Levítico 6

Levítico 6

Henry - The priest must take care of the fire upon the altar, that it be kept always burning. This is much insisted on here (Leviticus 6:9,12), and this express law is given: The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar, it shall never go out, Leviticus 6:13. We may suppose that no day passed without some extraordinary sacrifices, which were always offered between the morning and evening lamb so that from morning to night the fire on the altar was kept up of course. But to preserve it all night unto the morning (Leviticus 6:9) required some care. Those that keep good houses never let their kitchen fire go out therefore God would thus give an instance of his good house-keeping. The first fire upon the altar came from heaven (Leviticus 9:24), so that by keeping that up continually with a constant supply of fuel all their sacrifices throughout all their generations might be said to be consumed with that fire from heaven, in token of God's acceptance. If, through carelessness, they should ever let it go out, they could not expect to have it so kindled again. Accordingly the Jews tell us that the fire never did go out upon the altar, till the captivity in Babylon. This is referred to Isaiah 31:9, where God is said to have his fire in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem. By this law we are taught to keep up in our minds a constant disposition to all acts of piety and devotion, an habitual affection to divine things, so as to be always ready to every good word and work. We must not only not quench the Spirit, but we must stir up the gift that is in us (2Ti 1:6-note ). Though we be not always sacrificing, yet we must keep the fire of holy love always burning and thus we must pray always. Daniel Whedon - The injunction to keep the fire always burning enforces the duty of undying zeal in the service of Christ through the Holy Spirit ever abiding within as a refiner’s fire. The wood laid on the fire every morning typifies the means of grace daily used, the Holy Scriptures, prayer and praise. Roy Ganes - Like the eternal flame on the altar (Lev 6:8–13), the holy gift of the Spirit (cf Lev 9:24) that enables ministry must be maintained. Paul reminded Timothy “to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6), and to “not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you” (1 Tim. 4:14). The Spirit puts the unction in the function! (NIV Application Commentary - Leviticus) Pulpit Commentary homily on Leviticus 6 - Quench not the Spirit. Lev 6:8–30. Cf. Eph. 4:30; 1Th 5:19. “We have here sundry sacrificial laws enabling us the better to understand the details of the preceding sacrifices; but the cardinal idea in them all, as we shall now see, is that which heads this homily, “Quench not the Spirit.” And— I. THE FIRE OF THE BURNT OFFERING WAS TO BE CAREFULLY PRESERVED, SO THAT IT SHOULD NEVER GO OUT. This necessitated a regular removal of the ashes to the clean place selected for their reception without the camp. These ashes represented what would not ascend in the fire, and were a fitting symbol of the dross and corruption which attaches to all human services. Everything which would prevent the fire from burning was to be removed. Now, we have already seen that the fire of the altar symbolizes the Holy Spirit. It is what came from God in the first instance, and what renders the sacrifice acceptable. Hence the lesson about the perpetuation of the altar-fire is to remove everything which would hinder or would quench the tree action of the Spirit within us. The purer we try to be, the freer will the movements of the Holy Ghost be within us. On the other hand, negligence, in life must interrupt the spiritual action. Let us diligently use every means, like the priest laying on the wood and clearing away the ashes from the altar, and the Holy Spirit as a fire within us will make us ardent and enthusiastic in the Divine life. Thomas