioned to not light our light go out as illustrated through recognizing the:

1) Perpetual Presence of God (Leviticus 6:9-10)

Leviticus 6:9–10.8 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. 10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar.

From verse 8 we know that it was the Lord who spoke to Moses, saying in verse 9 9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. Our attention is drawn to the fire on the bronze altar, which consumed the burnt offering and all the other offerings that involved burning, including the fatty parts of the peace offerings (6:12). It is forcefully emphasized in three verses that this fire must not be allowed to go out. It is put first in a simple, positive way: ‘… the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it’ (6:9). This is then repeated with an additional negative statement: ‘… it shall not go out’ (6:12, ESV). Finally, all is repeated with the addition of the word ‘continually’: ‘Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out’ (6:13, ESV). It has been suggested that it was because fire from heaven lit the first burnt offerings in both the tabernacle and later the temple that the law is so insistent on keeping the fire alight. (John Calvin John Calvin, Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses arranged in the form of a Harmony, Baker reprint, 1979)