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Posted by Matt Postiff November 21, 2009 under Bible Texts
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.
This passage has a lot to teach us about the proper worship of God. First of all, worship must not be profane. This word carries the connotations of strange, foreign, unlawful, unauthorized, forbidden, and illegitimate. Nadab and Abihu took it upon themselves to invent a different act of worship to God, a way that was out of bounds. By application, we must strive to pattern our worship after that which is authorized.
Closely related to the notion of profane worship is worship in ways which have not been commanded. There was no instruction from God on how to offer incense before the LORD with the censer (see Lev. 16:12-13). Exodus 30:9 actually commanded against the offering of "strange incense." It is clear that inventive ways of worship are not acceptable.
Third, proper worship is done by those who personally regard God as holy. In other words, they fear God and have a proper attitude about Him. They are reverent and not flippant about their worship. Many churches in the USA as of this writing are missing the personal reverence for God that is necessary. God is a dispenser of good feelings to them, not an altogether different, awesome, infinite God who calls for reverent worship.
Fourth, true worshipers must treat God in such a way as to bring Him public glory. Entertainment-worship that is driven by a desire to please the audience is wrong. Our public portrayal of God must be that He deserves the recognition and glory. He is the center of everything, not we ourselves! MAP
This passage has a lot to teach us about the proper worship of God. First of all, worship must not be profane. This word carries the connotations of strange, foreign, unlawful, unauthorized, forbidden, and illegitimate. Nadab and Abihu took it upon themselves to invent a different act of worship to God, a way that was out of bounds. By application, we must strive to pattern our worship after that which is authorized.
Closely related to the notion of profane worship is worship in ways which have not been commanded. There was no instruction from God on how to offer incense before the LORD with the censer (see Lev. 16:12-13). Exodus 30:9 actually commanded against the offering of "strange incense." It is clear that inventive ways of worship are not acceptable.
Third, proper worship is done by those who personally regard God as holy. In other words, they fear God and have a proper attitude about Him. They are reverent and not flippant about their worship. Many churches in the USA as of this writing are missing the personal reverence for God that is necessary. God is a dispenser of good feelings to them, not an altogether different, awesome, infinite God who calls for reverent worship.
Fourth, true worshipers must treat God in such a way as to bring Him public glory. Entertainment-worship that is driven by a desire to please the audience is wrong. Our public portrayal of God must be that He deserves the recognition and glory. He is the center of everything, not we ourselves! MAP
Posted by Matt Postiff November 21, 2009 under Bible Texts
Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.
As an outgrowth of what happened earlier that day to Aaron's sons (Lev. 10:1-3), God commanded Aaron to avoid wine or any intoxicating drink when performing priestly functions (v. 9). An implication of this is that Nadab and Abihu may have been drunken when they tried to worship God in their own way. Their senses would have been dulled by their intoxication in such a way that they behaved unwisely in their priestly duties. They paid for it with their lives.
The penalty for not heeding this command to avoid intoxicating drinks was death. It may seem quite severe to us, but this should serve to point out that God is serious about proper worship. He is not pleased with those who treat Him lightly.
The injunction about wine and strong drink was given for two reasons. First, it served to distinguish between holy/unholy and clean/unclean. God set a boundary for his servants so that it would be abundantly clear that they were distinct from the worldly way of living. Christians today should also desire to be different than the world in many ways, not just by separating themselves from alcohol. They are to be set apart for God, not living like the world. Just to be holy and set apart is enough of a reason, not to mention all the other good reasons.
Second, the command about wine helped the priests to be able to teach properly. Judgment clouded by anything, especially by alcohol, is not fitting for a teacher of God's Word. We need all of our cognitive faculties to be ready and sharp to share God's Word with others. Opportunities will be missed and our teaching will be impoverished otherwise. MAP
As an outgrowth of what happened earlier that day to Aaron's sons (Lev. 10:1-3), God commanded Aaron to avoid wine or any intoxicating drink when performing priestly functions (v. 9). An implication of this is that Nadab and Abihu may have been drunken when they tried to worship God in their own way. Their senses would have been dulled by their intoxication in such a way that they behaved unwisely in their priestly duties. They paid for it with their lives.
The penalty for not heeding this command to avoid intoxicating drinks was death. It may seem quite severe to us, but this should serve to point out that God is serious about proper worship. He is not pleased with those who treat Him lightly.
The injunction about wine and strong drink was given for two reasons. First, it served to distinguish between holy/unholy and clean/unclean. God set a boundary for his servants so that it would be abundantly clear that they were distinct from the worldly way of living. Christians today should also desire to be different than the world in many ways, not just by separating themselves from alcohol. They are to be set apart for God, not living like the world. Just to be holy and set apart is enough of a reason, not to mention all the other good reasons.
Second, the command about wine helped the priests to be able to teach properly. Judgment clouded by anything, especially by alcohol, is not fitting for a teacher of God's Word. We need all of our cognitive faculties to be ready and sharp to share God's Word with others. Opportunities will be missed and our teaching will be impoverished otherwise. MAP
Posted by Matt Postiff November 21, 2009 under Bible Texts
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally [fleshly] minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal [fleshly] mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
God sets forth in this passage the extreme difference between two types of people. On the one hand is the carnal or fleshly person. They a) live according to the flesh; b) have a fleshly mindset; c) live a life that is spiritually dead; d) are at enmity against God; e) are not subject to God's law; f) are unable to be subject to God's law; g) are "in the flesh"; h) cannot please God; and i) do not have the Spirit and therefore do not belong to Christ. This is none other than the unsaved person.
On the other hand is the spiritual person. They a) live according to the spirit; b) have a spiritual mindset; c) live a life that is spiritually alive and at peace with God; d) are in the Spirit; e) have the Spirit of God dwelling in them and therefore belong to Christ. This is none other than the saved person.
Dear reader, please know that you fit into either one or the other of these categories. Some have suggested a three-fold division of people: spiritual, carnal, and natural (based on 1 Cor. 2-3). Certainly a spiritual person (one who has the Spirit) can sometimes behave carnally; but it is very dangerous to suggest a third category of people who are supposedly saved but live according to the flesh, who look no different than the unsaved person. Romans 8 clearly portrays only two types. Don't rest if you think you are a "carnal Christian" and therefore will be OK in the end. What sometimes passes as carnal Christianity is not really Christianity at all. MAP
God sets forth in this passage the extreme difference between two types of people. On the one hand is the carnal or fleshly person. They a) live according to the flesh; b) have a fleshly mindset; c) live a life that is spiritually dead; d) are at enmity against God; e) are not subject to God's law; f) are unable to be subject to God's law; g) are "in the flesh"; h) cannot please God; and i) do not have the Spirit and therefore do not belong to Christ. This is none other than the unsaved person.
On the other hand is the spiritual person. They a) live according to the spirit; b) have a spiritual mindset; c) live a life that is spiritually alive and at peace with God; d) are in the Spirit; e) have the Spirit of God dwelling in them and therefore belong to Christ. This is none other than the saved person.
Dear reader, please know that you fit into either one or the other of these categories. Some have suggested a three-fold division of people: spiritual, carnal, and natural (based on 1 Cor. 2-3). Certainly a spiritual person (one who has the Spirit) can sometimes behave carnally; but it is very dangerous to suggest a third category of people who are supposedly saved but live according to the flesh, who look no different than the unsaved person. Romans 8 clearly portrays only two types. Don't rest if you think you are a "carnal Christian" and therefore will be OK in the end. What sometimes passes as carnal Christianity is not really Christianity at all. MAP