1 Kings 18:38-39
“Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
In dramatic fashion, the fire of the Lord came down and consumed the burnt offering and everything around it. We can only imagine what this looked like. Elijah prays, and then BOOM! the fire of the Lord fell.
Everyone must have been stunned, with most of them jumping back quickly as they felt the heat of the fire. Their eyes would have been wide and mouths hung open, and the look on their faces a combination of astonishment, awe, and fear.
As the text says, the consuming fire drove the people to their knees with their faces down, and their hearts were stricken with the realization that indeed, the Lord is God. Finally they were convicted. Finally they turned away from the false god Baal and returned to the one true God who had redeemed their forefathers from Egypt.
It is not surprising the Lord used fire on Mt Carmel. Throughout scripture, fire is a prominent symbol of who God is. Fire is a manifestation of God’s presence and power. “And the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.” (Exodus 3.2)
Fire represents God’s hatred of sin. “And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire … And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. For everyone will be salted with fire.” (Mark 9.43-49)
Fire was the symbol of God’s presence on the altar in the tabernacle/temple. “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. Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.” (Leviticus 6.12-13)
Fire is the sign of the Lord’s acceptance of a substitutionary sacrifice. “And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.” (Leviticus 9.23-24)
Fire is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit who enlightens, cleanses, and empowers believers. “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3.11)
It is by fire that the Lord will deal with the unbeliever. “…when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” (2 Thess 1.7-8)
Fire is a description of the character of God, and it is a reminder of how we should respond to the Lord. “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12.28-29)
May we be people “on fire” for the Lord in our time and place in history.
Coram Deo
