Strange Fires

STRANGE FIRES

LEVITICUS 10: 1-2 “Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over it. In this way they disobeyed the LORD by burning before him a different fire than he had commanded. So the fire blazed forth from the LORD’s presence and burned them up and died before the LORD.”

What does the chronicler mean that Nadab and Abihu were killed while they were offering incense to the LORD because they used strange fire on the incense burner. There is no explicit command on the kind of fires to be used on the burners were the incense is to be spread. So what does “strange fires mean?”

Nadab and Abihu were two elder sons of Moses They and the other sons of Aaron, Ithamar and Eleazar were ordained and consecrated by Moses to the holy priesthood. Nadab and Abihu together with Aaron, Moses, Joshua, and Hur and the other 70 elders “saw God. (Exo. 24:9). Both have the privilege and distinction as ordained and consecrated priests and as eldest sons of Aaron. What then is wrong with the offerings of the two privileged brothers.

God want that the worship of Him must be pure and holy and of a humble heart. They forgot that their entire office was executed on the ground of holiness (Exo 28:36-37). Their very garments used in performing their office
are always the prescribed holy garments used in their consecration to the holy priesthood. Nadab and Abihu may have grown proud and heady leading
the4 congregational worship according to their own fancies and desires, How often has this sentiment been the guides of our worship leaders and preachers.

The fire on the alter comes from God to consume the offerings of the people It is the the job of the priest to keep the fire burning and not allow it to die by feeding it with wood. Coal is a better substitute for wood.

What lead to the anger of the LORD to send fire to consume the offerants rather than the offerings. Is it not commendable and worthwhile to improve on what God demands? The psalmist wants to remind the worshipers “to wait upon the LORD.”

Strange fires which angers the LORD are caused by the disobedience of the servants of God. Throughout human history disobedience brings alienation and wrath of God. Secondly, the servant of the LORD wants to conform to the fashion of the world rather than to God’s. SOL (Servant of the LORD) desires to improve on God’s revealed way. The prophet Isaiah want to remind God’s people “For my thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your ways my ways”, says the LORD Isaiah 55:8. Thirdly, perhaps man thinks that God is to slow and man desires to hasten the coming Kingdom of God NOW. So men dream their own dreams and create a god after his own image and desires. All these are strange fires feed with the lies of Satan.

Sept 7,2008