"Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them" (Leviticus 10:1).
The Bible says, "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). But can we find God if we're serving Him our own way?
Nadab and Abihu probably didn't think it mattered if they didn't follow God's will exactly. But they couldn't have been more wrong. At first, everything went along smoothly. Aaron, their father, who was High Priest over Israel, had offered the daily sacrifice according to the "pattern that was shown [them] on the mountain" (Hebrews 8:5). "All had been done as God commanded, and He accepted the sacrifice, and revealed His glory in a remarkable manner; fire came from the Lord and consumed the offering upon the altar" (Patriarchs and Prophets, pg. 359). The people felt the presence of the Lord and fell on their faces to worship Him. Like the angels that serve Him in heaven above, they stood in awe of His glory and covered their faces.
But the moment slipped by and a great tragedy soon followed. At the time of the evening sacrifice, the sons of Aaron were to minister before the Lord in the Holy Place of the sanctuary. God had instructed these men to put fire in their censers to light the incense for the golden altar there. They were to use the heavenly fire that God had sent to burn up the sacrifice. But they disobeyed the command of the Lord and disregarded His clear directions in how they performed His work. They put ordinary fire in their censers, substituting the common for the sacred. Their sin was so serious in God's eyes, that fire fell once again, but this time there was no offering. The fire "went out from the Lord and devoured them" (Leviticus 10:2).
Nadab and Abihu had been taught by God Himself regarding their high calling as priests. Along with the elders of Israel, they had gone to the top of Mount Sinai to commune with the Lord. The Bible says, "Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity" (Exodus 24:9,10). But this experience, in seeing the glory of God, did not exempt them from obedience. In fact, it demanded greater integrity on their part. For greater light and weightier trusts requires a higher return--of stricter virtue and holiness. Anything short of this, God can't accept. His work is holy. Their calling was holy.
So it was not enough that in this solemn service of worship nearly everything was done as God had directed. "God has pronounced a curse upon those who depart from His commandments, and put no difference between common and holy things. He declares by the prophet: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness! ... woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! ... which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! ... They have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 5:20-24" (ibid).
When we mingle our own ideas in doing God's work or in our walk as Christians, we are embracing the principle of Nadab and Abihu, that we are above the authority of God or of His church. This principle claims our ideas or reasoning are a sufficient guide in doing God's work. The methods do not matter as long as it achieves the right results. But this is a worldly-wise principle, not one that is founded upon Scripture or the example of Christ. And the end result of what happened to Nadab and Abihu clearly indicates heaven's judgment upon this principle. The direct way that God dealt with these leaders should put to rest that an independent spirit doesn't profane the work of the Lord. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end is the way of death" (Proverbs 14:12).
So as we meditate on this story, let's ask ourselves, "How can we find and persevere in a close communion with Christ?" The principles upon which we act and make decisions play an integral part. If our thinking is influenced by the principles of the world, then our offerings (our worship and service) are no more acceptable to God than Nadab and Abihu's were in ancient times. God is never honored when we cherish an independent spirit, that says I can do what I want my way, irrespective of God's will or of the order which He has set up (either in the family or in the church). When we insist on our way rather than God's, self rules rather than God. When we weave principles from the world into our character or the work of God simply because of precedence or popularity (because it has been done in the past or because the majority are doing it), again self rules. When we seek to twist rules or policies to do what we want, then self is #1. And as long as self is sitting on our heart's throne, God can't come in. He can't live in a divided heart.
The principle of humility stands in sharp contrast to the principle of independence. It cuts deep within the unrenewed heart. Our pride fights against this principle (God's call to submission), to obedience to any authority except our own, to accountability to someone else. But unless we lay pride on the altar, we haven't taken the first step towards Jesus Christ. Pride feels no need; it knows no boundaries. And there is no way to call Jesus LORD unless pride is crucified. There's no room for Christ in a proud or independent heart. When we feel sufficient in ourselves, when we feel rich and competent, intelligent or powerful, we don't bow in submission. We refuse to seek the Lord's will, and we certainly have no room for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
To seek the Lord with all our hearts is to admit that we need revival--to be brought back to life! It is the greatest death blow to pride that we could deliver because we admit finally to ourselves that we need God. We need to depend on Him. He needs to be LORD of our life--completely. So it should be no surprise to us that the first step in approaching God is humility. And it happens that this is one of the requirements needed for revival. The Lord says, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).
To be God's people means we are a humble people, a praying people and a holy people. We can't merely be a praying people without being humble enough to obey every word of the Lord. His principles, which are found in His Word, must be the principles that guide us in every decision we make and every method we use in God's work. When His principles rule in our hearts, they will be reflected in our homes, our schools, and our churches. Only then, can the Lord pour out the rich blessing of His presence upon us.
May we see ourselves only as humble servants of God and may our daily prayer be, "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?" (Psalm 85:6)
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