“God Is A Consuming Fire” (Ready to Worship S6E4)

In the book of Hebrews, we read, “For our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29). No doubt, when we think of God as a consuming fire, we think of when fire fell from heaven on Nadab and Abihu. Let’s go back an read that account:

And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace (Lev. 10:1-3).

Please note that when Nadab and Abihu offered strange or unauthorized fire, God answered with fire from heaven killing them. God expects for men to approach him in a holy way and with a holy purpose. Let’s go back to the twelfth chapter of Hebrews. Notice the twenty-eighth verse, the verse just prior to the statement that God is a consuming fire. We read,”Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Heb. 12:28). To serve God acceptably, we must approach Him with reverence and godly fear. In the eighty-ninth psalm, David wrote, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him” (Psa. 89:7).

As we get ready to worship this week, let’s remember that God is a consuming fire. Remembering this will help us to approach God appropriately.