Israel had to face God’s wrath against the misuse of their tongues. Their murmurs angered God who sent fire to consume some of them in the camp. They later cried out to Moses for help and when he prayed for them, the Lord heard and quenched the fire.
This brings us to the two kinds of fire of the Lord that we come across in scriptures. The first one is the fire of judgment. This was what consumed the people. As loving as God is, the Bible also stresses His holiness which abhors all unrighteousness. He would normally send warning to an erring person or group, hoping that they would turn over a new leaf. When that fails, his fire of judgment may be the next thing. The other kind of fire is the fire of glory. This was the kind of fire that came down on the day that Solomon dedicated the temple. “When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” II Chronicles 7:1 NKJV. Interestingly, either form of fire is linked to the ministry of prayer. Elijah brought down the fire of God’s glory on Mount Camel. Without natural means, fire consumed the bull and everything making up the altar when he had prayed. At another time, Elijah brought the fire of judgment on two occasions on the captains of fifty and their men. Whether we seek fire for divine approval or in the execution of the judgment written, all is settled in the place of prayer.