God and Fire
Who here would consider him or herself to be a “pyro” - someone who harbors at least a slight obsession with fire? I think that fire is a fascinating substance, for a myriad of reasons. First of all, it’s beautiful. Second of all, fire is mesmerizing to watch. Third, it can warm you; fourth, it casts a warm light, and fifth, it can cook your hot dogs and marshmallows for you. I have so many fond memories that involve candles and fire.
But, as I read stories about bush fires in Australia and arsonists who burn down homes, I am reminded that fire can be a terrifying force to some. One could look at a flame and think of nothing but blackened wood, singed flesh, and choking smoke.
Besides reminding me to be sensitive about such topics, it gives me many powerful images to bring to mind when studying the Scriptures. From the angel who blocked the tree of life with a flaming sword in Genesis to a Messiah who will throw his adversaries in a lake of fire and restore that tree of life at the end of the world as we know it, fire imagery abounds in the Bible. Just look at the way that that God first reveals Himself to Moses.
God and fire
Exodus 3:2-6
2 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him 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.
3 And Moses said, I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.
4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here I am.
5 Then he said, Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.
6 And he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
This wasn’t just a one-time manifestation for God, either. Look at how God shows up when Moses climbs the mountain:
Exodus 24:17
Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.
So God likes to resemble fire when He manifests Himself in the Old Testament. This is probably to give us a glimpse of His raw power, light, and dynamic nature. It probably kept fallen man from getting too close, as well! But God does not stop at manifesting fire. The Bible also declares that God IS a fire, and a consuming one at that.
Deuteronomy 9:3
Know therefore today that he who goes over before you as a consuming fire is the LORD your God. He will destroy them and subdue them before you. So you shall drive them out and make them perish quickly, as the LORD has promised you.
Hebrews 12:29 (Quoting Deuteronomy 4:24)
…for our God is a consuming fire.
The idea of a consuming fire is that God can burn in anger and consume those who have offended Him. This goes back to the power imagery. A fire can sweep through a forest in a matter of hours and ravage all that it crosses, and we as Christians should always remember that the God of the universe is just as capable. It doesn’t mean we should cower at the very mention of His name, because Jesus has called his followers his friends. However, it does mean that we need to give God the reverence and respect that He deserves.
The Holy Spirit and fire
As we get into the New Testament, we begin to see another side of this fire imagery that accompanies the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came to Christians after Jesus left, so that Christ’s followers would be empowered and encouraged in the work of God. You might have known that, but did you catch the end of John the Baptist’s sentence in Matthew?
Matthew 3:11
“I baptize you with water for 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.
Interesting, no? Different people will give you different interpretations on what that means, but the connection between fire and the Holy Spirit seems to be solidified on the day of Pentecost:
Acts 2:3-4
3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
So when the Holy Spirit descended on people, He resembled tongues of fire. However, this is a different kind of fire. This is the kind of fire that, while just as powerful, spreads heat, illuminates lives, and causes changes to happen! That’s why, in two separate letters, Paul uses the imagery of fire in discussing the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit…
1 Thessalonians 5:19
Do not quench the Spirit.
2 Timothy 1:6
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands…
These were actually the two verses that inspired this article. This is powerful stuff, and we’ll explore the imagery in the next section.
Comparing fire and God
If I have successfully built a Scriptural case that fire can describe God on many levels, then perhaps we can look at attributes of fire and see how they relate to God. A good place to start is to look at the last two verses. When Paul evokes the image of fire by saying, “Do not quench the Spirit,” what is there to gain from that? Well, there’s the obvious implication that the Spirit can be quenched in one’s life. Throw enough water on a fire, shovel enough dirt on it, and the fire will eventually die. Same thing inside the soul of a Christian. If we allow sin to continue in our lives, it’s like pouring a stream of water onto a fire. That fire can burn hot for a long time and resist the quenching, but in the end the Spirit will not want to be where the extinguishing agent is.
The opposite of this is to fan the Spirit into flame. Picture a blacksmith’s bellows here, making his fire hotter and hotter. There’s no water or dirt, only more air blowing through, making the fire hot enough to melt iron. The more we feed righteousness into our lives, the more we are able to allow the Spirit to consume us and destroy our impurities, leaving behind an empty vessel that is ready to be used for the glory of God.
Shall we expand the imagery? Think about the fact that in every fire is the potential to consume everything around it. My tea lights in my room are quite harmless - unless I let it get too close to a stack of papers. If that were to happen, I could burn the whole building down. Think of that as being a good thing, and you have another parallel. Inside every man and woman is the potential for the Spirit to be fanned into flame in a big way. All that a fire needs is the right fuel. Feed the fire of the Spirit with good things…prayer, Scripture, fellowship, and ministry!
There is an older hymn which states, “It only takes a spark to get a fire going…” And that certainly applies here. In an article published at the same time as this one, Matt Earley quoted A.W. Tozer, who said that “The impulse to pursue God originates with God,” but after that, drawing near to God is highly dependent on how earnestly we pursue Him. This is applicable here as well. God provides the spark, but we are to fan the flames.
And so on and so forth…
Do you see where this kind of article leads? A myriad of possibilites emerge when it comes to the God and fire. Explore this in your times of prayer and reflecting, and as you get into the Word. In what other ways does the God/fire parallel fit? Feel free to comment!
Grace and peace,
Brendan
