Don't Play With Fire

DON’T PLAY WITH FIRE (PT. 1/5)

LEVITICUS 10:1-3

INTRO: CERTAIN THINGS/PEOPLE – YOU DO GOOD NOT TO PLAY WITH.

BLENDER

KNIFE

MATCHES

FIRE

HEBREWS 12:29 “GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE.”

GOD – IS NOT ONE TO BE PLAYED WITH.

ADAM/EVE . . .

ANANIAS/SAPPHIRA . . .

SUCH IS THE CASE IN OUR TEXT LEVITICUS, WHICH IS ALL ABOUT HOLINESS, THE HOLINESS OF GOD AND HOW HE SHOULD BE WORSHIPPED BECAUSE HE IS PERFECT AND HOLY. LEVITICUS, A REMINDER THAT SINFUL PEOPLE CANNOT APPROACH GOD IN HIS GLORY. MOSES . . .

LEVITICUS, WHERE WE FIND TWO YOUNG MEN, NADAB AND ABIHU, WHO WENT TO WORSHIP GOD AND ENDED UP DEAD . . .

BACKGROUND OF OUR TEXT IS THAT THE TABERNACLE HAD JUST BEEN COMPLETED. AARON AND HIS SONS . . . AND HIS SONS NADAB AND ABIHU WANTED TO EXERCISE THEIR NEW FOUND RIGHTS AS PRIESTS TOOK UNFAIR ADVANTAGE OF THEIR PRIESTLY POSITION AND ALLOWED PRIDE AND ARROGANCE TO DOMINATE.

H.W HOUSE, CONTRIBUTOR TO THE NELSON STUDY BIBLE DECLARED, “BLESSINGS THAT COME AS A RESULT OF OBEDIENCE, CAN BE DEADLY WHEN PROVOKED BY DISOBEDIENCE.”

MEDICINE . . .

NADAB/ABIHU TOOK THEIR PRIESTLY POSITION, APPOINTMENT, AND ASSIGNMENT FOR GRANTED . . .

NADAB/ABIHU IN THEIR PRIDE/ARROGANCE OFFERED UNAUTHORIZED FIRE BEFORE THE LORD, WHICH HE HAD NOT COMMANDED THEM. AND FIRE CAME OUT FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD AND CONSUMED THEM, AND THEY DIED BEFORE THE LORD.

UNAUTHORIZED FIRE: SOMETHING THAT GOD HAS NOT PUT HIS STAMP OF APPROVAL UPON. A FALSE DOCTRINE, NEGATIVE THINKING, AND NON-BIBLICAL, NON-SPIRITUAL PRACTICES IN THE LOCAL CHURCH.

UNAUTHORIZED FIRE: WHEN SOMETHING HOLY HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH SOMETHING COMMON.

WHEN SOMETHING FROM THE OUTISDE HAS CREPT INSIDE . . .

UNAUTHORIZED FIRE: IN HEBREW, THE WORD FOR UNAUTHORIZED IS ZOOR WHICH MEANS, “PROFANE” OR “ADULTEROUS.” UNAUTHORIZED DOES NOT MEAN THE FIRE WAS SOME MYSTICAL FIRE. THE FIRE WAS NOT UNAUTHORIZED IN THE SENSE OF BEING PHYSICALLY DIFFERENT, BUT IT WAS UNAUTHORIZED BECAUSE IT WAS PROFANE AND ADULTEROUS AND NOT ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.

WHAT HAD NADAB/ABIHU DONE THAT WAS SO PROFANE/ADULTEROUS?

THEY WERE OPERATING UNDER THE WRONG AUTHORITY: IN EXODUS 30, GOD HAD CLEARLY SET FORTH THE COMMAND THAT ONLY THE HIGH PRIEST WAS TO BURN THE INCENSE ON COALS TAKEN FROM THE BRAZEN ALTAR AND OFFER IT UNTO THE LORD. ONLY THE HIGH PRIEST, THEIR FATHER, WAS SUPPOSE TO PERFORM SUCH A FUNCTION. IT WAS NOT NADAB/ABIHU’S JOB TO HANDLE THE INCENSE. . . GOD DELIVER ME FROM PEOPLE THAT CANNOT OPERATE UNDER AUTHORITY.

LUCIFER

LEARN HOW TO OPERATE IN YOUR GIVEN AUTHORITY

SECONDLY, NADAB/ABIHU OFEERING WAS PROFANE/ADULTEROUS BECAUSE THEY WERE OPERATING UNDER THE WRONG ANOINTING.

BESIDES THE FACT THAT NADAB/ABIHU WEREN’T AUTHORIZED TO OFFER THE BURNT INCENSE, THEY OFFERED IT IN AN UNHOLY MANNER.

INCENSE – SYMBOLIZED THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS . . .

PSALMS 141:1-2 DAVID - LET MY PRAYER BE SET FORTH BEFORE THEE AS INCENSE; AND THE LIFTING UP OF MY HANDS AS THE EVENING SACRIFICE.

JOHN THE REVELATOR, REVL. 8:3-4 AND ANOTHER ANGEL CAME AND STOOD AT THE ALTAR, HAVING A GOLDEN CENSER; AND THERE WAS GIVEN UNTO HIM MUCH INCENSE, THAT HE SHOULD OFFER IT WITH THE PRAYERS OF ALL SAINTS UPON THE GOLDEN ALTAR WHICH WAS BEFORE THE THRONE. AND THE SMOKE OF THE INCENSE, WHICH CAME WITH THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS, ASCENDED UP BEFORE GOD OUT OF THE ANGEL’S HAND.

THE PROBLEM, THE CENSERS NADAB/ABIHU USED . . . THEY USED THEIR OWN INSTRUMENTS WHICH WERE NOT ANOINTED WITH OIL . . . THUS THEY HAD NO ANOINTING . . .

THEY WORSHIPPED GOD THEIR OWN WAY. THEY WORSHIPPED GOD IN A MANNER THAT WAS CONVENIENT TO THEM. . .

LASTLY, THEIR FIRE WAS UNAUTHORIZED BECAUSE THEY WERE OPERATING UNDER THE WRONG ATTITUDE.

THEY FORGOT THEIR MAIN PRIORITY WAS TO SERVE

THEY VIEWED THEMSELVES ABOVE THE PEOPLE AND THE LAW

THEY FORGOT GOD’S HOLINESS . . .

IF YOU FIND ANYTHING . . .