When the Fire Falls Again: Lessons from Dedication and Revival

Listen to Today’s Passage – Exodus 39 – 40 

Follow along on Blue Letter Bible – Exodus 39

Second Milers also read – Luke 21 – 22; Proverbs 2; Psalms 11 – 15

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – 1 John 4:7 & 8

Read the “0202 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Finished On Time and Under Budget“

“Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” – (Exodus 40:34)

“And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.” – (Leviticus 9:24)

“Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.” – (2 Chronicles 7:1)

“Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.” – (1 Kings 18:38)

These passages show a powerful pattern in Scripture. At the dedication of the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34 and Leviticus 9:24), Moses and the Israelites had obeyed God completely—building everything exactly as He commanded, anointing Aaron and his sons, and preparing every detail. In response, God’s glory filled the Tabernacle, and fire fell from heaven to consume the offerings, confirming His presence and approval.

Centuries later, the same thing happened at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple (2 Chronicles 7:1). After earnest prayer and sacrifice, fire came down from heaven again, and the glory of the Lord filled the house—so powerfully that the priests could not stand to minister.

We see it once more on Mount Carmel with Elijah (1 Kings 18:38). In a moment of bold confrontation with idolatry, after Elijah rebuilt the altar and soaked it with water, the fire of the Lord fell dramatically—consuming not just the sacrifice but the wood, stones, dust, and even the water in the trench. The people fell on their faces, declaring, “The LORD, He is God!”

In each case, the fire fell after wholehearted obedience, separation from compromise, and focused dedication to God’s purposes.

I recall the early days of Christian Bible Church in South Toms River, when Pastor Rick Wedemeyer and a small group of believers started out. The church was truly “on fire.” It was fresh, passionate, and laser-focused on glorifying the Lord and winning souls for Christ. The people were fully committed to His will, and the fire fell—God stirred zeal in their hearts. In a short time, the church grew rapidly as souls were saved, converts discipled, and members stepped into service.

I’ve seen the fire of the Lord fall on our ministry here at Jersey Shore Baptist Church too, though often only in seasons and for limited periods. There have been wonderful times of revival when the people were stirred and zealous for the Lord’s work. But there have also been seasons of lethargy, cooling off, and unfortunately times of conflict.

I pray daily for the Lord to revive me personally and our congregation—that He would set us ablaze once more for His work and His glory. I believe the key is simple: if God’s people will separate from the world, dedicate themselves fully to Him and His purposes, the fire will fall again. It comes down to what we truly desire.

When the Israelites focused wholly on the Lord, the fire fell. When we do the same in our lives and ministries, we can expect God’s empowering presence to descend afresh.

Think back to when you first trusted Christ as Savior. Weren’t you more “on fire” then—eager to share your faith, hungry for the Word, quick to serve? Over time, many of us (and our churches) cool off. Busyness, distractions, or routine can dim that first love.

But here’s the good news: we don’t have to stay there. Right now, let’s confess any apathy to the Lord. Let’s ask Him to stoke the embers of our hearts, fan them into flame, and revive us. When we return to wholehearted devotion, the fire will fall once again—consuming what’s offered on the altar of our lives and igniting us for His glory.

Lord, send the fire! Revive us, we pray. Amen.


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Ithamar the Accountant: Faithfulness in the Details

Today’s Passage – Exodus 36 – 38 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Luke 19 – 20; Proverbs 1; Psalms 6 – 10

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 89:1

Read the 0201 Evening and Morning devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from the passage – “Too Much?”

“21 This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest. 22 And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses. 23 And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.” (Exodus 38:21-23)

The Details of the Tabernacle

In this morning’s reading from Exodus 36 – 38, we see a detailed account of the construction of the Tabernacle including all the furniture items as well as the hangings that were used to make up the walls. It is very interesting that God gives us very precise details of the dimensions and descriptions of every aspect of the Tabernacle (See Graphic Below).

The Duties of Ithamar

My thought this morning is about Ithamar, one of the four sons of Aaron. Ithamar was responsible for overseeing the Merarites and the Gershonites, which were two of the families of the Levites that served as ministers for the Tabernacle. The Gershonites were responsible for setting up, dismantling, and transporting all the “hangings and coverings” of the Tabernacle (Num 4:21 – 28). The Merarites were responsible for setting up, dismantling, and transporting all the “boards, bars, pillars, and sockets” (Num 4:29 – 33). There was another family, the Kohathites, who were responsible for the transportation of all the furniture items, but the Kohathites were not directly under the supervision of Ithamar. 

A second duty of Ithamar that we see from our reading passage today in Exodus 38 is that he was responsible for accounting for all the gold and silver that went into the Tabernacle. He had to work closely with the builders, Bezaleel and Aholiab, to make sure that they had everything they needed to complete the project. We learned from chapter 36 that they had collected far more materials than were necessary for the project through the freewill offerings of the congregation. The people were actually told to stop giving. According to most estimates, the amount of gold that went into the Tabernacle was over a ton (approximately $156 Million today), along with approximately four tons of silver (approximately $9 – $10 Million today), and two and one-half tons of brass. This was likely bronze, which is an alloy made up of mostly copper plus tin – approximately $30 Thousand today. [Note: These are spot values for pure metals; actual worth would be higher with craftsmanship, and prices fluctuate daily—check current markets for the latest!]

Thoughts from the Passage

There are two thoughts that I would like to point out from this passage:

  • The task of accounting is something that we do not normally associate with the office of the priest. Yet here we clearly see that Ithamar was given this responsibility. Sometimes ministers will have to do all kinds of duties that are outside of their main job description in order for God’s service to function properly. Paul called the elders from Ephesus “overseers” (Acts 20:28). Today, there are deacons that assist churches in both ministry and administratively (Acts 6). Romans 12 speaks of people who are specifically equipped to rule (“he that rulers” προΐστημι – proistēmi), which means to superintend, guard over, or protect. 
  • The priest office was very much a family affair. Moses and Aaron were brothers, and the main priests in the Tabernacle were Aaron’s sons. I once had a man tell me that he left a church because the pastor had hired his son as an assistant. He claimed that it was “nepotism” and that someone outside of the family should have been hired. However, there is no biblical admonition against hiring family members, and here in Exodus it was actually God’s plan for this family to serve together.

How does seeing God’s detailed accounting in the Tabernacle challenge your own stewardship of time, talents, and treasures today?


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I’ll Meet You There: God’s Invitation in Exodus 29

Listen to Today’s Passage – Exodus 28 – 29 

Follow along on Blue Letter Bible – Exodus 28

Second Milers also read – Luke 13 – 14; Proverbs 29; Psalms 141 – 145

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – 1 Timothy 1:17

Read the “0129 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by Charles Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from this passage – “Interceding on Behalf of God’s People,” and “Serving Together as a Family“

Have you ever felt unworthy to approach God? This morning in Exodus 28–29, I was struck by something astonishing: the holy, perfect God of the universe says, “I will meet you there.”

The Amazing Invitation

“42 This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. 43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.” (Exodus 29:42-43)

“45 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.” (Exodus 29:45–46)

Did you notice the phrase, “where I will meet you,” in Exodus 29:42, and then also “there I will meet with the children of Israel,” in v. 43. God had a specific place that He chose to meet with His people. My first thought this morning is that it is amazing that a holy God wants to meet with people like us at all. Why would God desire to commune with creatures like us who are laden with sin? Isn’t it amazing that God can choose to love us and want to be with us at all? I know that there are certain people that I don’t like to be around, but God desires fellowship with each of His children.

The Place God Chose

My second thought concerns the place where God meets with us. During the time of the Wilderness wandering, God carefully designed the place and set the conditions Israel to enter His presence, and it was quite an elaborate process for the people to go through in order for them to commune with God. By the way, we know that God is now and has always been omnipresent, so there is never a time when we are not in His presence, but still God set up special conditions for corporate worship.

A New Way to Meet with God

Today, God has changed some things. The veil that once separated most men (except the High Priest – once per year) from entering into God’s immediate presence has been removed through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That means that all men and women who are saved can enter directly into His presence:

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

God encourages us to come into His presence, and to also recognize that there is never a time that He is not with us:

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:20)

Still, today there are also special places and times that God wants to meet with us. God wants us to meet with Him as we set aside a specific time and place to read the Bible, where He can feed our souls with nourishment and strength, and give us the wisdom that we need in order for us to serve as His ambassadors. He also invites us to come meet with Him in the prayer closet, where we can confess our sins to Him, petition Him for our needs, and praise and worship Him. Of course, He still has a special place for corporate worship, the local church. This is the place where all believers can enter together into His presence for preaching, prayer, and praise. He promises to be “in the midst” of us when two or more are gathered in His name.

Don’t Miss the Invitation

God wants to meet with you and me. Don’t forsake any of God’s invitations.

“22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:22–25)

Questions for Reflection
  • Where and when will you intentionally meet with God today?
  • Are you regularly accepting His invitation to corporate worship, or have you been “forsaking the assembling”?

Share how God met with you today! I would love to hear your thoughts.

 


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