READING: Leviticus 8-10
“Then fire came from the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.”
Leviticus 10:2
Sometimes, God’s judgment seems really harsh. In today’s reading, Nadab and Abihu, the two oldest sons of Aaron, offered “unauthorized fire before the Lord” (Lev. 10:1), and God sent fire that consumed them and killed them. We don’t know exactly what their wrong action was, but we do know they did something “which he [God] had not commanded them to do” (Lev. 10:1). Whatever they did, it was not what God intended. Some scholars believe that their wrong may have been precipitated by drunkenness (see Lev. 10:8-11). Aaron, their father, could only remain silent as God’s judgment fell.
Perhaps the lack of clarity of the infraction makes it more difficult to understand the heavy judgment, but the point is nevertheless clear: God would not tolerate giving sacrifices in any way other than that which He prescribed. Likely, God was sending a signal to the priests and the people after He had just instituted the sacrificial system and consumed Aaron’s offerings in Leviticus 9. He was God; the priests weren’t. He set the rules; they did not. In fact, He Himself was the standard: “I will demonstrate my holiness to those who are near me, and I will reveal my glory before all the people” (Lev. 10:3).
I read this story, and I realize how flippantly I take holiness at times. I speak of positional holiness (that is, I am holy because God has made me holy as His child), but I don’t think enough about practical holiness (my intentional decisions to make holy choices and live differently than the world). I need to think much, much more deeply about my responsibility to imitate Christ so that others might imitate Him if they imitate me (1 Cor. 11:1).
ACTION STEPS:
- Meditate today on the holiness of God. Be humbled.
- Do whatever God demands of you today, according to His plans. With no compromise.
PRAYER: “God, I don’t want to do anything less than exactly what You demand today. Grant me grace to do so.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Review Leviticus 1-10