The Altar of the Heart: Lessons on Holiness, Alien Fire, and the Month of Nissan

We are currently in an exciting and fresh season, having just come out of Passover and First Fruits feeling delivered and free. As we step out of the days of eating matzo—which reminds us to keep the commandments (mitzvot) on our lips—we are reminded of the fullness and goodness that Messiah Yeshua brings to our lives.

Here are the key lessons we can draw from the Torah portion Shmini and the current biblical season.

Stepping Forward in Nissan

We are in the month of Nissan, a month that teachings associate with sovereignty, the tribe of Judah, and the right leg. The right leg represents speech and stepping forward. This is the time for us to step forward onto the solid rock of Messiah Yeshua. As we step forward in Him, He establishes our speech so that we can boldly testify about Him to the world around us.

The Eighth Day and the Grace of Repentance

The Torah portion Shmini translates to "eighth," signifying the eighth day. The eighth day represents new beginnings and transcendence.

In this portion, Aaron is commanded to take a young bull for a sin offering to make atonement for the sin of the golden calf. You can imagine the profound grief and repentance Aaron must have felt, perhaps even weeping over the bull as he confronted his past mistakes. At the very beginning of his career as high priest, he had blown it.

Yet, God provided an altar—a meeting point between God and humankind. When we fail, God allows us to come back to the altar in repentance, reassuring us that He knew our weaknesses when He formed us and has made a way for our restoration.

The Danger of Alien Fire

While Aaron represents beautiful repentance, Leviticus chapter 10 introduces a sobering warning through his sons, Nadab and Abihu. They took their own firepans and brought "alien fire" before the Lord—a fire He had not commanded.

They crossed a sacred line by taking ownership of the tabernacle vessels and deciding to do things their own way. God does not abide rebellion. This serves as a stark warning against idolatry, which is ultimately any religion or practice where we try to save ourselves or circumvent God's redemptive plan. In today's culture, there is a temptation to make up our own methods of worship to appease people, but we are called to do things God's way so that He can truly bless them.

Tending the Altar of Your Heart

When the tabernacle was in order, the fire that consumed the offering came directly from the heavens, and that fire was meant to never go out.

Every single morning, the priest had to ascend the ramp of the outer altar to stir the wood and keep the fire burning. In the same way, we must wake up every morning, ascend the ramp to the altar of our own hearts, and stoke the fire. We must ask God to continually be the fire in our lives.

Instead of offering "alien fire," we are called to offer the sweet incense of prayer. Just as Revelation describes incense as the prayers of the saints, our faithful prayers, sweet songs, and loving obedience ascend directly to the throne of God. Keep your fire burning, walk in His prescribed path of holiness, and hold Him to His promises.