DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- KEEP THE FLAME BURNING

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – KEEP THE FLAME BURNING

"And you shall command he children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually. In the tabernacle of meeting, outside the veil which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening until morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel." (27:20-21)

The Tabernacle was divided into two sections. The first section, the Holy Place, held the golden lampstand, a table on which the showbread was place every morning, and the altar of incense, which was positioned directly in front of the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, which held the Ark of the Covenant, sometimes called the Ark of the Testimony, and the Mercy Seat. It was on this Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies that the presence of God dwelt on this earth.

The Levitical priests were given the job of tending the flame in the lampstand so that it burned continually. It was to never go out. It was an awesome responsibility. And not just any oil would do. It had to be pure olive oil.

We do not have the Tabernacle, the Ark, the Mercy Seat, the Table of Showbread, nor the Lampstand. They are long gone. But there is a principle that is relevant to us. It is that we have some responsibility to keep the light in our Holy Place – that is, our spirits – burning brightly.

When our family was younger, we did some outdoor camping. Invariably, we would have a fire in the fire-pit. But, you know, that fire did not just keep burning by itself. We had to add fuel to the fire often to keep it going. It took some effort on our part – gathering tree branches to burn and moving the logs around so that it would keep burning. If we didn't, the fire left untended would go out.

There is a fire burning in our lives – a fire of warmth, light, love and devotion to the Lord Jesus. But it takes intentional effort to keep the fire burning hot. Left alone, the cares of this world will smother the flame. We need to keep the fire burning with the oil of the Holy Spirit. So, keep the flame in the lampstand burning.

Love, Dad