Week 16: Spirit Fuel

When you open Leviticus 24, it might feel like you’re stepping back to when the tabernacle was built with mentions of lampstands, oil, and bread. However, here we see not just their presence but how God’s people were to use these elements  and why. Let’s dig in and examine the meaning of chapter 24 with all its glimmers of the gospel message.

The chapter begins with God telling Moses to have the Israelites bring pure olive oil for the lampstand so the lamps could burn continually before Him (v 1–4). This lampstand, or menorah in Hebrew, was not just decoration, it was a symbol of God’s constant presence and guidance in the middle of His people. The word used for “continually” (tamid) means never-ending, perpetual. The light was never supposed to go out, continuously burning, because it reminded Israel that God never leaves, never sleeps, and never stops leading them. Today, we can see Jesus all over this image. He called Himself the Light of the World (John 8:12), and when we believe in Him, His Spirit becomes the oil that fuels our flame. Just like that lamp burned day and night, we are called to be lights that never go out (Matthew 5:14–16), reflecting His presence wherever we go.

Pause here for a second…let’s repeat that:

His Spirit becomes the oil that FUELS our flame. SPIRIT FUEL.

It’s something that cannot be syphoned out from the ground because it’s an unearthly fuel, untouchable by human hands, unpurchasable by earthly wealth. This is not a resource we can manufacture, mine, or manipulate! Spirit fuel it is a gift, given freely yet costly bought. Spirit fuel is heaven’s answer to the soul’s exhaustion, igniting a fire that cannot be quenched and cannot be counterfeited. It is only in Christ that our wick burns bright, and apart from Him, we smolder out. Wrap your mind around that imagery. Picture it: blackness, a void, an endless nothing, a place without God…then a spark, placed gently in your hands from above, fanned into flame by His nearness, burning bright enough to chase away the dark for all eternity. It’s pretty profound to marinate in this image, isn’t it? His Holy Spirit is THE fuel for our souls!!

Next, we see fresh bread come into the picture, twelve loaves placed in two rows on a table before the Lord, replaced every Sabbath and eaten by the priests. In Hebrew it’s literally called lechem panim, meaning “bread of faces”… a reminder that God’s face was turned toward His people in covenant love. Each loaf represented a tribe of Israel (12 tribes / loaves total), showing that everyone had a seat at the table, everyone was seen, everyone was fed. It’s a picture of fellowship. When Jesus says, “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35), He’s saying that He is the true sustenance for our souls, the one who keeps us alive spiritually and invites us to sit at His table in full relationship with Him!! I don’t know about you, but this also gives me imagery of the last supper!!!

But then… the tone shifts. The last part of the chapter tells a story about a man who blasphemed the Name of the Lord and was put to death (v. 10–16). God goes on to lay out the principle of justice: “fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth” (v 19–20). For a modern reader, this can sound harsh, but in its time it was actually merciful!!! How so? Well, because it limited punishment so it would be fair and not excessive. This law reminded Israel that sin is serious, holiness is serious, and justice matters. And if we’re honest, this is what we deserve too. Yikes!! Crazy to think about it that way!! 

Romans 6:23 tells us, “The wages of sin is death.” A holy God cannot ignore rebellion against Him. But here’s where we see the beauty of the gospel: Jesus came and took that justice on Himself!! The “eye for eye” punishment, the death sentence for sin… He absorbed it on the cross. Isaiah 53 says He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. Justice was fully satisfied so that mercy could be poured out on us! We deserve what the Israelites did, eye for an eye, BUT… Jesus took our punishment for us. WOW, right?!

When you look at Leviticus 24 through this lens, it’s not just an ancient ritual manual. It’s a picture of what life with God looks like… light that never goes out, bread that keeps us alive, justice that is fair and it all points forward to Jesus, who fulfills all of it. It calls us to keep our hearts burning with His light, to draw close to His presence for daily nourishment, and to live grateful lives because the punishment we deserved was nailed to the cross. Do you see the Jesus whisper loud and clear? It’s quite beautiful!

Reflection:

Take a moment and ask yourself: Where is my light burning dim? Am I letting the oil of the Spirit fuel my faith daily? Am I sitting at the table with God, feeding on His Word and presence  or running on empty? What areas of my life do I need His spirit fuel?

Prayer

Lord, thank You for being my Light and never leaving me in darkness. Thank You for fueling my soul with Your presence and giving me a seat at Your table. Thank you that the punishment I deserve was taken by Jesus so I could live in freedom. Help me keep my heart burning bright for You, help me choose YOUR fuel instead of the worlds. Help me stay close to Your presence, and extend grace to others the way You have given it to me. Amen.