Leviticus 9: 24
Then fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
As soon as Moses finished setting up the Tabernacle for the first time, Then the Cloud covered the Tent of Meeting because the Cloud had settled upon it, and the Glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34).
Then Moses ordained his brother Aaron and his sons to be the Priests of God. This was a very serious and important concept, to prepare and set aside this man and his sons for God's own ministry took a long and involved process to accomplish. (See Leviticus 8.)
Then Chapter 9 recounts how they began their priestly ministry, with the first sacrifices to be offered on the new altar.
When everything was prepared fully, Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting. We're not told how long they were in there, or what went on inside this Tent of Meeting, but When they came out again, they blessed the people; and the Glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.
That's when the fire came out from before the Lord.... This is the fire that the altar was lit with, the Holy Fire of the Lord, that consumed everything that was being offered on the altar. This fire was to never be allowed to go out, but was to be continually kindled, night and day, for the Lord's sacrifices (Leviticus 6:12-13).
And all the people saw it, and they were so startled that they cried out and fell on their faces. It must have been really dramatic and even theatrical. Very impressive. No one can outdo our God Almighty!
May I also "fall on my face" when I behold His Magnificence!
Then the next thing that happened right away was that Aaron's two older sons, now newly ordained, took it upon themselves to offer some incense to the Lord, but didn't take into account that the fire that was acceptable to Him was His own Fire, and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to His command. So Fire came out from the Presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.
Moses then said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord spoke of when He said, 'Among those who approach Me I will show Myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.'" Aaron remained silent (Leviticus 10: 1-3).
We're not told when God said this to Moses and Aaron, maybe when they were in the Tent of Meeting before the Fire came out. But Aaron understood this much about God's holiness, and had nothing to say in defense of his sons. Now instead of four sons, he only had two left. His Order of Priesthood was just cut in half by number. But numbers are not important to God, faithfulness is.
O my Father, Thank You for showing me Your priorities. We tend to focus on all the wrong things. We think that our success in ministry means great numbers of followers. But You have shown over and over in Your Word that You don't need large numbers, or great people, or strong and worldly-wise workers; You are looking for the meek, the humble, the ones who know that they can do nothing without depending on You to do it in and through them.
Father, please help me to always remember this. Help me to continually lean on You, and depend on You to show me each time I think a thought, or say a word, or do a work. I can do nothing on my own, in my own flesh. Only in the power and ability of Your Holy Spirit in me am I able to do or say or even think anything that pleases You.
And I pray for my blog readers. May each one be precious to You, Father, and not take my words here, even though I strive for them to be Your words, I am still human, and am prone to err. May each reader search for him/herself, to look up the references in Your Word for themselves, and be confident in their own minds that this is what You are teaching them.
And if I have gotten anything the least bit off from Your Truth, Father, prompt them to let me know, so that I can also learn from them.
And may You draw each of us ever closer to You, Father, in Your lovingkindness and mercies.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
