Author's Note: All previous volumes of this series are here. The first 56 volumes are compiled into the book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible." "Part Two," featuring volumes 57-113, was published in December 2022.
Thanks for joining our study. Discussing the Word of God is an honor and privilege I take very seriously. You might be interested to know that Sunday's topic is usually unknown from week to week. For example, today's topic was blank until I awoke Wednesday morning, and “fire” popped into my brain. Problem solved! Next week’s, too, since the Old and New Testaments have an abundance of meaningful fire-related verses, two Sundays are needed. And so we begin with the Hebrew Bible in order of appearance.
Although unwritten in the Genesis 1 creation chapter, God invented fire, which He used to establish His presence and power. Fire is a complex force that God employed to punish, warn, and affirm events or behaviors. Fire also had (still has) the purpose of assisting human development by keeping warm, providing light, cooking, making valuable objects, honing hunting weapons for animals, and helping humans to protect or, unfortunately, harm each other.
The first time the Bible mentions fire is in Genesis 3 after the “Fall of Man”:
“After he [God] drove [Adam and Eve] out [of the Garden], he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24). The note in my NIV Study Bible explains, “The sword of God’s judgment stood between fallen man and God’s garden.”
The following two Genesis verses illustrate how God used fire to further His kingdom. First, to show His presence to Abram (later renamed Abraham):
“When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces” (Genesis 15:17).
Second, to punish sinful Man, God unleashed His fiery wrath upon two cities:
“Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven” (Genesis 19:24).
In Exodus, God employed fire in numerous passages for various purposes and circumstances, such as when God brought Moses into His service through the “Burning Bush” event:
“There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire, it did not burn up” (Exodus 3:2).
Later, the Lord sent fire to facilitate His people’s escape from Egyptian bondage in the seventh of 10 plagues:
“Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt” (Exodus 9:23).
In the verse below, God used fire to intimidate Egypt’s forces while they were pursuing the Israelites:
“During the last watch of the night, the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion” (Exodus 14:24).
God’s fiery presence on Mount Sinai heralded His presenting Moses with the Ten Commandments — one of the most significant events in human history:
“Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently” (Exodus 19:18).
After Moses received the Ten Commandments, God continued to show His radiant power:
“To the Israelites, the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain” (Exodus 24:17).
To assist with safe evening travel and to confirm His presence, God was a fire cloud hovering over His “chosen people.”
“So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels” (Exodus 40:38).
After Exodus is Leviticus, where God “fired” Moses’s two nephews:
“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer [containing hot coals] and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord” (Leviticus 10:1-2). Yikes! (Don’t tick off the Lord, or you might be “fired.”
In Deuteronomy, the last of the Five Books of Moses, also known as The Torah — the first five books of the Hebrew Bible — God explains Himself:
“‘For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God’” (Deuteronomy 4:24).
Reference back to the harsh Leviticus passage where at the altar, God’s fire consumed Aaron’s sons. Conversely, God sent fire at the altar to approve of David’s action:
“And David built there an altar to the Lord and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings and called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering” (1 Chronicles 21:26).
Once again, God sent fire from heaven to approve of Solomon dedicating the Temple:
“When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple” (2 Chronicles 7:1).
Turning to Job, as part of God and Satan’s agreement to test Job, his wealth was destroyed. A messenger told Job:
“‘The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants’” (Job 1:16).
In Isaiah, there is “refiner’s fire” when, through suffering, God purifies or “refines” us so He can better use us for His glory. God’s voice is quoted:
“‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze’” (Isaiah 43:2). The Lord continues:
“‘See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction’” (Isaiah 48:10).
The Book of Jeremiah is where God speaks about fire and His Word:
“‘Is not my word like fire’ declares the Lord, ‘and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?’” (Jeremiah 23:29).
The Hebrew Bible has more fire burning within its pages, but our flame is out of bandwidth. Perhaps now, whenever you see fire, will you think about the Lord’s power?
Stay tuned for next week when the New Testament is ablaze with the Holy Spirit.
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer with numerous national credits. Her book, "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible," reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. "Part 2,” with the same title, reprints Vols. 57-113. Order it here.
Myra is also Executive Director of SignFromGod.org and the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit. Both are educational donor-supported ministries dedicated to building a permanent Shroud of Turin exhibit in Washington, D.C. Visit the life-sized Shroud replica in D.C. Contact: MyraAdams01@gmail.com.