by Kevin Burton
From the book of Leviticus and the story of Old Testament sacrifices, comes a never-outdated concept of ongoing prayer to God.
This is in follow up to messages by Dane Massey the last two Sundays on Page 7 on the importance and difficulty of prayer. This week we hear from some other voices.
Leviticus is a book of Old-Testament laws where writers often fear to tread, but stay with me.
Jesus has come as our Savior, died and risen again, to pay the price for our sins. We now live in New Testament times. The animal, grain, peace, sin and guilt offerings were done away with at Calvary.
“Despite the fact that the sacrifices and ceremonies in the book of Leviticus don’t apply to us today, we can learn from them about God’s holiness and His high regard for high biblical standards,” writes Dave Brannon in the “Bible Source Book,” a tremendous Bible study reference bookpublished by Our Daily Bread Ministries. Continuing conversation with God by believers is one of those standards.
“Keep the altar of private prayer burning. This is the life of all piety,” writes Alistair Begg, speaker on the Truth For Life radio ministry. “Secret devotion is the very essence, evidence and barometer of vital and experimental (experiential) religion.”
How often, and rightly so, we hear about how important communication is to a marriage. Why then do you and I put off private conversations with the One who saves souls.
“A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out,” is God’s instruction to Israel in Leviticus 6:13 (NKJV). As New testament believers that fire is in the form of passion for God.
Here are some insights on Leviticus 6:13 from Bible scholars, from the commentary on enduringword.com:
“A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out: The phrasing of this is emphatic (according to Peter-Contesse) and shows that keeping the altar fire always burningwas an important duty of the priests. They had to supply wood to the altar fire through the night. Through the day, the continual offering of sacrifices would keep the fire burning.”
“As it happened, the altar’s fire was ignited by miraculous fire coming from heaven (Leviticus 9:24). This added to the reason why the altar’s fire should never be allowed to go out. This was God’s fire, and it needed to be respected and cared for.”
“John Trapp considered that the fire of the altar should not go out and made an application of the idea: ‘No more should our faith, love, zeal (that flame of God, as Solomon calls it, Song of Solomon 8:6-7), that should never go out; the waters should not quench it, nor the ashes cover it.”
“F.B. Meyer observed that the perpetual fire was an emblem of:
· God’s love, because there was never and will never be a time when God does not love.
· The prayers of Jesus for His people, because He forever lives to pray for His people (Hebrews 7:25).
· The ministry of the Holy Spirit, because the fire first lit on the Day of Pentecost still burns among the people of God.
Begg calls on believers to keep those flames burning.
“Let your closet seasons be, if possible, regular, frequent and undisturbed. Effectual prayer avails much.”
“Have you nothing to pray for?” Begg asks. “Let us suggest the church, the ministry, your own soul, your children your relations, your neighbors your country and the cause of God and truth throughout the world. “
“Let us examine ourselves on this important matter. Do we engage with lukewarmness in private devotion? Is the fire of devotion burning dimly in our hearts?”
“If so, let us be alarmed at this sign of decay. Let us go with weeping, and ask for the spirit of grace and of supplications.”
Let us set apart special seasons for extraordinary prayer,” Begg writes. “For if this fire should be smothered beneath the ashes of a worldly conformity, it will dim the fire on the family altar and lessen our influence both in the church and in the world.”
“”God loves to see the hearts of his people glowing toward Himself,” Begg writes. “Let us give to God our hearts, all blazing with love, and seek his grace, that the fire may never be quenched, for it will not burn if the lord does not keep it burning.”
“Let us use texts of scripture as fuel for our heart’s fire; they are live coals. Let us attend to sermons, but above all, let us be much alone with Jesus. “
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