CLOUD-FIRE

1. Introduction

a) Cloud-Fire

i) 20After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. (Exodus 13:20-22 NIV)

2. Why did the Lord give the Israelites a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire?

a) Because they would know day and night that the Lord was with them on their journey to the Promised Land.

3. What did the cloud-fire do for the Israelites?

a) Cloud

i) The pillar of cloud led them the way to give purposeful direction.

ii) The pillar of cloud gave them shelter to protect them from the heat of the sun.

b) Fire

i) The pillar of fire gave them light so that they could see in dark of the night.

ii) The pillar of fire gave them warm to protect them from the cold of the night.

4. What can the consuming fire of God do?

a) It can stop a mini rebellion.

i) 35And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense. (Numbers 16:35 NIV) @1. Highlights:

#1) Korah and his associates (inclusive of Datham, Abiram and 250 popular leaders, all members of the Assembly) had seen the advantages of the priesthood in Egypt. Egyptian priests had great wealth and political influence, something Korah wanted for himself. Korah may have assumed that Moses, Aaron, and his sons were trying to make the Israelite priesthood the same kind of political machine, and he wanted to be a part of it. He did not understand Moses’ main ambition was to serve God rather than to control others.

#2) Korah was a Levite who assisted in the daily functions of the tabernacle. Shortly after Israel’s great rebellion against God (Numbers 13, 14 – the spies incites rebellion and refuses to enter the Promised Land), Korah instigated his own mini-rebellion. He recruited a grievance committee and confronted Moses and Aaron. Their list of complaints boils down to 3 statements:

i) You are no better than anyone else;

ii) Everyone in Israel has been chosen of the Lord;

iii) We don’t need to obey you.

#3) Korah’s hidden claim was this: “I have as much right to lead as Moses does.” His error cost him not only his job – a position of service that he enjoyed – but also his life.

#4) In the end Korah and the other rebels were buried alive when the earth split open. God executed swift and final judgment against those who had rejected him.

#5) As for the 250 popular leaders of the Assembly, a fire came out form the Lord and consumed them. They were also part of the whole mini-rebellion of Korah. 

b) It can burn away grumbling, complaining, bitterness, resentment and eventually hostility in our lives.

5. Is fire from heaven a consuming fire?

a) Yes. Elijah called fire from heaven (2 Kings 1: 9 – 14 TLB)

i) 9King Ahaziah sent an army captain with 50 soldiers to arrest Elijah. They found him sitting on top of a hill. The captain said to him, “O man of God, the king has commanded you to come along with us.”

ii) 10But Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroyed you and your 50 men!” The lightning struck them and killed them all!

iii) 11So the king sent another captain with 50 men to demand, “O man of God, the king says that you must come down right away.”

iv) 12Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your 50 men.” And again the fire from God burned them up.

v) 13Once more the king sent 50 men, but this time the captain fell to his knees before Elijah and pleaded with him, “O man of God, please spare my life and the lives of these, your 50 servants. 

vi)14Have mercy on us! Don’t destroy us as you did the others.”

b) What can we see from this passage?

i) When the first two captains called Elijah “man of God”, they were not genuine – God was not in their hearts. The third captain also called him “man of God”, but he humbly begged for mercy. His attitude showed respect for God and his power and saved the lives of his men.

​c) Why did Elijah call fire from heaven?

i) Because Elijah knew that the fire from heaven will only destroy the captain and his men who did not have the right attitude toward God i.e. no respect, no humility and servant-hood minded.

6. Is fire associated with the Holy Spirit?

a) Yes. The Pentecost Visitor in Acts 2:1-4 NIV.

(The Coming of the Holy Spirit – prophesy in Joel 2: 28, 29:

“28And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. (Joel 2:28, 29 NIV)"

i) When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4 NIV)

@1. Highlights:

#1) Held 50 days after Passover, Pentecost was also called the Feast of Weeks. It was one of 3 major annual feasts (Deuteronomy 16: 16), a festival of thanksgiving for the harvested crops. Jesus Christ was crucified at Passover time, and he ascended 40 days after his resurrection. The Holy Spirit came 50 days after the Resurrection, 10 days after the Ascension. Jews of many nations gathered in Jerusalem for this festival.

#2) At Pentecost, God confirmed the validity of the Holy Spirit’s ministry by sending fire. At Mount Sinai, God confirmed the validity of the Old Testament law with fire from heaven (Exodus 19: 16 – 18); at Pentecost, fire came down on many believers, symbolizing that God’s presence is now available to all who believe him.

#3) These people literally spoke in other languages – a miraculous attention getter for the international crowed gathered in town for the feast. But more than miraculous speaking, they saw the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

#4) God made his presence known to this group of believers in a spectacular way – mighty wind, fire, and his Holy Spirit.

b) Why tongue of fire?

i) Tongues symbolize speech and the communication of the gospel. Fire symbolizes God’s purifying presence, which burns away the undesirable elements of our lives and sets our hearts aflame to ignite the lives of others.

7. Prayer focus

a) Pray for God to:

i) Give us purposeful direction.

ii) Give us the right attitude toward Him – respect, humility and servant hood minded.

iii) Give us boldness to be a witness for the Lord.

iv) Remove undesirable elements of our lives – grumbling, complaining and hostility.

v) Protect us from our enemies.

vi) Set our hearts aflame to ignite the lives of others.