CONSUMING FIRE – by Raphael ben Levi
Fire is a symbol of God manifesting in a variety of ways as during the consecration of Solomon’s Temple or when He swallowed up Aaron’s son for offering up ‘strange fire.’ When God expressed His desire to dwell among the children of Israel He concealed Himself within a cloud and fire.
God longs for us to dwell in closeness with Him but it takes His fire to achieve it. Many are called but few are chosen because few are willing to embrace His scrutiny. (Ps.139:23-24) One instance in Scripture where God revealed Himself in fire was with the burning bush (Ex. 3:2-4)
There were good reasons for selecting the thorn bush as the vessel for a Divine vision. It was ‘clean’ for the heathen could not use it to make idols. God choosing to dwell in the stunted thorn bush conveyed the knowledge to Moses that He suffers along with Israel. Furthermore, Moses was taught that there is nothing in nature, not even the insignificant thorn bush, that can exist without Him.
To give Moses an illustration of His humility, God descended from the exalted heavens and spoke to him from a lowly thorn bush instead of the summit of a lofty mountain or the top of a stately cedar tree.
The thorn bush may be taken as the symbol for Israel in several respects. As the thorn bush is the lowliest of all species of tree, so the condition of Israel in the exile is the lowliest as compared with that of all the other nations. But, as the thorn bush releases no bird that alights upon it without lacerating its wings, so the nations that persecute Israel will be punished. Also as a garden hedge is made of the thorn bush, so Israel forms the hedge for the world, the garden of God for without Israel the world could not endure.
Furthermore, as the thorn bush bears thorns and roses alike, so Israel has godly and ungodly members, and as the thorn bush requires ample water to flourish, so Israel can only prosper through drinking in the Word of God.
And the thorn bush, the leaf which consists of 5 leaflets, indicates that God had resolved to redeem Israel by His grace. The numbers represented by the letters composing the Hebrew word for thorn bush (‘Seneh’) add up to 120, to convey that Moses would live unto 120.
The fire of God describes His perfect holiness which goes beyond His character to the very essence of His existence; a unique identifier of what makes Him God. Nothing in all creation can be compared to Him nor should ever be worshipped in lieu of Him. He is the Creator of all that exists and is distinct, different and separate from all others. He alone is ‘Kadosh, Kadosh. Kadosh’ (Isa 6) and worthy of all our worship, praise, honour and glory!
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