STRANGE FIRE!

Time with Jesus – Sunday 4^th March 2012

Hi all,

God is inscrutable. He is unfathomable. Isaiah expressed it as follows: ⁸ "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. ⁹ For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT

Why God does the things He does, often defies all human understanding. A classic example is the fact that what looked to us like an overwhelming defeat; a “man” dying on a cross; was actually the greatest victory this world has even seen or known. This is our inscrutable God in action. It has always been so.

There is one thing we can say about God with a reasonable degree of certainty. If He says something, it must be believed and acted upon. “Do not eat of the fruit” illustrates this. Adam disobeyed. We know the outcome.

Moving on down the centuries, we come upon an extraordinary statement by God to Moses. ⁸ "Have the people of Israel build Me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. ⁹ You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you. Exodus 25:8-9 NLT

This is what Moses and his people did. Men have tried to describe the magnificence of the tabernacle - the tent in the wilderness. No doubt they have done their very best. But it’s doubtful if anyone can do so adequately.

God required many things from His people; too many to go into in this short message. There were two I’d like to draw to our attention. The light shining from the menorah was never to go out. Another was associated with the consecration of the tabernacle and furnishings. The details are recorded for us in Leviticus. ²³ Then Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle, and when they came back out, they blessed the people again, and the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole community. ²⁴ Fire blazed forth from the LORD's presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground. Lev 9:23-24 NLT

We are told that the fire on this altar was never to be extinguished. It also follows that fire generated by any other method would be “strange fire”. In this morning’s Scripture we are informed that Nadab and Abihu were consumed by fire from the Lord for using fire obtained by another method. It was “strange fire”.

Nadab and Abihu disobeyed a direct instruction from God. The result was their death. Why the Lord did this is not for me to question. All we know is that they had violated a pattern He had laid down. We may not touch God’s Holiness. If we do, we could be proclaiming our own death sentence.

In today’s Meditation we look at “strange fire” in further detail.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Strange Fire!

We have to do things properly, so we can do them right.

The Lord is most particular; and so He shines His light,

On each and everyone of us, to make sure what we do,

Conforms to what’s expected from the likes of me and you.

We see this very clearly in the Scriptures for today.

His priests were consecrated in a very special way.

They’d been through all the ritual for them to be a priest.

Their ministry was starting. At death it would be ceased.

They’d heard all God’s instructions; The lamps must not go out.

They had to keep them burning; of that there was no doubt.

The offering was burned up by fire from on High.

That flame upon the altar; they mustn’t let it die.

It had to be kept burning. seven-twenty four.

Any other fire was acceptable no more.

But Nadab and Abihu; they failed to do it right.

Their incense burner’s fire was “strange” within God’s sight.

It wasn’t from the altar; so they were both consumed,

By fire from the Lord; “it doesn’t matter” they presumed.

Moses told Aaron, the reason they had died.

The holiness of God by their “strange fire” was put aside.

We have to be particular in everything we do.

To violate His holiness means death for me and you!

Much the same thing happened when Uzzah touched the ark. (2 Sam 6:7)

It must not be transported on an ordinary cart!

On the Levite’s shoulders was the place where it should be,

Covered and not visible, for everyone to see.

Perhaps it may be argued that these victims didn’t know,

That what they had been doing would offend the Master so.

But He is God Almighty. We know He does what’s right.

Your or my opinion doesn’t matter in His sight.

We must never violate the “pattern” He has shown;

Even accidentally; such things must not be known.

God is not an ogre. But sometimes He must act,

In ways we find disquieting and very short of tact.

Know that these things happen for reasons in His mind;

Seldom understandable, the cause is hard to find.

But Jesus and His Holiness we never may downgrade.

And it will never happen if He’s constantly obeyed.

Jim Strickland – Written 4^th March 2012