Topical Bible: Fire: Things Connected With: Ashes

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In the biblical context, ashes are frequently associated with fire, serving as a symbol of destruction, purification, mourning, and repentance. The use of ashes in various rituals and symbolic acts is deeply rooted in the cultural and religious practices of the Israelites, as recorded in the Scriptures.

1. Symbol of Destruction and Judgment: Ashes often represent the aftermath of divine judgment and destruction. In Genesis 19:28, Abraham looks toward Sodom and Gomorrah and sees "the smoke of the land going up like the smoke of a furnace," indicating the complete destruction of these cities by fire, leaving behind ashes as a testament to God's judgment.

2. Purification and Sacrifice: Ashes are also linked to the purification rituals in the Old Testament. In Numbers 19:9, the ashes of a red heifer are used in the water of purification, a ceremonial cleansing for those who have come into contact with a dead body. This ritual underscores the transformative power of fire, turning the heifer into ashes that serve a holy purpose.

3. Mourning and Repentance: Ashes are a traditional sign of mourning and repentance. In the book of Job, Job sits among the ashes as he laments his suffering (Job 2:8). Similarly, in Jonah 3:6, the king of Nineveh covers himself with sackcloth and sits in ashes as a sign of repentance, seeking God's mercy for his people.

4. Humility and Mortality: The use of ashes in expressions of humility and recognition of human mortality is evident in passages like Genesis 18:27, where Abraham speaks to God, saying, "I am but dust and ashes." This acknowledgment of human frailty and dependence on God is a recurring theme in Scripture.

5. Rituals and Offerings: In Levitical law, ashes play a role in the rituals surrounding burnt offerings. Leviticus 6:10-11 instructs the priest to remove the ashes from the altar and place them beside it, signifying the completion of the offering and the need to maintain the sanctity of the altar.

6. Prophetic Imagery: Ashes are used in prophetic literature to convey messages of desolation and renewal. Isaiah 61:3 speaks of giving "a crown of beauty instead of ashes," symbolizing God's promise to restore and bless His people after a period of suffering and judgment.

Throughout the Bible, ashes serve as a powerful symbol, representing both the consequences of sin and the hope of redemption. They remind believers of the seriousness of God's judgment, the necessity of purification, and the promise of renewal through repentance and faith.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Kings 13:3
And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD has spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Peter 2:6
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample to those that after should live ungodly;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Letter i. To Eusebius.
... be instructed as to the dangers connected with shipwrecks ... in enduring and conquering
such things, while amid ... the barred door; and, the fire being extinguished ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /letter i to eusebius.htm

Covenanting Provided for in the Everlasting Covenant.
... doing so, not as types of good things which had no ... they occurred, but as emblems
of good connected with vowing ... The flame of fire which appeared on many solemn ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter vi covenanting provided for.htm

1872 the Need of a Home Further West --Burning of the Marchmont ...
... up with fire, and all our pleasant things are laid ... to try our faith by the trial
of fire, shall we ... lost upon the hundreds of immortal souls connected with our ...
//christianbookshelf.org/lowe/gods answers/chapter iv 1872 the need.htm

Of the Advantage and Use of the World and of the Seasons.
... Man, accordingly, uses fire for the purpose of warmth and ... time knows to reject and
avoid the things which are ... [1727] They are both mutually connected with each ...
/.../chap xiii of the advantage and.htm

On the Symbols of Pythagoras.
... Now the Pythagorean symbols were connected with the Barbarian ... going beyond the
explanation of the things, they honoured ... useful; but by day the fire blazes, and ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter v on the symbols of.htm

Appendix xvii. The Ordinances and Law of the Sabbath as Laid Down ...
... lamp, to prevent the ceiling from catching fire; similarly, to ... enter here on details
not necessarily connected with the ... goes on to indicate such things as are ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix xvii the ordinances and.htm

Hebrews ix. 5-Jan
... of] "through the Holy Spirit," not through fire, nor through ... a little, and bearing
all things with thanksgiving ... is closely connected together, and it is hardly ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xv hebrews ix 5-jan.htm

Preface
... "The bodies thus connected were, as ... or sectaries,' and against whom they waged war
by fire and sword. ... of antiquity as the offscouring of all things,' who were ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bevan/three friends of god/preface.htm

Another Triplet of Graces
... These three closely connected clauses occur, as you all know ... how everybody is pleasant,
and all things are easy, and the ... of the vessel in which the fire is, and ...
/.../romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/another triplet of graces.htm

On the Words, Crucified and Buried.
... And since we have touched on things connected with Paradise, I am ... when it was cold,
and therefore a fire of coals ... come an High-Priest of the good things to come ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture xiii on the words.htm