Christ in all the scriptures Strange fire

 Christ in all the scriptures

Strange fire   Leviticus 10

"And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He commanded them not.  And there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord".

How typical of humanity to mar the most sacred of occasions.  Disobedience is essentially the human problem.  The eldest sons of Aaron, promoted to highest ceremonial office, following seven days of meticulous preparation, decided they knew better than God.  Such is the shocking nature of this event, we must take time to digest the issues involved.  Their timing could not have been worse; it is the commencement of a new worship, the beginning of a new phase in world history, and these men disobeyed the will of the Lord whom they were to lead in worship!  Who contradicts the object of worship, yet that is precisely what they did!?

These men first appear, in scripture, on Mount Sinai, with Moses and Aaron with the seventy elders of Israel, when they were the guests of Almighty God-Exodus 24v1-2 and 9-10.  They were then witnesses over approx. nine months of the construction of the tabernacle.  They witnessed the glory of God descend on the sacred structure in Exodus 40. They were exalted to priesthood in Exodus 28, initiated as priests of the Lord in Leviticus 8 (note the repetition of "Aaron and his sons", 8v2v6v13v14v18v22v24v27v30v31v36).  They were instructed in all the commandments of the Lord pertaining to ceremonial worship.  In Leviticus 9 they had spent seven whole days in preparation for this most exalted public service.  They had just witnessed the approval of the Lord in the kindling of the fire on the altar to consume the sacrifice.  The whole nation rejoiced in the spectacle, man and God in harmony.  After all that, Nadab and Abihu decided to do it differently.  They had been instructed that the fire for the censers for the burning of incense must be taken from the altar, it must be the fire from God-refer Exodus 30v7-9 and Leviticus 16v12.  They kindled a fire from another source and brought the strange incense to the Lord.  What possessed them to do this, we can only wonder, but the response of God was swift and terminal, as it was also shocking.  Suddenly the whole camp of Israel knew that it must be God's way or not at all.  We may read this and criticise the sons of Aaron for their stupidity, but we may well consider our own ways, whether how we are approaching God is the proper, reverential way.  There are many individuals and churches bringing strange fire unto the Lord.  Each of us should consider our practices as we approach Him.

This goes to the heart of the human problem, the inward tendency to rebel against authority, even Divine authority, and in the face of Divine benificence.  "I did it my way" is the favourite principle of the world; the song, popularised by the American singer Sinatra, is now the theme tune at most western funerals. It must be God's way, otherwise we make ourselves God.  It is a problem of attitude to God, which is clearly established in scripture.  From the beginning it has been so:

Romans 5v19 "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners...".   Ephesians 5v6 "Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience".   Titus 1v16 "They profess that they know God; but in works deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate".  Even those who profess to know God with their lips, deny Him by their lives.  The day of reckoning will come, according to 2nd Thessalonians 1v7-8 "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ".  Ignoring or rejecting the gospel of Christ will be met with eternal punishment.  To fail to come to God in His way is disobedience.  Faith in Christ is obedience to God; Paul was given apostleship "for the obedience of faith among all nations for His name"-Romans 1v6.  Faith is obedience, it follows lack of it is disobedience.  Peter sums it up in 1st Peter 4v17 "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God"?   At the beginning of the priesthood of Israel, God acted in summary judgment against the sons of Aaron; at the beginning of the church He did the same with Ananias and Sapphira who were struck dead in public for lying to God in the matter of the sale of their land.  This makes sore reading, yet God's people are not immune from disobedience.  He cannot condone in the church what He will condemn in the world.  Failure to abide by the principles of worship will always invite His displeasure.  What brings pleasure to God is that, and only that, which comes from the altar.  This brings us to the correct view of the work of Christ,

In contrast to the rebellion of men, His whole life and death was an act of OBEDIENCE.

Romans 5v19 again "...so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous".  It is not always considered but Jesus entire ethos was to fulfil the will of God.  In the finest detail He fulfilled the law of God-Matthew 5v17-18; John 8v29 John 17v4; John 19v28-30; Hebrews 10v7-9.  From cradle to grave He obeyed God.  He was the perfect servant of God-Isaiah 50v5 "The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back".  In Gethsemane, He said, as He contemplated Calvary, "Not my will but thine be done".  At Calvary He did not utter "finished" until He had fulfilled the last scripture concerning His death-John 19v28-30.  In the servant song of Philippians 2, it is recorded, "He made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant...He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross".   Hebrews 5v8 puts it like this "Though     He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things that He suffered".  In heaven He was the Master, everyone obeyed Him, moving swiftly at His every command.  The animals and birds obey Him, the elements of nature obey Him, the swarms of insects.  He was subservient to no one and nothing, yet when He came in flesh He had to learn obedience, and He did so by the things He suffered.  Worship to God is subservience to God and Christ is the Supreme example.

We live in days of constant change, and new alternatives are being foisted upon us under the guise of moral relativism and cultural change.  We serve a God who changes not, why would you change perfection?  Simple obedience in worship is what He demands.  Much that is passing for worship today is strange fire, and we risk the displeasure of the Almighty, and we tarnish His holy name.  Anything that does not emanate from the sacrifice of Christ is unacceptable to the Lord.  Jesus said, God is spirit, and "they that worship must worship in spirit and in truth".  In John 4 He teaches that we can worship God anywhere, but not any how!  

There are notably fewer commandments in Christianity as compared to Judaism, but there are commandments involving church order and worship.  Paul had to say to the Corinthian church that the things he wrote were the commandments of the Lord (1st Corinthians 14v37).  The Lord expects all things in church worship to be done decently and in order.  A summary of the first epistle indicates the scope of this:  Chapters 1-4 Unity; 5-7 Morality; 8-10 Liberty; 11-14 Ministry; 15 Destiny; 16 Piety.  Within all these there are sacred principles developed that we should observe, which properly reflect the God of our salvation.  Nadab and Abihu disobeyed, and suffered Divine government, as others have done since.  Moses said to Aaron concerning this "This is that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh unto me, and before all people I will be glorified"-Leviticus 10v3.  Aaron held his peace, enough said!