The observances which the Lord established in the Old Testament on a rather physical plane of worship pointed to something deeply spiritual and seemingly intangible. A believer is unable to apply them spiritually unless God reveals what they symbolize. In the New Testament, the Lord used the parables in the same way. He called attention to the lilies of the field (Matthew 6:28); He spoke about a man building a foundation, and how the floodwaters came against it (Matthew 7:24–27). He always used illustrations which people could relate to their own lives and spiritual condition when the truths behind the illustrations were revealed to them.
When the Lord speaks to our hearts in this day about experiencing the Feast of Pentecost, it is difficult for us to relate to its significance, especially as we read about a certain number of animals and measures of finely ground flour being burned as an offering to the Lord. At the Feast of Passover, a sheaf of grain was cut with a sickle and waved before the Lord. One lamb was killed—a lamb without blemish—which was symbolic of the Lord. Remember what Christ said concerning Himself: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone” (John 12:24). This was the promise of a harvest that was to come. He also said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me” (John 12:32). Christ, our Passover, was crucified for us (I Corinthians 5:7); He was like a sheaf of grain waved before the Father. Fifty days after His crucifixion, on the day of Pentecost, three thousand people were brought in, as the wave offering of the loaves, the firstfruits to come into the Church. The Church is still in that harvest season.
We think of the Feast of Pentecost as related to a harvest, but that harvest was always celebrated by bringing a burnt offering to the Lord. We often forget that fire was involved with these sacrifices. We are to enter into the same experience of fire. Much of this is dependent upon our preparation. We read in both Kings and Chronicles of the dedication of Solomon’s temple. Hundreds and hundreds of animals were offered in sacrifices. It must have been like a slaughtering yard, all in the presence of that beautiful temple covered with so much gold. But when they had made a complete end of that work, then the fire of the Lord came, the glory of the Lord filled the temple, and one hundred and twenty priests could not even stand to minister, but fell on their faces before God (I Kings 8:11).
It is significant that we not only bring our sacrifice to the Lord, but that we put the fire to it. There is a fire that comes from heaven as a witness, as seen in the tongues of fire settling upon each one at Pentecost; but there must be a submission to the fire. If you want the fire of God in your life, you can have it, because God gives you the match with which to start it. This is what happens when we come to the Lord, determined to put the fire to self. That always precedes and determines the amount of the blessing of the Lord. When we read about the fire falling on the day of Pentecost, we assume that the tongues of fire came as a sovereign moving of God. However, the first chapter of Acts tells us that the 120 believers were continually in prayer, waiting before the Lord. Do not forget what they had gone through to prepare them for that day.
We need a new definition of what it means to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. We must understand first of all that the Holy Spirit is not given because of any discipline or dedication on our part. He is a gift that we receive by faith. We have tended to magnify that truth and utterly put aside the old tarrying meetings and that type of waiting before the Lord which was prevalent in the early days of the Pentecostal outpouring. That practice was not as far off as you might think, because many believers came into deep experiences of fire. The tarrying went astray when people thought they could simply push or self-humiliate their way through to it, and they did not see the essential quality of faith in receiving the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, many people who believe that everything is received by faith may rattle on in tongues for a little while and then stop; yet one cannot tell them apart from those who have never received the Holy Spirit, because there is no distinct change in their lives. They have received the Spirit, only to lock Him up in a cage of their own carnality, and cause Him to grieve and be quenched.
The only way to release the Spirit is to allow the chaff to be burned with fire. Much of that is up to us and has to do with our submission and waiting before the Lord. This is at least the prelude to and the early stages of the fire experience, which is common in the life of those who walk with the Lord. They come in, not only to believe and receive, but they continue to enter in, knowing that there must be a submission, a circumcision of heart, and a deep cutting away of the chaff from their lives.
When you begin to understand the experience of fire, you will not wonder what strange thing is happening to you (I Peter 4:12). It is not something strange. You opened the door for the Lord to deal with you. You opened the door not only to receive the Holy Spirit, but for the Lord to remove elements from your life that could never be touched by Him until you surrendered them voluntarily!
Numbers 28:26–31 reveals further symbolisms for walking with God. “ ‘Also on the day of the first fruits’ ” (of the Church), “ ‘when you present a new grain offering to the Lord in your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. And you shall offer a burnt offering for a soothing aroma to the Lord.’ ” The only thing that makes your walk palatable to God is the fact that you submit your obnoxious self to the fire so that His nature can come forth. You know this is true, because you cannot even stand yourself, so how do you think God can look upon you unless you are submitting to the one means which will bring about His divine nature? Doesn’t that make sense? You did not think that you were going to limp into heaven, find some little corner, and escape for eternity with all those miserable problems and needs still in your life, did you? No, God did not intend it to be that way.
God calls us to walk with Him, and we walk like self-conscious adolescents who have too quickly outgrown their clothing, mindful of everything wrong in their appearance. We are growing so fast that we are embarrassed, aware that we are not clothed as we ought to be, with the robes of our priesthood. We have not laid aside enough, nor have we appropriated all we need; and we cry out to the Lord to be rid of all the impurity still within us. Thus we make a burnt offering for a soothing aroma to the Lord as we pray, “Lord, when You see us submitting in order to become what You want us to be, we trust that it makes You very happy.” It will surely make us happy when our offering is complete, but right now we are not too excited about it; we would just like to get through it.
The passage in Numbers continues, speaking of the offering of “ ‘two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs one year old, and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of a measure for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram, a tenth for each of the seven lambs, one male goat to make atonement for you. Besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall present them with their libations. They shall be without defect’ ” (literally, “without defect to you”). In your sight it must be as perfect a sacrifice as you can possibly make it, according to the revelation to your heart as you come before the Lord. This gives us the picture of the fire element in this continual burnt offering.
Dedication is not accomplished in one running jump. We wish there were some way in which we could give it all to the Lord at one time, but we do not seem to be able to do so. As the Holy Spirit reveals our need and the remaining chaff, we find ourselves exposing it to the Lord to be consumed by the fire. It is our initiative to do that and to give the Lord a continual burnt offering. We can never feel smug about already having given the Lord so much. When we become a little proud of our spirituality, the Lord has to deal with us all over again, and always we find that we have held back just a little bit.
We progress in degrees of dedication; and as we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, we seem to go from glory to glory as He deals with our hearts. He deals with us on one plane, and we give it all to Him, thinking it is total. Then we relax and go on, until He deals with us again. Each time we must adjust to a whole new step. We go on from one experience to another, from one level of dedication to another. Each time we say yes, it is a little more unconditional, more of an absolute and total surrender. Sanctification is a definite experience, but it is an experience that expands and grows and progresses without any limitation. Now you can see why we must have a continual burnt offering. We always have something more to give.
Often we feel apologetic about the Lord finding so much spiritual rubbish left in us. We are continually ashamed as He searches us out; it does not seem possible that the Lord could find that much wrong—especially when we are sure that we are making great progress! This is why we must have a continual burnt offering to give to the Lord. Continually we come to Him. One of these days we will have given the Lord the perfect offering He desires. He will look upon us and see nothing but the refined silver and gold of our hearts, and we will mirror His own face, His own attributes, His own perfection! We will love Him with the perfect love with which He loves us.
In Deuteronomy 16:9–10 we read: “You shall count seven weeks for yourself; you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give just as the Lord your God blesses you.” Further on in the chapter we see that we are never to appear before the Lord empty-handed. “Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses…and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.” Verses 16 and 17. God had given to them, and they were to give as they appeared before the Lord. You are going to appear before the Lord also. He has blessed you, and now you are to make God aware of your presence. That is the greatest way to practice the presence of the Lord. As we give, we receive in return.
Faith comes before God and believes. Without faith it is impossible to please God; he that comes to Him must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Come with an awareness, with faith; come boldly to the throne of grace because you have an intercessor in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:15–16). There is no better way to be aware of the Lord than to have faith that He is aware of you. As you draw nigh to God, He will draw nigh to you (James 4:8). Do not try to slip by, wondering if He will notice you. Boldly say, “Here I am, Lord; look upon me with mercy, for I come anticipating Your grace and Your love; I anticipate being a recipient of all that You have to give to me.”
Why does the Lord want us to give? We read that everyone who came to the feast in Jerusalem was prepared to give. This may have seemed to be a religious racket, making it possible for the priests to live in plenty. It was not a religious matter, but a basic principle that we must understand today: Give, and it will be given unto you (Luke 6:38). Never come before the Lord and say, “Give me, Lord.” There is that which withholds and it tends to poverty, but the generous soul shall be made fat (Proverbs 11:24–25). This principle opens up a process. When you come before the Lord, do not be concerned about receiving something. First be concerned about giving, and then have faith to receive.
We say, “Come and meet me, Lord”; but He says, “No, you draw near to Me, and I will draw near to you.” Open your heart to Him, prepared to worship and to give. You may not have much, but at least you can give Him a little token. Then the Lord will start giving to you—heaped up, shaken down, and running over. The selfish person continues sitting in church wondering why he never receives a blessing from the service, while someone sitting next to him is blessed immeasurably. It is selfishness that closes up the whole process. People become greedy because they are fearful. You must trust in His bounty.
“And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God…” Deuteronomy 16:11. The Scripture from Numbers 28 speaks about a continual burnt offering coming up as a sweet aroma to the Lord. This passage in Deuteronomy tells us to come before the Lord and rejoice. Can we rejoice in being made a living sacrifice? Yes, everyone must rejoice in that. We must understand that this one element of rejoicing is the antidote for the basic unbelief, fear, and doubt in our lives. Consider that truth very carefully.
If you stand and rejoice in the Lord, it will counteract all unbelief, murmuring, and complaining. You cannot rejoice and complain at the same time. You cannot rejoice in all that the Lord is and in all that He has said, and still be filled with unbelief. It is very difficult to whine and rejoice at the same time. One of the best ways to eliminate the negative is to accentuate the positive. When you are completely full of rejoicing in the Lord, then you can submit to all that is involved in the continual burnt offering experience. As you are happy and as you rejoice in the Lord, He is taking care of all the rest. It is a true principle.
Everyone knows how wrinkled an empty gunnysack can be. But when that sack is filled with grain, it bulges, and not a wrinkle is left in it. When the Lord comes for a Church without spot or wrinkle, it will not be for a Church that has been preoccupied with getting rid of wrinkles, but a Church that has been preoccupied with being filled with all the fullness of God. This will take care of the spots and the wrinkles. While God is putting you through that continual burnt offering process to perfect you, stand and rejoice before the Lord. Being full of joy and full of the Holy Spirit will take out all the wrinkles.
“And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite who is in your town, and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your midst, in the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name.” Deuteronomy 16:11. Everyone is to be included. There will not be a displaced, disinherited person, for the fire to which we submit is the fire that welds us into one. Unity is not achieved by our joining the church. The process is not as if the Lord were taking two pieces of metal, drilling a hole in them, bolting them together, and saying, “Now you are one.” Instead, the Lord puts the fire to us until we are welded into one. As we approach the Lord and His dealings upon our lives, we begin by including everyone—the stranger, the widow, the orphan, the neighbor, the Levite who happens to be in our town or who is scheduled to serve there. We include all of them.
In the New Testament we read of the Holy Spirit bringing to remembrance what the Lord had spoken (John 14:26). In the Old Testament, believers were constantly reminded to remember. The Lord knew they would forget, so they were told to bind the Law upon their foreheads (Deuteronomy 11:18). Remember, remember, remember! Rejoice and remember. The fastest progress is made by the man who maintains the fullness of the Spirit with a rejoicing heart as he continually reviews, remembers, and calls to mind what the Lord has been speaking to him. The Lord deals with you in the Word; but if you become only a hearer of the Word and not a doer, you behold your image in the perfect law of liberty and then you go away and forget what manner of man you are (James 1:23–25). When you do this, God must bring you back and make you face it again. The best way is to hold steady and keep remembering until the work is done. The Lord teaches us to do this in many ways.
There is a way to preserve and remember the Word. Learn to receive help from the Holy Spirit. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them… I Timothy 4:15. Do not forget the words over you. You will make the most rapid progress possible by continually holding the Lord’s Word before you and keeping it continually in remembrance. As you open your heart to the Lord, keep a notebook and start reviewing the things God has been saying.
The Lord told the Israelites to remember that they had once been slaves in Egypt. You, too, are to remember the pit from which you were digged (Isaiah 51:1). It is true that God buries your sins in the sea of His forgetfulness (Micah 7:19); but you are not God, and you should do some remembering. Never forget that once you were a slave in Egypt. Sometimes an incident brings back a flood of memories of your days in Babylon, the days when you ate bitter herbs in Egypt, and you cry out, “Oh, thank You, Lord. Thank You, Lord!” If you want to continue rejoicing, be a good rememberer. Remember the bondage, the days and nights of crying to the Lord when there seemed to be no answer, when you said, “Surely there is a way to break through and have a walk with God!” Do not forget these things.
Go through the fire. Believe God to do a thorough work. Do not evade it, do not rebel against it, but become thoroughly involved with the dealing of God until it does its work in your heart. The Lord will help you.
Encourage one another continually. If you see a brother or a sister who is discouraged and low in spirit, help and encourage them. Say, “I see that the fire is burning. I bless you. God encourage your heart to go on through it. We expect to see some good things come forth for you very soon.” You must continually encourage one another because this is a different way than people have walked before. This work of the Holy Spirit which God is restoring is not the same as that experienced by the Charismatic movement. This is not something we have embraced as a biblical experience to enhance our position, to aid our programs, or to help us to be a little more scriptural in our approach. This is the restoration of the fire.
Golden secrets of truth have been set before us. It is important that every one of us find the fire welding us into one spirit, one brotherhood, and into an honest submission with faith and rejoicing. God is bringing forth His sons in the earth, and judgment will follow. God will meet us in the process we must go through. Because of our dedication to the Lord, when we go through the fire it will be as it was with the three Hebrew children; it will only succeed in burning off the ropes that bind us and in revealing His presence with us in the midst of the fire.