OVERVIEW:
Nadab and Abihu are judged by God; the first kosher menu is created; instruction regarding postpartum purification; leprosy is identified and addressed.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
As we pick up in our reading today in Leviticus 10, we learn something tremendously significant about our holy, loving, gracious, merciful, tenderhearted, compassionate, forbearing and forgiving God, and that is, HE TAKES HIS WORD VERY SERIOUSLY!
Though all of the qualities just listed are wonderfully true of our God, when our sincere hearts, good intentions, and pure motives don’t align themselves to God’s will and purposes, as they are REVEALED in His WORD oh, buddy, watch out! If you doubt whether that’s true, just ask the two men to whom we are introduced in chapter 10, Nadab and Abihu! These men (Aaron’s sons) allowed themselves to be so caught up in the emotional excitement of experiencing God’s presence at the end of chapter 9 (verses 23–24), they “invented”, as it were, their own self-styled way to worship God in chapter 10 and verse 1.
Now, without understanding the God of the Bible, someone might think, “Well, isn’t that admirable! These two men didn’t want to be limited in the expression of their worship of God only from what they learned in a book, they wanted to be free to express themselves from their hearts and minds in a way that reflected their own ideas and personality!” As “cool” and as “organic” as that might sound to our 21st century way of thinking, suffice it to say, God was not the slightest bit impressed! Nadab and Abihu did what they thought was right in their own eyes out of the sincerity and goodness of their heart, by offering fire of their own creativity and invention to the Lord. God immediately let Nadab and Abihu, the children of Israel, and us(!!!) know exactly how He felt about it by answering with fire out of heaven that “zap-fried” them right on the spot! Leviticus 10:2 says, “And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.” Again, don’t miss WHY God responded the way He did! Verse 1 says, “And Nadab and Abihu…offered STRANGE FIRE before the Lord, WHICH HE COMMANDED THEM NOT.”
The fire of God’s judgment devoured them because they refused to worship God in accordance with His word! This is such an important lesson for us to learn! Jesus reiterated this principle in John 4:23 when He said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”
Yes, God is certainly seeking WORSHIP, but not just any kind of worship! He is only interested in “true worship” that arises out of the spirit of a “true worshipper”. But do recognize that biblically, worship will not only always be “in spirit”, but it will always be “in truth”! That is, it will always be GENERATED by the truth of His word, and it will also always be GOVERNED by the truth of His word. In response to the word of God, it then arises from deep within our innermost being (our spirits), and then runs straight through our hearts, our minds, our emotions and, ultimately, out of our mouths in honor, praise and worship of God!
The practical lesson we must learn from Nadab and Abihu is that with any activity we are witnessing or being influenced to participate in, we must train our brain to constantly be asking: What is the biblical precedence for this? Does the Bible give an example of this? Does the Bible specifically command me to do this? If there is a biblical example and/or command, does it actually apply to me, as one who is living in the dispensation of the Church Age?
In the 21st century, though God may not be “zap-frying” people who violate His truth in worship, we must make certain we understand that “strange fire” is being offered to the Lord at literally every turn in “Christianity”, and in almost every “Christian” denomination.
Nadab and Abihu are a graphic illustration of the principle God taught us in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Oh, my brothers and sisters, we must LEARN the truth of the word of God and respond/worship accordingly, and not LEAN upon our own understanding, or our own natural instincts or inclinations!
After laying down Israel’s dietary laws in chapter 11, and instruction regarding postpartum purification in chapter 12, in chapter 13, God paints an incredible picture of the working and consequences of sin, through His teaching concerning leprosy. Make a mental note that leprosy will always be a picture of sin throughout the remainder of the Bible. Notice, that just like leprosy, SIN:
- Is a disease that spreads throughout the body.
- Often remains undetected by others.
- Defiles everyone it is near.
- Isolates the one(s) infected.
- Is fit only for destruction by fire.
However, if we choose to separate ourselves from the sin, “putting off” the garment of the flesh (Colossians 3:5–9), allowing our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, to apply the blood of the sacrifice (1st John 1:7), and anoint us with “oil” (a type of the Holy Spirit), through the picture of Leviticus 13, God lets us know that through Christ, our faithful High Priest, we can be restored to the joy of our fellowship with God and man.
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
As our HIGH PRIEST who identifies and cleanses the disease of our sin – Leviticus 13 (Hebrews 4:14-15)