Isaiah 33:14 - "Who among us can live with the
consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?"
The church at Laodicea in Revelation chapter 3 had a problem. The Lord Jesus told this church that because they were lukewarm He was going to vomit them out of His mouth unless they took the necessary, prescribed steps to becoming red hot for Him again. The solution to lukewarmness is really getting closer to God. Hebrews 12:29 says - "for our God is a consuming fire." If we abide in Him, in the consuming fire, as He told us to we will be on fire ourselves.
So, here in Isaiah the question is asked "Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?" And you would think that the answer would be no one. If the fire consumes then eventually we will be consumed, and if it burns continually eventually we will be burned up. But that's not the case. He goes on to answer the question in verses 15 and 16 by saying - "Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?" He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, he who rejects unjust gain and shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; he who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; he will dwell on the heights, his refuge will be the impregnable rock; his bread will be given him, his water will be sure."
The answer is the righteous. The righteous can endure the consuming fire. Oh sure, it's not going to be comfortable, but if we allow God to consume our lives here then our lives won't be consumed at the judgment seat of Christ talked about in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. We know from that chapter that at the judgment seat of Christ our lives are going to be tested by fire and all that is worthless is going to be burned up. Wouldn't it be far better to allow Him to consume our lives right now, every day, so that in a coming day we won't have to suffer loss?
Jesus is the perfect example of someone who lived His life in the midst of the consuming fire. Ephesians 5:1-2 says - "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
Jesus' life was an offering and a sacrifice to God. This makes me think of Leviticus chapter 1 where it talks about the burnt offering. Verse 9 says - "And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord." The entire animal was offered up in fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord. Ephesians says Jesus was an offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. Do you see the connection? Jesus lived His life with continual burning because His love of the Father completely consumed His life. And we're told to follow His example. Ephesians 5:1 says - "be imitators of God" and then verse 2 talks about Him making His life "an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
Romans 12:1 says - "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." That's an interesting phrase "a living sacrifice." If you think about the burnt offering, the animal was always killed and then offered up in fire. If someone put a live animal on the alter, as soon as it felt the heat of the fire it would jump off. But God calls us to present our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice. It's not going to be comfortable, and when we feel the heat we'll be tempted to jump off the alter. But if we endure, the fire will consume and burn away all the worthless things in our lives. God wants to consume everything in us that is not like Him.
When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
I praise Thee, Lord,
For cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy Word,
And make me pure within.
Fill me with fire
Where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire
To magnify Thy Name.
Isaiah 33:14-16 - "Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless. “Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?” He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, he who rejects unjust gain and shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; he who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; he will dwell on the heights, his refuge will be the impregnable rock; his bread will be given him, his water will be sure."
The church at Laodicea in Revelation chapter 3 had a problem. The Lord Jesus told this church that because they were lukewarm He was going to vomit them out of His mouth unless they took the necessary, prescribed steps to becoming red hot for Him again. The solution to lukewarmness is really getting closer to God. Hebrews 12:29 says - "for our God is a consuming fire." If we abide in Him, in the consuming fire, as He told us to we will be on fire ourselves.
So, here in Isaiah the question is asked "Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?" And you would think that the answer would be no one. If the fire consumes then eventually we will be consumed, and if it burns continually eventually we will be burned up. But that's not the case. He goes on to answer the question in verses 15 and 16 by saying - "Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?" He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, he who rejects unjust gain and shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; he who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; he will dwell on the heights, his refuge will be the impregnable rock; his bread will be given him, his water will be sure."
The answer is the righteous. The righteous can endure the consuming fire. Oh sure, it's not going to be comfortable, but if we allow God to consume our lives here then our lives won't be consumed at the judgment seat of Christ talked about in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. We know from that chapter that at the judgment seat of Christ our lives are going to be tested by fire and all that is worthless is going to be burned up. Wouldn't it be far better to allow Him to consume our lives right now, every day, so that in a coming day we won't have to suffer loss?
Jesus is the perfect example of someone who lived His life in the midst of the consuming fire. Ephesians 5:1-2 says - "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
Jesus' life was an offering and a sacrifice to God. This makes me think of Leviticus chapter 1 where it talks about the burnt offering. Verse 9 says - "And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord." The entire animal was offered up in fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord. Ephesians says Jesus was an offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. Do you see the connection? Jesus lived His life with continual burning because His love of the Father completely consumed His life. And we're told to follow His example. Ephesians 5:1 says - "be imitators of God" and then verse 2 talks about Him making His life "an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
Romans 12:1 says - "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." That's an interesting phrase "a living sacrifice." If you think about the burnt offering, the animal was always killed and then offered up in fire. If someone put a live animal on the alter, as soon as it felt the heat of the fire it would jump off. But God calls us to present our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice. It's not going to be comfortable, and when we feel the heat we'll be tempted to jump off the alter. But if we endure, the fire will consume and burn away all the worthless things in our lives. God wants to consume everything in us that is not like Him.
When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
I praise Thee, Lord,
For cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy Word,
And make me pure within.
Fill me with fire
Where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire
To magnify Thy Name.
Isaiah 33:14-16 - "Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless. “Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?” He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, he who rejects unjust gain and shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; he who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; he will dwell on the heights, his refuge will be the impregnable rock; his bread will be given him, his water will be sure."
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