Lev 10:1-2 After a good worship time, the glory of the Lord appeared to the people and they fell down and worshiped. In the next breath we read that "Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. 2 So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD".
What possessed them to do it?
Could it be because we sensed the presence of the Almighty in a prayer meeting or in private that we can get 'cocky' thinking we are so spiritual because God turned up to the meeting and therefore we take liberties with God's grace.
We can't think for one moment that we can become familar with the holiness of YHWH and do our own thing, when we add anything to what YHWH has already commanded, we are skating on thin ice.
Was it that God had already burned the offerings with HIS fire and their concoction of incense led to a chemical lab explosion of "unauthorized fire"?
Do you have any thoughts on the "added incense",what its significance is?
Siobhan
Romans 14:11
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“It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow
before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’””
12 hours ago
One of my pastors pointed out that God appears to punish severely the first to violate one of his commands. Afterward, others do not recieve the same severity. It is as though God is saying "I speak once and that is enough." The others' judgment would follow later while the first transgressors were immediate.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is great danger in addinig to God's words when we feel his presence so strongly. That is part of the reason I fear when asked to speak publicly. I know the seriousness of saying, "God said,". The reprocusions of misspeaking are too severe for me to want to tangle with it.
I was at a conference once where someone remaid the annointing oil and was selling it. It made me shudder. Because we live in the time of grace,we tend to think we can do what we want and there will be no precusions. It makes me think of the 40th chapter of Isaiah when people thought their ways were hidden from God.
Shirley Fay