In Leviticus chapter 6, we read that the priests offered up sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. They also "benefitted" from these sacrifices, in that they were sometimes allowed to eat the meat or the grain that had been offered. It was sort of like a salary for them, and that was a privilege, but it came together with sacrifice and responsibility. The sacrifice was that the Levites were not allowed to own houses or land; they received no inheritance as the other tribes did, but simply lived off the gifts that other Israelites brought to the Lord. The responsibility was that the Levites were called to a high level of holy living and were required to make daily offerings for their own sin, as well as for the sins of the people. Another responsibility was that they were required to keep fire burning on the altar both day and night; it was never allowed to go out. This must have meant that the priests sometimes had to be on duty during the night when everyone else was asleep.
In Leviticus 6 vs 9 - 16, it's repeated three times that the fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must never be allowed to go out. It got me wondering why this command was so important. It seems too simplistic to draw the parallel that we are to remain "on fire" for the Lord. As I reflect on it, it seems to me that the constantly burning fire is a picture of our privilege, but also of our responsibility.
To me, the always-burning altar fire speaks of the fact that forgiveness is constantly available, day or night, without having to wait for it. But in order to have access to that forgiveness, the priest had to add fresh firewood every morning, just as we need to "keep short accounts" and check in regularly with the Lord about sin that needs to be confessed and forgiven. The fact that the altar fire needed to be watched because it could possibly go out, speaks to me of our own weakness and vulnerability - the fact that we could sin at any time if we are not vigilant in our walk with the Lord. Each one of us is to be responsible for our own Christian growth and maturing.
There are many areas in life where we have privilege, and it's worth stopping to reflect on whether we're also fulfilling our responsibilities. If we have the privilege of relative wealth, we also have a responsibility to think of those who are poor, hungry or who need shelter. If we have the privilege of salvation, we have a responsibility to pray for those who don't know the Lord, or to go and share the gospel with them. If we have the privilege of freedom of religion, we have a responsibility to pray for the persecuted church. If we have the privilege of access to fuel and transportation, it comes with a responsibility to reflect on our carbon footprint and whether we are being good stewards of God's creation. If we live in a society with just laws built on Biblical values, we have a responsibility to speak out or seek justice for those who are oppressed or unjustly imprisoned or exploited in the work place.
It was this sense of God-given responsibility that caused believers of past generations to speak out against slavery or child labour. Today our world still faces the evils of human trafficking, child abuse and hunger. Each one of us needs to know how to live out our own responsibilities in the 21st century - whether we're called to pray, to speak out, to write, or to take action in some other practical way.
One of the privileges that I most value as a Christian is the fact that we can talk to God and hear His voice for ourselves; we no longer need a priest to be an intermediary for us. But even this privilege comes with responsibility: it's up to me not to "waste" the privilege; I need to make time in my daily life to talk to God and quieten my heart to listen to what He has to say to me. In a sense, it's our modern equivalent of keeping the altar fire burning, just as was commanded in the book of Leviticus.
