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. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ’By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace. Leviticus 10:1-3
Why?
Why did Nadab and Abihu do this irreverent deed and why did God kill them for doing it? Many suggest that Nadab and Abihu were drunk (and perhaps they were), but the root of their sin was unquestionably pride. Their behavior, fueled by a flawed awareness of their own self-importance, was arrogant. They had lost their perspective of who God is and where they stood in relationship to Him. It is for this reason God said that He must always be regarded as holy and that He alone must be glorified.
I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another… Isaiah 42:8a
God is Serious
God is very serious about holiness and glory, so much so that He devoured Nadab and Abihu by fire as a perpetual example for us. If mere words had been sufficient, Nadab and Abihu would not have died (for these were things that they knew). We might then ask, “Why does God want all the glory for Himself—is God selfish? This is not the case; God is not egocentric.
God Knows That…
When man gets the glory, or a ministry, or a church, those things will eventually come to disappoint and frustrate us. If we suffer discontentment chances are we have become enamored in the temporary splendor of man or ourselves. God knows these things and this is precisely the reason He demands the glory must be His alone. In Him, no one is ever saddened or dissatisfied.
If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:13
Compassion International
By now you are aware that the one millionth Compassion child has been sponsored—to God be the glory! While similar programs have waned in the light of our current economic crisis, the Compassion ministry has continued to increase, again all to God’s glory. We believe it is because that we have never lost sight of our mission to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ wherever we go and that the Father has honored this with bringing more and more children into His fold. Our hope is in Christ Jesus and this is the message we share with the hopeless. Please prayerfully consider sponsoring a child in desperate need and sharing that which God has freely shared with you.
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