Nadab and Abihu

(Today's reading - Numbers 3, 7, 8)
It is no small thing to serve as a priest before the LORD. Aaron and his sons are stretched thin completing the tasks that have been assigned to them by God through Moses. And when Aaron loses two of his four sons, it becomes impossible for them to fulfill the requirements of serving as priests.
Gods' solution is to name a tribe of His people to serve in the tabernacle. One of the twelve would now be reserved as priests. And so it began that all priests must come from the tribe of Levi. More on this later.
The verse that calls for my attention today is Numbers 3:4..."Nadab and Abihu, however, died before the LORD when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai". I have heard many lessons using this text over the years and I am sure you have also. Leviticus 10 gives an account of the story also. The natural response to this incident is fear. God selected Aaron's sons to serve in the tabernacle and then God kills them for not serving the way He directed them.
What do we take away from this story? What are truths for us to learn? How can we apply what we have learned to better please God?
First, I think we can learn that God is just. He doesn't play favorites. If we ignore His directives, we will pay a price. He has set up this world to operate within those boundaries. If we break His laws, we will suffer. Divorce, abuse, lying, cheating, gossip....all come with a price. He may not strike us dead, but we will have consequences for our actions.
Second, I think we can learn that when God specifies something in worship, we should follow His desires and not ours. After all, He is the one being worshipped, not us. He knows what actions bring Him honor and glory. I might prefer something else, but it is not about me. A good example of this is found in Ephesians 5:19, "speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord". I might prefer to do something other than sing, but God has asked for singing. I might prefer to sing to myself, but He says to speak to one another in song. Offering something other that what HE has asked for is disrespectful and self-centered. If my wife is in the mood to make me happy and asks what I would like for dinner and I ask for steak, only to come home after work to find pizza; I will not feel very respected or appreciated. Giving God what He asks for is just what he expects and deserves. Anything else is "unauthorized".
And lastly, God knows the heart. While you and I might think that Nadab and Abihu were treated harshly, God knew their hearts. He knew the intent of actions, we don't. I don't believe they "accidentally" picked up the wrong fire, rather God saw in their hearts the decision to be disobedient. If He let the leaders conduct themselves this way without punishment, what would have happened to His people. Instead, by dealing with their sin, He set a lasting example for His people; in fact we are still talking about it today.
As we consider Gods' justice, may we decide to have honest and sincere hearts before Him and strive to offer to Him the worship that He has specified. In doing so, we will be blessed and God will be honored.