Fire from Di Lord

Thousands of people stand for desert sun, dem no move at all. Every eye dey on top one bronze altar. Then fire blaze comot from nowhere, and one big shout rise from di whole camp.

Di people of Israel camp for di foot of Mount Sinai. Dem don build di tabernacle, God tent, exactly as e describe am: di curtains, di gold lampstand, di bronze altar for di courtyard. For seven days Aaron and im four sons don stay for di entrance of di tent, as God dey set dem apart as priests. Dem no go house. Dem wait. Now na di eighth day. Di waiting don finish. Today di priests go start their work, and Moses don tell everybody something wey make their heart dey beat fast. Today, e talk, di Lord go appear to una.

Moses call Aaron, im sons and di elders of Israel. E give dem careful instruction. Aaron must bring one young calf and one ram for imself. Di people must bring one young goat, one calf and one lamb, one bull and one ram, and grain wey dem mix with olive oil. Dem gather everything. Di whole community come near and stand for di front of di tent. Dis na wetin di Lord don command una to do, Moses talk, so that di glory of di Lord go appear to una. Then e turn to im brother. Aaron, go di altar. See wetin come first. Before Aaron fit offer anything for di people, e must offer sacrifice for im own sins. Di high priest no better pass everybody. E need God mercy too.

So Aaron go up to di altar. Im sons bring di blood give am, and e touch am for di horns, di four corners of di altar, just as dem teach am. Then e offer di people sacrifices, one after another. Di sin offering. Di burnt offering. Di grain offering. Di peace offerings, wey be meals of friendship with God wey dem dey share. Some parts e lift up and wave before di Lord. Na slow, careful work, wey e do exactly as God ask, e no add anything and e no leave anything out. Imagine di smell of smoke, di sound of di fire, di sun dey climb higher, and di crowd dey watch every move. When e finish, Aaron lift im hands toward di people and bless dem. Then e come down from di altar.

Moses and Aaron enter di tent together. For small time, nobody fit see dem. Then dem come out again, and dem bless di people. And di glory of di Lord appear to all of dem. Fire comot from di presence of di Lord and burn everything wey dey di altar, di burnt offering and di fat, for one moment. God imself don answer. E don accept di worship of im people. And when dem see am, di people shout for joy, and dem fall down with their face for ground. Di God wey bring dem comot from Egypt no dey far. E dey here, e dey live among dem.

Small before dis for Leviticus, God give di priests one strong instruction. Di fire for di altar must dey burn all di time. E must never quench. Every morning di priests go add firewood and put di offerings on top am. Many Jewish and Christian readers don connect dat command with dis day, dem see di altar fire as fire wey God imself light, wey di priests then must take care of well.

Fire from di Lord. You go find dis story for Leviticus chapter nine. One whole people do exactly wetin God ask, and God come near, and their answer na shout of joy. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When you notice say God dey near, how you dey respond?