Nadab & Abihu: Strange Fire Series

Among those who approach me I will show myself holy. Our God is a Holy God and this cannot be forgotten. God set up certain regulations and laws and procedures regarding the tabernacle and the priesthood for the protection of those in his presence. For He is a holy God and sin is consumed in his midst!

In the church today there are many people who are seeking the presence of God – pressing into his glory. And that is good. But do you know what would happen if on any given Sunday God were to honor our pursuit and show up in all his glory? If there is anybody here with an unrepentant heart and who does not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour I believe that they would die!! Friend’s God’s holiness is not to be trifled with! Yes He is loving, yes He is full of grace and mercy, but He is also HOLY, JUST, and RIGHTEOUS – and holy won’t mix with unholy… never forget that.

Strange Fire dishonors God.

Also found in Lev. 10:3 is God’s words, "in the sight of all the people I will be honored." Another reason for God’s swift justice was the dishonor Nadab and Abihu were bringing to God by their "strange fire". What they were doing flew in the face of everything God had painstakingly spoken through Moses and demonstrated their disregard for God’s word.

When we insist on our timing with the things of God rather than his timing, when we resist His authority and the authority He has placed on those over us, when we act out of the wrong motives in our hearts then anything we bring to God is "strange fire". What does this mean?

Salvation without the cross of Christ is strange fire.

Attendance without worship is strange fire

Service without the Spirit is strange fire

Testimony without personal experience is strange fire

Teaching without study is strange fire

Prayer without practice is strange fire

Strange Fire is destroyed by Holy Fire

Notice that the words used to describe the fire that consumed Nadab and Abihu are the same words used to describe the fire that consumed the sacrifice made earlier.

Leviticus 9:24 (NIV)

24 Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.

Leviticus 10:2 (NIV)

2 So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.

I don’t think this is coincidence. For you see in the first instance the sacrifice was consumed by the Lord indicating God’s acceptance of the offering as a substitution for the sins of Israel. This fire which consumed the Nadab and Abihu came the same way with that which had consumed the sacrifice and showed what justice would have done to all the guilty people if infinite mercy had not found and accepted a ransom; and, if that fire struck such an awe upon the people, then so much more would this. This then would make sense out of why Aaron and Eleazar and Ithamar were instructed by God through Moses not to mourn or show any grief for their loss. You see, they as priests were to understand their loved ones death as an atonement for sin.