The Fire of the Lord

The Fire of the Lord
By Larry d. Wright

“Then the fire of the LORD fell…”

In one of His most controversial statements Jesus said, “I have come to bring fire on the earth.” There are times in the Scripture in which fire is a symbol of judgment but in the vast majority of references fire is used to illustrate God’s divine presence. The context of His words makes it clear that this is the meaning behind His words, “I have come to bring fire.”

In this unusual statement of Jesus the fire He is speaking of is not literal fire but a spiritual symbol. He is speaking of the burning, exciting, dynamic presence of God in the lives of people. The fire that illuminates His dazzling presence, generates unlimited power, burns away the dross and impurities and attracts people to Him. That is the Fire of God.

In the scriptures, God sometimes revealed Himself through a physical representation; this is called a theophany. Fire is the most common theophany. There are several definitive statements about God in the Bible: God is Holy; God is Light; God is Love; God is Spirit. Fire is used as a symbol of God. God is not fire–He is like fire–and the Scriptures use it to symbolize His awesome presence.

When God appeared to Moses He spoke out of the flame of a burning bush. Later, on Mt. Sinai, God appeared to all the Israelites as a fire on the mountain. Exodus 24:17 says, “To the Israelites, the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire.” What a sight that must have been!

There is something awesome and scary about fire, no wonder God chose to use fires as a theophany. Later, when Moses built the Tabernacle, they made the first sacrifice in the Holy of Holies. God again revealed Himself by fire. Leviticus 9:24 says, “Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering ... And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell face-down.”

On Mt Carmel the prophet Elijah prayed “Then the fire of God fell” consuming the sacrifice and licking up the water in the trenches around the altar. The people fell on their faces and declared, “The Lord He is God!”

When God’s fire comes to the hearts of men and women their spirits are freed from the awful bondage of idolatry. When God’s fire comes, the enemy will be destroyed. That is why we should pray, “O, Lord ---send the fire. Your fire. Send your consuming, changing, restoring, victorious fire!”

We sing about the Fire of God in many of our hymns. I love to sing, "Lord, as of old at Pentecost thou didst thy power display, with cleansing, purifying flame, descend on us today. Lord, send the old time power, the Pentecostal power! Thy floodgates of blessings on us thor open wide! Lord, send the old time power, the Pentcostal power, that sinners be converted and thy name glorified!" There is a song I have known for years that says, “Oh, Lord, you’re beautiful. Your face is all I seek. For when your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me. O Lord, please light the fire, which once burned bright and clear, replace the lamp of my first love, that burned with holy fear.”

Oh, may our PRAYER be heard, “Lord, send your fire! May we sense and know Your burning, exciting, dynamic presence in our lives and among Your people.”