Nadab and Abihu: The importance of Obedience in Worship
It started as one of the most exciting days in Aaron’s life.
a. A few months before, he had been a slave, facing a future with no hope.
b. Then Moses came and said, "Jehovah has appointed you as my spokesman."
c. Shoulder to shoulder with his brother Moses, Aaron had seen God bring the people out of bondage.
And on this day, he stood proud and a happy man in his new High Priest garments.
d. With him were his sons, God – appointed Priests; the oldest slated to be the next High priest.
e. His joy must have overflowed when God signaled His approval of their first sacrifices by sending fire down from heaven to consume the offering.
In a matter of minutes, though, the day turned to one of the saddest days in Aaron’s life.
f. He saw his oldest boys die and saw them carried away, still in their priestly garb, to a shameful grave.
g. He heard the sternest of warning from the mouth of God.
All of this happened because of sin, all of this happened because of disobedience to God, all of this happened because someone did not think it important to do what God commanded, all this happen because they had forgotten the importance of obedience in worship.
God who is infinite and eternal, who created the heavens and the earth, can only be approached on His own terms. But when it comes to worshipping God, most professing Christians believe that man can do almost anything he pleases. The purpose of this lesson is to prove from Scripture that God has set forth a principle regarding worship that completely eliminates human autonomy from worship. God has not left worship to the wishes of man. God, who is the object of worship, tells His people how to worship.
The Chaos of Present–Day Worship
A. If a person visited several professing Christian churches on the Lord’s day and observed all the different ways in which these churches conducted their worship, he would probably conclude that worship was an arbitrary affair – that it was something determined by man, based primarily on custom and tradition.
1. In one church he might see people burning incense, lighting candles and praying to statues.
2. At another church he might see people chanting and kissing icons.
3. At another church he might hear an organ playing and at another a fifty piece orchestra.
4. At another people might be shouting and clapping as the rock group jams and struts on the stage.
5. At another church he might see a drama group, and at another, Bo – Bo the clown delivering the lesson.
B. The reformation movement came about because men wanting to reject the empty ritualism and paganism of Roman Catholicism.
1. The reformation recognized that Romanism had perverted Christian worship by mixing it with Greek and Roman paganism.
2. But instead of returning to the pattern for worship made clear in God’s word they simply replace Roman and Greek paganism with American pagan culture – the culture that worships self, success, entertainment and leisure.
C. The religious world has departed from the scriptural law of worship, which says that only God determines how He is to be worship and has replaced it with man–centered worship.
1. Worship has become more and more a show for man, directed to man, with man–pleasing songs and lots of entertainment: music soloists, "gospel groups", rock groups, skits, plays, dancing, comedians, celebrity guest speakers, and so on.
2. In most of these churches people even clap after a performance as though they were at a rock concert or Broadway play.
3. Even preaching has become long on story telling, humor pop-psychology but short on theology, biblical exposition and exegesis.
D. Who sets the standards on what is permissible in worship, God or man?
1. Most "Christians" would argue that man chooses. Maybe they will not verbalize it that way. They will say it is all done for God but listen to what some of the questions that are being asked even in the Lord’s church.
What makes ME feel good in worship?
What can we change in our worship to bring more people into the church?
What kind of worship will make the unchurched comfortable in our church?Baby Boomers are accustomed to having everything tailored to their wants and needs. If the church wants to grow it must adapt itself to their needs?
2. But here is the question we should be asking - - What does God want? What kind of worship pleases and glorifies God? What does the Bible say about it? What would be in obedience to His will?
3. The conclusion is very simple. In order for our worship to be pleasing to God we must obey His will. We might call it "God’s Law of Obedience in worship." (Deut. 12:32)
4. The worship of God is such a serious matter God alone makes the rules and we must obey those rules.
God’s Law of Obedience in the case of Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:1- 10).
E. They offered a fire not commanded by the Lord (verse 1).
It is called a strange fire in the KJV but perhaps a better translation here would be "Unauthorized " fire.
What was their sin? They did something in worship that the Lord had not commanded or authorized.
But where in the scriptures did God command them NOT to use this particular type of fire?
The issue is not that God had specifically forbidden other fires to be used. The issue is His appointment of a particular fire, and the conclusion is that whatever is not commanded is therefore forbidden.
Many professing Christians would no doubt be offended at such a restriction. After all, all they did was worship God in a way not commanded, not in a way He explicitly forbidden. Why should it matter where the fire came from? So they used fire of their own making. What is the big deal? It would probably burn as brightly and work just as well. No doubt many would say it is just as good.
But, although from a human standpoint the worship of Nadab and Abihu appears to be sincere, it was sinful and it was an act of rebellion because it was not commanded.
It was a form of idolatry. They placed their human wishes over God’s expressed will.
F. Fire went out from the Lord and devoured them (2).
1. Compare the fire of Lev. 9:24 with that of Lev. 10:2
a. The one indicated God’s acceptance; the other, God’s rejection.
b. The one indicated God’s blessing; the other, God’s curse.
2. Why was God So displeased? Several explanations have been offered:
They may have used coals, which were not from the altar of burnt offering (Lev. 16:12; Ex. 30:9).
They may have been drinking intoxicating beverages (Lev. 10:8-10).
They may have tried to enter the Holy Place at the wrong time (Lev. 16:1-2).
Their sin may have been a combination of these things but the bottom line is they violated God’s law of obedience in worship (Emp. Verse One again).
G. Moses’ explanation (3).
1. Those who approach God must regard Him as holy (3a). "Holy" means set apart, to treat as special. When man does it his way instead of God’s way he does not treat God as special but man as special.
2. God is the one who must be glorified not man (3b). This word means, "to honor". When man disobeys God’s law of obedience in worship he is not honoring God but self!
H. Moses further instruction (4-7)
1. Nadab and Abihu bodies were to be removed outside the camp and Aaron and his surviving sons were not to grieve.
2. There are those in the church today who say we make too big a deal of rejecting the false worship of the denominations. That instrumental music should never be held as a test of fellowship. But here in the case of Nadab and Abihu, Aaron was even commanded not to grieve for his own sons who broke God’s law of obedience in worship.
I. The principle stated (10)
J. The same principle was the case with:
1. Cain’s offering in Genesis 4.
2. Uzzah in II Sam. 6.
3. King Saul in I Sam. 13 and 15
4. Jeroboam in the book of I Kings
5. The poor souls Jesus was referring to in Matt. 7:21-23
6. The Scribes and Pharisees in Matt.15:1-9 (emp. 3, 6, 8-9).
7. The judaizing teachers Paul condemns in Col. 2.
God’s Law of Obedience applied today.
K. In His word, God has only authorized five avenues of worship, which are pleasing to Him.
Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7)
Singing (Eph. 5:19)
Praying (Acts 2:42)
Teaching (Acts 2:42)
Giving (I Cor. 16:1-2)
L. Anything added to or taken away from these five ways He has authorized is "strange fire".
God’s law of obedience in worship is clearly set forth in the Scriptures. There are many plain statements of it in all parts of the Bible, and there are numerous historical examples given in the Bible of God’s indignation with those who violate it.
There is nothing complicated or vague about God’s law of obedience in worship. Its genius and practicality lies in its simplicity: "A divine command is required for everything practiced in worship, whatsoever is not commanded is forbidden."
For those who believe that it does not matter if we obey God’s law of obedience in worship need to look how disobeying this law brought judgment from the Lord. How it destroyed the lives of Nadab and Abihu. How it broke the heart of Aaron as he saw his sons taken away.
May God help us to always to distinguish between that which is authorized and that which is "strange fire."
James Pharr
Lenoir, NC