Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
August 19, 2001 A.M.
The Fatal Finality Of Sin
Reading - Leviticus 10.1-11
As we first read this narrative, it may appear at first glance that God is too harsh... That He reacts too severely to our sins. I think two things need to be understood here...
-First... We need to have some grasp of what sin is and how it affects both God and us.
-Secondly... When we examine this narrative more closely, we understand that there was more going on than just these two priests using the wrong fire.
First... We need to understand the serious nature of sin. Sin separates us from God. Sin if not stopped will mean death... Eternal separation for all of God’s created. The Bible tell us without reservation that... The wages of sin is death... The soul that sins will truly die. God is Holy... Holy... Holy... He is without sin. Scripture tells us that God cannot sin... Cannot even be tempted to sin... Neither does he tempt us. You see... God and sin are mutually exclusive... Where sin is, God cannot be.
So... When we sin, we place a barrier... An eternal barrier... a gulf between us and God.
This condition is viewed so serious that God would send His Son to die... To forgive us... To remove the eternal consequences of our sins. Church... We must understand that when sin goes unpunished... It only spreads to others of God’s creation... Damning more and more souls. This is why it may appear to us that God is sometimes extreme in His reaction to sin.
Secondly... Perhaps more is taking place in this narrative than many realize?
As we carefully examine this narrative this morning, I think you will agree that more is going on than what we may first have realized. What did Nadab and Abihu do to deserve instant death from the hands of God? And what warnings and truths to be discerned and applied to us as the people of God today?
Next... I want to draw your attention to the blessings of these men. Before one can truly appreciate the nature of their sin... We need to know something of their blessings and privileges. Personally... I believe that they were truly favored men, and the last of the sons of Israel that one would expect to be executed so suddenly by their God... For instance...
-They were sons of Aaron...the first High Priest of Israel.
-They were the nephews of Moses.
-They were also direct descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
-They had an exalted status among the people...serving as Priests.
Exodus 24.11 lists them as being among the noble ones from the sons of Israel. Their names appear even before the Elders of Israel. I think we could speculate that they may well have been in line for the High Priesthood after their father Aaron. In Exodus 24.1 God asks for them by name to come and commune with Him on Mt. Sinai. These two men were allowed to worship in the very presence of God Almighty! They were blessed with being able to eat and drink before Him... Exodus 24.10 says... They saw the God of Israel... In light of the fact that Scripture tells us that no one can see God and live... I don’t know what this statement means... But I know that these two boys were much favored and blessed by our God.
Few people could lay claim to such blessings... and favoritism.! Certainly we would expect them to be holy... devoted... and committed to God. You see... Because God regarded them highly... Blessed them so richly above all others... We would naturally assume they would regard the Lord highly... and obey Him.
Now... Let’s look at their sin... and make some personal applications.
How could two men who had been so blessed by their God commit a sin so horrible that it would cause the Lord to strike them dead?... Just what was this fatal error? On the surface it may seem like such a little sin to us. But on close examination I believe we can see several sins against God... Notice them with me...
First... There was what I believe to be an UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY into the Holy Place. There is evidence which suggests these two entered the Most Holy place to offer their incense. The Lord God had made it abundantly clear that only certain persons could come into the Holy of Holies... And they could only do so at certain times and for certain purposes.
That Nadab and Abihu violated these clear commands of God is seen by strong implication in Leviticus 16.1-2... The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the LORD. The LORD said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.
This passage leaves little doubt that one aspect of the sin of these two is that they had approached the presence of the Lord God in the Holy of Holies, something they had clearly been forbidden to do. In so doing, they had rejected God's will concerning who could enter, when they could enter, and for what purpose they could enter... They outright disobeyed Him. Why would they do such a thing???...
Perhaps they believed themselves to be on such a familiar basis with God that they could just come and go before Him as they pleased. However... In so doing they had placed themselves above God. Church... We must never take God for granted... But obey Him in all things.
Are we willing?... Are we willing to...
-Repent of all our sins?...
-Are we willing to submit to genuine New Testament baptism?...
-Are will willing to continue to walk in the light of His truth?...
-Are we willing to submit without question to all God’s commands?
Folk... We must be careful that we not commonize our God to the point that we can just take Him for granted in our daily walk. We must never become so familiar with God that we feel we can ignore any of His commands.
Secondly... They offered sacrifices that were reserved for the High Priest.
Last week we talked about doctrine... and if doctrine was important. You see... God is God... So He has some things He wants us to do... and He has some ways in which He wants such things done. We don’t have to understand the reason... Just submit to His way... His will through the Word.
Under the Law of Moses... Only the High Priest were to offer certain sacrifices.
When these two attempted to offer these forbidden sacrifices... They were usurping the authority of the High Priest... They placed themselves above those appointed by God. They usurped the authority of both God and the Elders... the High Priest. And we can quickly see that God will not tolerate this kind of behavior from anyone! And we must not show disrespect to those He has placed in authority over us....
-Parents...
-Masters...
-Elders...
-One Another...
-Rulers...
All these are mentioned in Ephesians chapter five and six as those we are to submit to.
Thirdly... And closely akin to the first two... Was their LACK OF REVERENCE
There is no doubt that these two sons of Aaron failed to show proper reverence for God. They did not regard His sovereign nature... They failed to see His transcendence... And as a result they dishonored Him. This is clearly perceived in Leviticus 10.3... Right after they were struck dead. Notice Moses' explanation of how God perceives this tragic event... Then Moses said to Aaron... It is what the Lord spoke, saying... By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy... And before all the people I will be honored.... So Aaron, therefore, kept silent. Aaron's sons had not shown proper reverence for the Lord God, and this was something God would not tolerate, especially from individuals who had been so greatly blessed and who were in a position to influence so many of the people of Israel.
Let me tell you a true story... That comes from my serving as a Chaplain in the heart unit... A man was getting ready for bypass surgery. He refused the services of a chaplain... Saying he didn’t need God nor any of his people. He would not even allow the chaplain in the room... in holding... or in the operating suite. His wishes were granted. The surgery went well. Recovery went well. A few days later he died inexpediently. After extensive tests and examination... The doctors could find no medical reason for his passing. A doctor suggested that one can only thumb their noses at God for so long.
What an awesome responsibility one takes upon his or her self... When we refuse to give our creator and God His proper place in our lives. Nadab and Abihu failed to hold Him in reverence... May we always sense His sovereignty and transcendence... Amen?... Amen!!
Their fourth sin was the OFFERING OF STRANGE FIRE
Note verse one again... They offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. It is this which is typically regarded as constituting their fatal error. But... This was only a part of the overall problem which cost them their lives. What exactly was this strange fire? Well.. It was fire... Or to be exact... Burning coals... Not taken from the brazen altar, but rather taken from some other source.
You see... When ceremonial worship was first instituted among the people of Israel... The sacrifice... On the brazen altar... Was consumed by fire sent directly from heaven. This was holy fire... Fire which came from the very presence of God Almighty. The people were commanded to keep this fire burning at all times.
Now... The daily incense was to be burned in censers using only this SAME fire. No other fire was to be used. Leviticus 16.12-13 says that Aaron... (the High Priest)... Shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil. And he shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony.
Well... Nadab and Abihu presented an offering which only the High Priest was allowed to make, and they did so in a location where they were forbidden to enter. They also used coals of fire to make this offering that were taken from a source other than the one clearly specified by the Lord God. I think we will all agree this morning that this was no simple offense... Their sin was not a little sin... But rather an outright presumption... and a flagrant disobedience.
I don’t know what they were thinking... Perhaps they felt one source of fire was as good as another... Or maybe they just didn't care. Either way... They were in direct violation of a specific command of God. He clearly specified the source of fire... and they chose another. Again, God could not tolerate this substitution from a pair of men as visible and influential as Nadab and Abihu.
We see their final sin as their INTOXICATION.
The question that shouts for an answer here... IS WHY?!... These two men knew better! They were certainly not ignorant of God's will in these matters!... They knew what God wanted in worship to Him. So, why would they behave this way? Why would they display such flagrant disobedience and lack of reverence for the very God who had blessed them so greatly?
The answer may be that they had their senses dulled and their judgment impaired by alcohol. In short... THEY WERE DRUNK. Immediately after the bodies of Nadab and Abihu were dragged outside of the camp, the Lord God said to Aaron... Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you may not die --- it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations... And so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean.
There is no question, upon examining the context, that the Lord is issuing this warning to Aaron with the sin of his sons in mind. They had failed to make a distinction...
-Between that which was holy... and that which was profane...
-Between the clean and the unclean...
And the reason for their deadly behavior was that they were drunk!
So... Aaron is commanded to make certain that such a thing never again occurs among those who are providing leadership to His people. It is interesting that the same caution is given by the apostle Paul to those who would be spiritual leaders in the church today?... Elders must not be addicted to wine.
Impaired judgment can be deadly.... And this is especially true with respect to eternal matters! Are our spiritual senses dulled with the wine of worldliness to the point where we too are unable to discern between that which is holy and profane?... Clean and unclean? We can become drunk on alcohol, materialism, a desire for pleasure, power, prestige, popularity, position, privilege... etc. I hope we will all learn this important lesson from Nadab and Abihu.
Well... What have we learned this morning?
We often look at the account of Nadab and Abihu with a sense of shock and disbelief. How could they have been so insensitive to God’s commands... So careless? How could they have done such a thing, especially considering the blessings and privileges which God had been bestowed upon them!
But... Stop and think for a moment.. Like them... We here this morning... Are indeed the most blessed people who have ever lived on this planet.
-We have more physical blessings than anyone before us.
-We have more disposable income than those before us.
-We have salvation available to us in Jesus.
-We know more about God and His divine plan for us than any people before us.
-We are the most blessed people of all time....
-We, like they, are priests of the Lord God...
Listen to Revelation 1.6... And He (speaking of Jesus)... Has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Peter says... You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.
As PRIESTS... We have certain God-given privileges, blessings and responsibilities. Like these two sons of Aaron... Will we bow in reverent obedience before God... Or will we throw it all away?
Yes... The Bible teaches that sin not forgiven is fatal... But God has provided a way by which ALL our sins can be forgotten by God... If you’re here this morning and need to become a child of God... Do so by faith, repentance and New Testament baptism.
If, as a child of God... We are guilty of some of the same sins of Nadab and Abihu... Let us come confessing... Acknowledging our sins and asking God to forgive us... John says... If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
God’s invitation is to all... Come as we stand and sing together.
