A smoking flax in the Bible is a clear reference to the kind of lights people used to light their homes in ancient times. Lamps then were simple devices that consisted of four things. A flammable oil, oxygen, a fabric wick, and a container such as a bowl or bottle to provide enough oil to keep the lamp lit for more than a few minutes at a time.
How did lamps work in Bible Times?
Ancient lamps used a wick that extends down into the pool of oil in the bottom of the lamp. Under ideal conditions, the oil will burn through the wick, providing a bright white light without any black smoke. If the oil runs low, or if the wick becomes charred, the wick itself will begin to burn. When that happens, the lamp exudes a thick smoke. Smoke is the signal that it’s time to replenish the oil in the lamp’s reservoir.
Smoking Flax in the Bible
Oil is repeatedly used to depict the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life. The believer is the wick. ” A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench… (Matthew 12.20). God assures us in this verse that even when we’re discouraged (bruised reed) and when we choose to ignore him for a time (smoking flax), he will not quench his lamps that smoke. By grace he grants us time to make better decisions. Namely, to refill their oil levels and return to a place of brightness in his power.