What role does the priest play in maintaining the burnt offering in Leviticus 6:8? Setting the Scene: Leviticus 6:8–13 “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Command Aaron and his sons: This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall remain on the hearth of the altar all night long until morning, and the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. And the priest is to put on his linen garment and linen undergarments next to his body and remove the ashes from the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar, and place them beside the altar. Then he must take off his garments, put on other clothes, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a ceremonially clean place. The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not be extinguished. Every morning the priest is to add firewood, arrange the burnt offering on the fire, and burn the fat of the peace offerings on it. The fire must be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not be extinguished.’” Key Responsibilities Given to the Priest • Keep the altar fire continually burning—never allowed to go out. • Remove consumed ashes daily, showing ongoing purification. • Add fresh wood every morning, sustaining the flame for new sacrifices. • Lay the day’s burnt offering in proper order. • Burn the fat portions of peace offerings as part of daily worship. Daily Routine Broken Down 1. Dawn: • Dress in holy linen garments. • Collect yesterday’s ashes; set them beside the altar. 2. Mid-task change: • Switch to ordinary clothes. • Carry ashes outside the camp to a clean place (cf. Hebrews 13:11–13). 3. Morning preparation: • Place new wood on the altar. • Arrange the fresh burnt offering. 4. Throughout the day and night: • Monitor and tend the flame so it never dies (cf. Exodus 29:38-42). Why the Fire Must Never Go Out • Depicts uninterrupted fellowship between God and His people. • Reflects God’s perpetual readiness to receive atonement. • Foreshadows Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice that continually avails (Hebrews 10:11-12). • Mirrors God’s own character—“the LORD your God is a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4:24). Holiness in Handling Ashes • Ash removal prevented defilement of the altar, symbolizing ongoing cleansing. • Clothing change underscored the separation between holy service and ordinary tasks. • Taking ashes to a “clean place” outside camp anticipated Christ bearing sin “outside the gate” (Hebrews 13:12-13). Sustaining the Flame: Spiritual Parallels • Fresh wood each morning pictures daily renewal of devotion (Lamentations 3:22-23). • Continuous burning warns against spiritual neglect—“Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). • Priest’s vigilance models believers’ call to constant watchfulness in worship (Romans 12:11). Christ Fulfilled What the Priest Foreshadowed • As High Priest, Jesus ever lives to make intercession (Hebrews 7:25). • His sacrifice secures permanent access, rendering daily animal offerings obsolete, yet the principle of unceasing worship remains (Hebrews 9:24-28). Takeaways for Today’s Believer • God values diligent, daily devotion; holiness is not occasional but constant. • Regular self-examination—removing “ashes”—maintains purity (1 John 1:9). • Ongoing spiritual fervor is nurtured by fresh “wood”: prayer, Scripture, fellowship. • Jesus, the greater Priest, guarantees that the fire of redemption never goes out; our role is to keep our side of the altar tended with joyful obedience. |
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