Sometimes there is an elephant in the room. You know, the thing no one wants to talk about. Honestly, I wanted to slide around the elephant of my post today: the death of Aaron's sons to talk about the awesome experience of the priests first day of work in the tabernacle. Everyone wants to do well on the first day of a new job, don't they?
They did everything as commanded and it pleased the Lord. Moses said in 9:6, "When you have followed these instructions from the LORD the glorious presence of the LORD will appear to you." Then in 9:23-24 (paraphrase) Moses and Aaron go in the Tabernacle and come out to discover the glorious presence of the LORD appearing to the whole community. Everyone was on there face shouting with joy. What a sight! Can't you just picture it? No one will ever forget what happened next.
"Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over it. In this way, they disobeyed the Lord burning before him a different kind of fire than He had commanded."
Read this verse in King James Version:
"Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them." (emphasis mine)
The incense altar was to stay burning continually and coals from the altar of sacrifice were to be used to keep the fire burning. Herein lies the problem: the sons of Aaron offered a "profane" or "strange" (other translations) fire on the altar. Profane is defined as desecration or disrespect toward an object of religious veneration. The Lord's anger is starting to make sense to me but His punishment does not. I am not going to attempt to explain the actions of God Almighty. He is God and sovereign over all. But, I do see an application for us.
After reading a great commentary on the subject may I suggest that that like Nadab and Alihu we too often try to reinvent our worship. Earlier in Exodus the Israelites created an object of worship. Now, intentionally or unintentionally we see another substitute for the authentic worship God desires from us. Many times we get so caught up the worship, our worship becomes what we worship. Let me tell you I have been guilty of this too often.
There is amazing song that came out years ago that helped me and continues to help remember true worship. If we have in any way distorted our worship, let's come back to the heart of it.
After reading a great commentary on the subject may I suggest that that like Nadab and Alihu we too often try to reinvent our worship. Earlier in Exodus the Israelites created an object of worship. Now, intentionally or unintentionally we see another substitute for the authentic worship God desires from us. Many times we get so caught up the worship, our worship becomes what we worship. Let me tell you I have been guilty of this too often.
There is amazing song that came out years ago that helped me and continues to help remember true worship. If we have in any way distorted our worship, let's come back to the heart of it.
11 Comments:
The actions of Nadab and Abihu reminded me of those of Uzzah when transporting the art of God. The holy was treated as common. How often I can do the same. Father, may I never regard anything that You consider holy as ordinary.
I focused today on the people's "Authentic Worship, Surrendered Posture", with (as Beth Moore would say) their "places on their faces".
The song you used here fit in so well with my post, I went back and added it to mine and gave a link over to your blog. We have truly seen Him when our response involves the lowest reverence.
May the imprint of carpet lines on my face best reflect His glory,
Joy
Goodmorning all,
I am wondering if Aaron's sons sin were intentional or unintentional because in yesterday's reading we learnt that there were remedies available to redeem oneself from an unintentional sin (by way of the ceremonial sacrifices). Here it is, these guys were almost immediately punished which supports the thought that their sins may have been intentional.
I guess what I am trying to drive home is that the bible does not outrightly classify the sins but God knew their inner most thoughts and what was in their hearts, like he knows ours, and he dealt with them accordingly, just as he does with us. That is why we have to be so careful what we see, think, hear and speak because God knows everything.
Wow!1 Good food for thought.
Have a blessed day all!!
Love the song, Wendy! Thanks!
"You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean.. And you must teach the Isralites all the decrees that the LORD has given them through Moses."
As we faithfully, read God's Word to hear Him speak to us he will keep us sacred and clean. I'll quote a statement from Beth Moore's Esther study (I'm taking it now...) "Praise God, a voracious love for His Word is gloriously contagious!"
I love ya'll's voracious love for God's Word! You guys lift my spirit up!
Have a great day! Lori - Mesa,AZ
My nugget for today was “Aaron remained silent”.
In the trials and tribulations that we face it is hard to remain silent. I tend to want to run to a friend and talk through it….talk through the grief, the worry and the desperation. I can only imagine how Aaron felt, losing two of his sons. The pain must have been overwhelming, but he remained silent in the midst of the storm. The perfect example of “Be still and know that I am God”.
Have a wonderful day everyone!
Julie
It is awesome (Because its God) that we can get so much out of these scriptures that without revelation could be so dull.
Wendy- I love that song, thanks. It is one that I listened to daily when I was in a dark hour of trials in my life and the beginning of a deeper walk with God. Thanks
Chanan - That is a good point to ponder, was it intentional? Thanks
Julie, I hear you. Joyce Meyers says we need to "Run to the Throne instead of the Phone."
Again, I am thankful for Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us all.
Blessings,
Lynn - Milwaukie OR
Wendy - that commentary link was very good. It helped me to understand better that our worship of God has to be based on His word and His command of what worship is. Not what "feels good" to us. Thank you.
Morgen - MN
To add to the discussion about Nadab and Abihu, my study bible suggests they may have been under the influence of strong drink (referring as basis to the LORD's caution to Aaron in Lev 10:9).
Today my heart lept at the wonder of our holy God who appeared before his people and from whom fire blazed forth - his incomparbly awesome majesty before which we tremble and his absolute virtue which unmasks our every flaw and fault.
Lev 11:45 brings it all home for me: "For I, the LORD, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy."
May it be so, in my head, heart and actions.
Also, I loved Aaron's sincerity when questioned by Moses as to why he had not eaten the meat in the sacred area. Convinced that Aaron was just not being rebellious, Moses was satisfied. I found that very cool.
Warmest of blessings to you all,
Liz
Alaska
Hi Ladies,
This is my first time posting though I have been blessed from reading your daily insights. God's desire for our total obedience is what He has been showing me through these scriptures. Even though we are learning about sacrifice, Keith Greene's song "To Obey
Is Better Than Sacrifice" has been going through my mind.
Have a blessed day. Karen from NJ
julie, i was also captivated by aaron remaining silent (esv says held his peace... epitomizing your "be still and know" comment- way too cool!)
another thing that grabbed me today was aaron's response in 10:19b... aaron recognized that he was unfit to worship by partaking of the sin offering. he should have a joyful heart when slaying and burning the sin offering- an offering for his two sons' sins, and so symbolic of his two sons- would the LORD have approved or accepted or been pleased with his less than joyful heart performing this sacrifice? in a moment of brilliance (something coming and going for aaron), he made the right call... and moses approved.
so where does that leave us... how many times has our worship been devoid of the worshipful heart? our own unfitness to worship should be assessed, i think. we should recognize that it is natural (and not always sinful- commentary, not me) to journey through "unfit" periods of time.
where does sacrificial praise come into play, then? when do our hearts become joyful enough to praise in a way that is pleasing to God, yet still considered sacrificial to us? just a question for pondering...
After reading through all the instructions God has given to the Israelites, I couldn't help but think of God as the perfect parent giving instructions to the Israelites (and us), his children.
I remember reading once that children can learn rules two different ways. They can be told a rule or they can break one and then learn the rule from the consequences. In both ways, the rules were learned because a loving parent dared to set them.
I think we see both ways of learning in today's reading. I am so thankful that God still loves us enough to show us the boundaries, yet forgives us when we step over them. He is a God worthy of our worship.
I loved Aaron's silence too, ladies. Love the connection of being still and knowing God in his grief.
Love all of you,
Lisa
Post a Comment
Home