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Aaron’s sons were ready to burn incense before the Lord. The holiness of that Holy Place inside the Tent of Meeting should have made them want to double-check everything they did. They filled the pans with coals and added incense, but something wasn’t right. Apparently they were supposed to use coals from the golden altar, but instead they substituted everyday coals from another fire instead.
God saw this as short-cutting or failure to obey completely everything He’d commanded.
The Holy Place represented where God resided among His people Israel on earth, and only things consecrated to Him could enter. The “strange fire” they used amounted to bringing unholiness into God’s presence. That was disobedience and therefore sin. God burned them with the special fire from the altar.
Seeing what happened, Moses quickly warned Aaron and his remaining two sons not to show any sadness or remorse about their deaths, for it would be seen by God as revolt against His righteous dealings.
For many years, I didn’t like what I read here. After all, we all like to hope that God will somehow stop us just before we sin, but He provides us with free choice that no other creature has and we are therefore responsible for those choices.
Aaron’s sons knew the rules. God’s reply to His actions was, “I MUST be RESPECTED as HOLY by those who come NEAR to Me; before all the people, I MUST be given HONOR.”
God wasn’t on an ego trip. Instead, He can’t let one or two people get away with sin, particularly those who have been appointed to serve in His presence. If they don’t respect His rules, how can He hopte that anyone else will?
Father, there’s no such thing as a little sin to You. Sin is disobedience, and disobedience amounts to disrespect for who You are and rebellion against what You have righteously commanded. And that is flat out wrong. Help me to remember that next time I’m tempted to sin, to shortcut what You’ve asked me to do, or to show dishonor to You.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
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