Why would these individuals who were putting forth effort to please God, incur instead His wrath? What is the principle being taught here?
The reason that Nadab and Abihu were killed is because they offered "strange fire", rather than the "pure" fire from the brazen altar.
Lev 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
Lev 10:2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
Lev 10:3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
Lev 10:4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.
Lev 10:5 So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.
Looking back we see that the Lord had just done a great thing:
Lev 9:23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people.
Lev 9:24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
There had just been a great manifestation of God, but Nadab and Abihu, instead of obeying God, decided to do things their way, and for their efforts incurred the wrath ofGod.
But what exactly was their error? The Bible teaches that the content of the incense that would be offered to God had to be just so:
Exo 30:9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
Apparently the incense that Nadab and Abihu used was OK. They did not offer "strange incense". The censers that they used were not the problem. Let us look at why they were destroyed.
Lev 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
The problem was "strange fire". They were supposed to get the fire for their censers from the brazen altar. The brazen altar was the altar where sacrifices or "sin offerings" were made. It is regarded as a "type and shadow" of the first step in the plan of salvation which is repentance.
They offered up worship WITHOUT repentance!Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Notice that Acts 2:38 is for all that God will call.
Acts 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Just as Nadab and Abihu tried to worship God their own way and BYPASS the brazen altar and offer "strange fire"; the modern day charismatics bypass repentance and starnge music and other modern ritualstrying to worship God their own way while still being "of the world".
By living worldly and refusing to repent they offer "strange fire" unto the Lord. That is why real Acts 2:38 Christians do not accept the charismatic cults and these new gospels even if they do obey part of the plan of salvation.It is all the gospel or none.
"Almost christian" cults will not even "almost" go to heaven. They offer "strange fire", they don't want the original Apostolic way, though they like the spectacular as did Nadab and Abihu.
Don't be deceived in a charismatic cult. Find a realBible believingChurch that doesn't offer a sin leavened "strange fire" unto the Lord.
1 Cor 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
Be faithful!
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"Blessed is He who Comes in The Name of The Lord"
Alex my brother I hear what your saying. My rational for putting up with folks like such are possibly winning them. I remember Paul on Mar's HIll. He started right where they were at. I ran into a similiar situation this morning. I was talking to a mom about the Lord. She said "Oh have ya heard of such and such...she is wonderful ..she isa psychic." RED FLAGS of course are going up. Then, in my heart I remembered how graciously the pastor I heard last Sunday share the truth in love. So I prayed in my heart. "God please give me the right words to say. I went on ahead to explain that no Christian could ever read or listen to a psychic and shared why. I did it in agony as I was speaking tot a parent whom I got along well with YET...I couldn't have her beleiving that I condoned sorcery. So I sowed a few seeds. and invited he rto church.Yes..it may appear that I don't stand up at times against cultish things but actually I'm buildingn a friendship and like a good fisher of men waiting for the moment to present my best lure....Jesus
C7
I remembered how graciously the pastor I heard last Sunday share the truth in love.
What do you mean by this? To me this means, Telling the truth weather it's stepping on toes, convicting the heart ect... I hope it doesn't mean sugar coating the message.I've been in asugar coating and down playing situation. IMHO churches that do this just to get people in the doors and run the numbers up Are not of God !
I was simply quoting scripture my friend. My problem...I assume to much that folks know their Bibles inside and out..at least the New Testament.
Ephesians 4;15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love
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To me this means, Telling the truth weather it's stepping on toes,
Sometimes this is neccessary. I would however, caution against it being your method of trying to convert people. As Chuck said, sometimes people aren't ready for the whole truth. The bible does a really good job of convicting people of sin. In my experience, if you focus on all the things a prospective convert can't do if he wants to be a christian, you'll have little success. You always have to remember that most people want to hear the good before they have to face the bad.....it gives them something to hope for. If you use the reverse, you either anger or discourage them beofre you have the chance to share the answer to their problems. We can't ever be afraid of speaking truth, but we must be afraid of being a stumbling block to others. There is a balance that must be struck between the two approaches before one can become a good tool for the growing of God's Kingdom.
GH
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I love animals.......they' re delicious!
Chuck probably did the right thing in this first encounter with this lady, but a person in my opinion needs be prayed up and very much heeding to the umption of the Holy Spirit when dealing with sorcerers and that ilk. This is not a thing to play around with or compromising the truth in.
In Deu 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
Deu 18:11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
Deu 18:12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
The horrible price of practicing sorcery is illustrated for us in Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Obviously those who choose to practice magic arts or sorcery will be permanently excluded from the kingdom of God.
The good news is that there is still time to repent of this sin. The Bible says in Psa 97:10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
God hates sorcery, it is detestable to him. As God"™s children we must love what he loves and hate what he hates. Yet, we know from the Bible that while God hates sin, he loves the sinner. While we also must hate the sin of sorcery in all its forms, we must remember to never stop praying for their deliverance.
__________________ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Good post Alex; The bible declared, "if you love me, keep my commands". The whole duty of man is to fear God and keep his commandments. The word "whole" tells me that everything is covered in this saying. I think we agree that God had a strict plan for mankind, (logos, and the logos was God) and in all things expects and demands that we make all things after the pattern he has revealed in his word. Adding to, and taking away from is a sure means of straying from him.
Strange Fire by Nadab and Abihu
