Fire from the altar is a type of the Spirit of God or life of God (Matthew 3:11; Acts 2:3-4). As the fire enveloped the offering and lifted it toward God, so the Spirit and life of God must envelop our lives and work if they are to be acceptable to God. Strange fire was fire from some other source. Using I was irreverence and disobedience to God's command. Strange fire is a type of the natural, carnal mind. This mind operates in one's own earthly, fleshly strength. It renders our lives or work unacceptable to God (Romans 8:6-8). Abihu and Nadab had the high privilege of seeing God, not His face but His close relationship and manifestations on Mount Sinai. Yet they cast it all aside and followed their own ways. Punishment from God was immediate, severe, and final. There went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them. Nadab and Abihu were struck dead immediately. Was this a trivial matter? The incense was burned. What difference did it make where the fire came from? That was not the point. The point was that they disobeyed, set God aside, and counted His will of no worth. The men had brought in fire foreign to God. God brought in fire foreign to the men. It was a tragedy caused by sin. There came a sudden end to the opportunity of these two men to get right with God. This fact should cause us to consider with most serious concern our position before God. There is a great danger in carelessness or a light regard toward the will of God. Too many feel it of little concern how many times they backslide. There is a point in sin beyond which it is impossible to repent. The light we have and previous blessings determine that point (Hebrews 6:4-6). God grant that none of us pass it. Undoubtedly, Aaron was shocked by the sudden death of his sons. Moses explained by quoting a previous statement of the Lord: I will be sanctified—made holy or reverenced as holy, in them that come nigh me . . . Aaron understood. He held his peace—kept still. His sons had not sanctified the Lord. They had treated His will as of no importance. Absolute Separation Leviticus 10:4-7 Moses commissioned two of his and Aaron's cousins to care for the bodies. They were carried out of the camp. God did not want the others to grieve over these men in whom He had shown His displeasure. Moses even forbade Aaron and the brothers of the two men to show usual signs of grief—uncovering of the head and rending of the clothes. As priests of God, they represented God before the people. To have appeared to set themselves against Him in public mourning for His action would have brought the wrath of God upon them. The anointing oil of the Lord set them apart. They were to remain in the tabernacle. All the common people might bewail the burning which the Lord hath kindled, for it was a great and sorrowful lesson to all. With this lesson learned, the priests obeyed carefully. Every person is dead to something—dead IN sin or dead TO sin. In which position are you? No Mixture Leviticus 10:8-10 The Lord now gave a new command: Do not drink wine nor strong drink . . . when ye go into the tabernacle . . . . This suggests that the sin of Nadab and Abihu may have been due to their being under the influence of drink at the time. We can relate to this in our society. There must be a difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean. This is a changeless quality of God's nature—the will for absolute separation between the kingdoms of good and of evil, of God and of Satan. Read 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. JUST A THOUGHT Work is the best thing ever invented for killing time.
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