From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire” (Numbers 9:15). Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp” (Numbers 11:1).
“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing
fork is in His hand to clear the threshing floor and to gather the wheat
into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Luke 3:16-17).
Fire is a symbol of God’s working among His people. In both Numbers and
Luke, there are two aspects of God’s work in us; burning away the sin
and brightening our lives with the presence of God, with the power of
the Holy Spirit. Those who have been blessed by the Lord in this way
must surely say of Him: “My tongue will speak of Your righteousness and
of Your praises all day long” (Psalm 35:28).
What God did for His people, Israel, was very great. There is a striking contrast between their slavery in Egypt and their abundance in the promised land. God had multiplied His blessing upon them, just as Jesus did when He turned water into wine (John 2:1-11). If the blessing is to be maintained and increased, we must honour the Lord. We must cry to Him for blessing: "Hear my prayer, O God, listen to the words of my mouth." We must call upon Him with faith: "Surely God is my help; the Lord is the One who sustains me" (Psalm 54:2,4).
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