20110415-"Strange" Fire /Unauthorised / Unholy Fire? Lev 6 & 10

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered unholy fire before the LORD, such as he had not commanded them. And fire came forth from the presence of the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. {Lev 10:1-2 RSV}

Yesterday, I was reflecting on the coal of fire that touched the lips of Isaiah. About the fire of JUDGEMENT. Imagine the fire that came about in the earthquake M9 and tsunami in Japan on 11/3/2011. Video above.

I realised that there is another kind of fire recorded in the bible : It is called unholy, unauthorised or strange fire. The fire the killed Nadab and Abihu. Scary!

What killed them? Good question. Guess the answer was in the subsequent verses that followed as Moses spoke to Aaron.

V3" This is what the LORD spoke of when he said ' Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honoured.' Aaron remained silent"

The fire on the altar was repeatedly mentioned 3 times in Lev 6:8-13 to be kept burning- it must not go out.

1 Pet 1:15 But just as he who called us is holy, so be holy in all we do . we are reminded of the character of God "Be holy, because I am holy" in V16.

Yes indeed it is scary to fall into the judgement hand of our Lord. Ezekiel had the word of the Lord came to him in Eze 22 all about the sins of Jerusalem. The house of the Lord had become a dross - despise of holy things, desecration of the Sabbaths, inability to distinguish the holy and the unholy, the clean and the unclean, the making of unjust gains, the false visions and the lying divinations, extortion in the land, robbery, oppression of the poor and needy , mistreatment of aliens, denial of justice.

V21, 31 So the Lord poured his wrath on such people, consumed them with his fiery anger. Total meltdown. Scary. Like the impending Fukishima Nuclear plant meltdown.

Reflections

Dare we play with the fire of God?

God is Holy. He is awesome. Reverence and honour due to His name.

Ez22:30 The lord looked for a man among us who would build up the wall and stand before Him in the gap on behalf to the land so that He would not have to destroy it . But He found none.

Are we ready to stand in the gap?