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Nadab & Abihu: Strange Fire Series
Contributed by Darren Ethier on Nov 28, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: Part 2 of 6 of the Series, Who’s That? Stories of Little Known People of the Bible. These two brothers did something that resulted in a truly shocking end to their lives. And it all began with "strange fire"....
Leviticus 10:6 (NIV)
6 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not let your hair become unkempt, and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the LORD will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the house of Israel, may mourn for those the LORD has destroyed by fire.
The point I want to make here however is that the Holy Fire of God will destroy or consume any strange fire that is brought into his presence.
Now let’s go to Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18), and consider briefly Elijah the prophet. Remember how the prophets of Baal were gathered with Elijah to prove who the true and living God was?
Elijah issued a challenge to the prophets of Baal to come to Carmel and there the god that would answer by fire would be the true God.
The prophets of Baal went first, They chose a bullock, prepared it, and cried out to their so called gods from morning to noon.
Elijah mocked them. They cried aloud, and cut themselves with knives and lancets until their own blood flowed. Still there was no answer from their false gods.
After that it was Elijah’s turn.
The Altar was repaired.
Elijah took 12 stones and built an altar in the name of the Lord.
We are going to have to prepare our altars, which speak of worship and devotion to the true and living God. It is so easy for us to forget who we are in Christ and our love for Him to falter. It is so easy to drift from the place of power and blessing.
The sacrifice was offered
Elijah laid wood in place and prepared the sacrifice.
The fire of God comes when we get our eyes back on the cross of Christ.
The water was poured
Elijah took four barrels and commanded them to filled with water. He then poured it over the sacrifice and repeated the cycle two more times. The water ran down from the sacrifice to the ditch that was dug around the altar. This provided proof that this could be no phony trick. It had to be God when the fire came.
Friends, when the fire of God comes you know it is true when you are saturated with the scriptures.
Prayer was made
Elijah prayed,
1 Kings 18:36-37 (NIV)
36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
Fire came down and devoured the sacrifice and even licked up the water in the trenches around the altar.
Friends, let us avoid strange fire and come to the altar of God afresh and anew and ask God for the fire of heaven to fall upon our souls once again! Let’s learn from Nadab and Abihu this morning!
This sermon was preached by Darren Ethier at Hanover Pentecostal Church on July 29, 2001. This message is Part 2 of the sermon series: Who’s That: Stories of little known people of the Bible!. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, Copyright © 1873, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
