THE FIRE MUST NOT DIE! (2)

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*

*THE FIRE MUST NOT DIE! (2)*

*Scripture Treasure.*

1 Kgs 18:24 *And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.*

*Insight and Highlight.*

God's fire over the righteous is holy fire. His fire on His adversaries is a consuming fire.

*Scripture Commentaries.*

Elijah's encounter on Mount Carmel with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal marked one of few encounters of God's indignation through the use of fire.

In 1 Kings 18:24, the fire from God proved that Elijah's God was the true God. 

1 Kgs 18:38  *Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.*

The followings were God's encounters by fire before Mount Carmel.

The first was His fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen 19:24.

The second was the fire in the burning bush; a supernatural manifestation of a fearful God and His dreadful presence through the bush that burned *".....with fire, and the bush was not consumed."* Exd 3:2.

The third was the pillar of fire to provide light at night, indicative of His guidance presence and as a demonstration of His power over the Egyptians to allow for continuous travel of the Israelites, Exd 13:21.

The fourth was a fiery indignation and destruction of the golden calf (Exd 32), its grinding into powder and the scattering of its powder over the waters symbolizing the total destruction of the idol, the rejection of false worship and ensuring the calf was never worshipped again.

This scene at the golden calf was God's first use of fire internalized among His people to illustrate His strong opposition to idolatry and the consequences of their rebellion by making them to drink the water mixed with the powdered idol!

Exd 32:20 says that Moses *"...... took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.*

The fifth was in Lev 9: 23-24. Moses had blessed the people in the Tent of meeting

and fire then came down from the Lord to consume the burnt offering on the altar, causing the people to shout and fall on their faces in awe. 

God's anger to destroy the current heavens and earth are reserved for the

fire to destroy them on the day of judgment. 

2 Pet 3:7 *But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.*

While we remember the powerful indication of the anger of God through the wind as a symbol of the Holy Spirit both in judgment and reawakening, fire remains a dreadful and may be the most instantaneous and immediate manifestation of God's judgment. It consumes swiftly and completely!

This is why you must not allow the fire in you to die!

The consuming fire will not consume His own fire.

*Remorse corner.*

The consuming fire only consumes sin!

His judgment by fire is specifically for the "ungodly," or those who are against God.

*Call to Word action.*

The fire for the altar was a miraculous event where fire came from God signifying His presence and He proves it through the fire that consumes the burnt offering. 

This act of consuming by fire proves God's endorsement and acceptance, Lev 9: 23-24

2 Chro 7:1 says *Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.*

*The Christian clarion duty.*

The consuming fire is a fire around them who are His. To give them light and protection and to destroy their adversaries.

Psalm 11:6 *Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.*

*Prayer.*

Lord, let Your fire surround me and destroy all my enemies, in Jesus name.

Good morning all and have a blessed day.

God bless you.

Shalom.