Holy Fire – Unholy Fire
The tragic house fire that took the lives of three children caught the attention of many people, not only in our community, but also in places far away. My wife received a phone call from Alaska from someone wanting to help; the man said it was on national news there. He used our church’s website to get the phone number.
The images of that night still burn in our minds. Neighbors, relatives and friends stood helplessly by as firefighters tried to control the fire. Since that time we have been trying to make the best sense we can out of this tragedy.
• Someone put up a large sheet on the house where people signed their names.
• A pile of flowers and teddy bears appeared by the tree.
• Some fifty people came to the church on Saturday for prayer.
• Many people called to ask what they could do.
• On Wednesday, 175 people gathered here for the memorial service which included a large number of teenagers, some of whom did not want to leave afterwards. It’s hard to lose a friend.
• Several of you helped serve a meal as a way to minister to the needs of family members and friends.
• And on Wednesday evening, over 60 people gathered for a short candlelight vigil.
• The local media have kept us informed of events as they happened.
According to fire inspectors, who went through the house four times, there was nothing anyone could have done to change the outcome. The fire may have smoldered above the ceiling for several days before it reached its flash point. And when it erupted, it was too late, especially for those who were upstairs.
Now we are left with our grief and we can only hope that something good will come out of this difficult experience.
Fires are scary, especially when they are unexpected and uncontrolled. But, some uses of fire remind us of God, as we learn from the Bible. The people of the Old Testament were acquainted with that kind of fire. You remember the story of Moses and the burning bush and the way Moses heard God’s voice when he saw it. That was a holy-fire experience for Moses.
If you have been with us for the past several weeks, you know that we have begun a journey through the Bible. We started with Genesis and are now in Leviticus.
• Remember that God saved Moses from death when he was a baby and later used Moses to lead the people of Israel out of slavery.
• God parted the waters in the Red Sea so they could get out. He led them in the wilderness and supplied their needs.
• God gave them the 10 commandments as a covenant.
• God led them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
• And God commanded them to build a tabernacle, a tent, which would be a place where God would come down to meet them. It would stand in the center of their camp as a constant reminder of God’s presence.
• The book of Exodus ends with God’s glory coming down on the completed tabernacle, glory that was so intense Moses couldn’t even enter it because the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
They were acquainted with the fire of God’s presence.
Last week we learned from Leviticus 1-7 what worship is. Worship requires offering one’s very best to God. And for the Israelites that meant sacrifices of various kinds. God wants his people to be holy. “For I am the Lord your God; sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy for I am holy.” Lev. 11:44. That’s why God gave such careful instructions about how to worship.
In Leviticus 8-10, we see that God provided a priest to help this new community understand the will of God, and to give them instruction. It was also his job to guide their confessions of sin through sacrifices and to proclaim God’s forgiveness. So we learn about Aaron, the brother of Moses, as he is ordained for this awesome task of becoming a priest for the people. And at every step we see how important it is to do what God asks.
Note the repetition of “as the Lord commanded Moses.” Kids, when your mother or grandmother tells you something again and again, it usually means it is important, unless, of course, she has Alzheimers disease. One key to Bible study is to look for repetition. In these 3 chapters one little phrase occurs 16 times. That phrase is “as the Lord commanded Moses.” The Bible makes absolutely clear that they are following the instructions exactly as God gave them. That phrase is used again and again. And as a result, we read in 9:33 that the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. When God’s people obey his word, they can expect to enjoy his blessing. But when people do not obey, the opposite is true. In chapter 10, we see that Aaron’s sons do something that was not commanded by the Lord and the fire of blessing was turned into a fire of punishment.
Holy Fire. It was a week of high drama as Aaron was ordained for the most holy office of priesthood. It was a public ceremony in front of the congregation. Chapter 8 makes very clear that Moses did things exactly as God said.
The ritual begins at the door. Aaron can’t just walk into this holy place. Why not? Because Aaron is not yet ready. He is not yet qualified. He was a sinner who needed to be washed up. He needed to have his own sins forgiven. So he goes through a ritual of cleansing. Moses washes him, not because water washes sins away, but to represent the fact that God cleans us up. He forgives sins. When people are baptized, we remind them that it is not the water that saves them; it is God who forgives.
Aaron then puts on a special robe with all its parts. It must have been a dazzling sight with the sash, the ephod, breast-piece, the turban, and the crown. All of these things have special meaning. And when Paul tells us in Eph. 6 to put on the whole armor of God with its belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, etc., we get a picture of one who is appointed to the service of God, ready to do what he commands.
Moses then used anointing oil to consecrate the tent, the altar, all the utensils, and then Aaron himself. Remember, all of these things are to be used in the service of God and so they are dedicated for God’s use.
Then it was time for the sacrifices. First came the sacrifice for sin. Remember, Aaron was human; he was sinful. The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” So an animal was sacrificed for his sin. Next came what was called a burnt offering, this expression of complete devotion to God. And finally came a sacrifice for the ordination itself. It is hard for us to imagine the high-drama of the act of worship and what went on in the heart of the person who had to kill his prized possession, and cause the blood to be drained out of the animal. The blood says that in this covenant, Israel has become the people of God.
One additional thing to note in v. 23: Aaron’s ear, hand, & foot were touched with this blood. Why these parts? Because the priest must have consecrated ears to listen to God’s holy voice; consecrated hands at all times to do holy deeds; and consecrated feet to walk in holy ways.
Aaron and his sons had to wait at the door of the tent for 7 days. Then the 8th day was a special day. It was time for Aaron to begin his ministry. He had done everything exactly as God instructed. Now it was time, not just for Aaron and sons, but for everyone to participate. The people were to bring their offerings because at the end of the day, he said, “The Lord will appear to you.”
First Aaron was asked to sacrifice a calf. Why? Remember when Aaron disobeyed God by making the golden calf and the people bowed down to worship? Could it be that here God is saying to Aaron that in spite of his sin, God would accept him. How many of us have begun to do what is right and then wander away and then God reaches out to forgive us.
And so throughout this 8th day, they went through with the sacrifices, the worship, and we read (v22) that Aaron lifted his hands and blessed them (Num. 6:23). And it was then that the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. The fire came down and burned the sacrifices completely. And the people shouted with joy and fell on their faces. They knew God had met them and was pleased with their worship. They put their whole bodies into the worship of God. They could not ignore God’s greatness.
Unholy Fire. But there is one other part of the story we need to know. We read in Ch. 10 that Aaron’s two sons offered unholy fire to the Lord and they died as a result. It appears that these two men failed because they were careless and reckless. It was not their job to handle the incense and offer it to the Lord. Only the priest was supposed to do that. They may have been using their own instruments rather than the one which had been anointed with oil. It may be that their motive wasn’t pure. Their hearts may have been full of sinful pride. Maybe they wanted to look important, to promote themselves. I Cor. 10:31 says, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
You see, it is not enough just to go through the motions of worship. God is concerned about the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. To us God’s action may seem harsh, but you may recall a similar end to Ananias and Sapphira at the beginning of the church in Acts 5. It is a reminder that God means what he says. Both in the OT and in the NT the new faith community had to be made aware that it existed for God and not the other way around.
Conclusion. In closing, let me mention some lessons we can take from this passage.
1. When we disobey God we are playing with fire. God takes our relationship with him seriously. If we have promised to serve him faithfully, that is what he expects. Nothing less will do. Prov. 3:6 says, In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths. I believe that if we live as the Lord commands he will bless us and make us a blessing to others. Don’t misunder-stand me. I didn’t say God would make us rich or never let us get sick or never allow us to experience hardship. But I do believe he will guide us and provide for us in incredible ways when we obey him. The Bible warns us often enough not to test God. That is playing with fire.
2. We depend on Jesus as our high priest. We no longer have Aaron as high priest. No one stands between you and God. Pastors of churches do not stand between you and God. We don’t make sacrifices for you; we don’t forgive your sins. Heb. 4:14 says Jesus is our high priest. No sacrifice needed to be made for his sin; he became the sacrifice, shedding his own blood to secure our eternal salvation. Therefore, Jesus did for everyone what Aaron did for a few. He did it once. He did it for all. And his sacrifice stands today. And without Leviticus there is a lot about Jesus we would not understand.
3. Hold on to your seats. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, those who believe in him are now able to do what only the priest could do in Aaron’s time. We can enter the sanctuary. We can draw near to God. Read Heb. 10:19,23. As a result, every one who by faith in Christ has been cleansed of his sin, therefore, has become a member of God’s priesthood. A moment ago, you may have been thinking, “I’m sure glad I’m not a priest.” Guess again. No one is off the hook. As members of the body of Christ, we are all priests. We are all to live holy lives. We are all responsible for discerning God’s will. We all have responsibility for each other. And none of us dare bring unholy fire to God. This is what we understand from Lev. 10:3. We are the conduit through which God does his work.
Finally, listen to these words from the last verse of Heb. 12. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship, with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire.
As you consider your standing before a holy God, ask yourself if you have taken obedience to God seriously. And if you haven’t recognized Jesus as your high priest, why not do it today?
