no strange fire in worship

Thought for the Week.07-17-16. No Strange Fire in Worship
 
“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” (Leviticus 10:1).
 
God is always clear in His instructions about what He expects from His subjects. And this passage is no exception to that pattern. Back in Exodus 30, he had explained that they could use no strange fire in their sacrifices.
 
Evidently, Nadab and Abihu didn’t take God seriously because they offered profane (or strange) fire. God not only rejected the fire but also he had the fire consume them and they died. Notice it wasn’t that they did something God told them not to do. It was that they did something He didn’t authorize—that was the problem.
 
This lesson couldn’t be more appropriate for us today when many are crying that we can do anything God has not said not to do. Our cry should be positive: Did God tell us to do it? In other words, when it comes to our relationship with God, don’t give Him something He hasn’t asked for in His word.