HEBREW WORD STUDY – CONSTANT FIRE – TAMID TUQAD תמיד תוקד Taw Mem Yod Daleth Taw Vav Qop Daleth
Leviticus 6:12-13 “And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it, and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. (13) The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.
This fire originated from heaven, yet the command was that the priest must feed this fire with wood every morning. They were never allowed to let the fire go out. God lit this fire but it was the duty of the priest to keep that fire going.
I read something very interesting about these verses in the Talmud this morning in Eruvin 63a. The fire started when it came from heaven but it is up to the spiritual leadership or priest to keep that fire burning. Again, in Yoma 4:6. This fire was to be constantly burning even under the rituals of impurity and during their journeys through the desert. They were to carry this fire with them and never let it go out. Special care was to be given to this fire, even during difficult times.
If this was a heavenly fire, why did God not just keep it lit? Why did God command such care and attention by human instruments to keep this fire alive? The Talmud teaches that it was the leadership, the priest who was charged with keeping the fire going.
They are really two pictures given here by the Talmud. One is the picture of God lighting a fire of passion for Him and service for Him within us. It is the role and job of our spiritual leaders, like our pastors and teachers to keep that fire going, to feed that fire daily. If a pastor does not keep fanning the flame of fire in his congregation for the love of God he will stand accountable to God one day for letting the fire go out.
Pastors in many churches today are so focused on church growth and bringing in the tithes and offerings to pay the bills (and their salaries with a few cost of living raises) that they tend to neglect the needs of many of their congregations who face the difficulties of life that dim the fires of their passion for God. Many pastors are so busy doing the work of the church that they neglect their own spiritual passion for God and how can you lead your congregation in their love and passion for God if the fire has gone out in your own heart. Maybe this is one reason why God has put the churches on pause with this pandemic. Maybe, God is trying to relight that fire, reboot the spiritual leadership who has allowed this fire of passion to go out.
Another picture is God planting within us certain gifts and abilities. But it is up to the spiritual leadership to fan the flames of those gifts and abilities and keep that fire from going out. I remember growing up in a church where spiritual gifts were encouraged. Anyone playing a musical instrument or having the ability to sing was given an opportunity to demonstrate this gift before the congregation. Anyone who had a desire to teach was given the opportunity to teach. Those who had a gift of intercession were encouraged to pray. It wasn’t just the pastor’s inner circle that got to do all the service and ministry. Everyone was involved in using their gifts. I remember when we regularly had testimonies where anyone could stand and just express their passion and love for God.
I rarely find a church now that gives the average member of the congregation an opportunity to express their gifts. It seems a church now consists of a Sunday morning service where the pastor and his inner circle of trusted friends and tithers run the operation.
Now all of a sudden Christians are unable to go to a church building. The showboat has docked and is quarantined. The show goes on now only through the internet. People are waking up to the fact that they will not go to hell if they do not attend a worship service in a building every Sunday. That may be God’s pleasure is not derived through one going into a building once a week. Perhaps there are other ways to bring pleasure to God.
I believe there will be a new church out thereafter God finishes rebooting the program.
I remember as a child in Sunday School we used to sing a little chorus. I never gave much thought to its meaning until now.
“Give me oil in my lamp
Keep me burning, burning, burning
Give me oil in my lamp I pray.
Give me oil in my lamp
Keep me burning, burning, burning,
Keep me burning to the break of day.
By A. Sevison and C. Barny Robertson
According to Leviticus 6:12-13 and the Talmud, we should be singing that song to our spiritual leaders.
It could be seen that the wood/fire are the members of each congregation of a individual pastoral assignment.
This is a fascinating thought how these verses can be applied to individuals, church leaders (not just pastors), attendees of a church, youth groups, cities, counties, states, nations, the world and then the Jews who have not let us forget our Creator.
This little song had a chorus where I went to church.
Sing Hosanna! Sing Hosanna! Sing Hosanna to the King of King’s! Sing Hosanna! Sing Hosanna!Sing Hosanna to the King!
Thank you again Chaim. God Bless you!
Thank you! Bless you! Shalom!
When church leaders squelch the congregation’s talents so they, themselves can stay in the limelight, it seems to be obvious to everyone but them.
This leads to the congregation feeling useless and unwanted and, in the end, will lead to them leaving. Unfortunately, with leadership maintaining this complete control, it is often more important than the verses in scripture that talk about all of the body needing to be used for the body’s edification and to glorify God.
Your view on this is spot on. Thank you for your wonderful insights and humbleness. I am so glad I can support your ministry, as I have no other ministry to support. You guessed it, I just left a congregation where this very thing happened to me.
Thank you! Spiritual meat for my ingestion and digestion. Oh! that old time “fire” and the presence of God in our midst so so vital; without it, we die. Thanks again for this refresher to my soul. Ch(LTC) Robert H. Forrest, retired Army chaplain
In my personal notes in my Bible, I note that the Holy Spirit is often symbolized as fire and Paul told Timothy to keep that fire stirred up. 2 Timothy 1:6. In other words, keep it burning hot all the time. Peter indicates we keep it stirred up by putting our mind in remembrance. (Remembering the word, Jesus’ death burial and resurrection, blessings I have received etc. etc.) 2 Peter 3:1. Further, Paul teaches in Romans 12:1 for us to be a living sacrifice. I have found that the only way I am able to lay down my life and sins and sin nature effortlessly, and be a living sacrifice, and take up my cross and follow Jesus, is to keep that fire always stirred up and burning hot in my heart through the meditations (remembrance) of my mind.