Holiness unto the Lord

Numbers 3-4; Acts 25 

“Nadab and Abihu, however, fell dead before the Lord when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons…”

Numbers 3:4

The descendants of Aaron the priest never forgot the consequences of offering unauthorized fire before the Lord. The command that priests must abstain from alcohol while performing their duties followed the death of Aaron’s two sons. The incense offered in the tabernacle was not to be just any incense; but, only that which God had instructed Moses to develop. The consequences of ignoring or forgetting God’s holiness while serving him, and in his presence, was costly.

Is it still costly today?

Paul reminded the Corinthian Church that taking the Lord’s Supper without discerning the body of Christ was to eat and drink judgment on themselves. In that context, discerning the body of Christ referred to their brothers and sisters in Christ who were ignoring or insulting others as they took communion. That was why many were weak and sick and a number had died. A cavalier attitude toward our relationships in the Church and with the Lord has consequences! Nadab and Abihu had no descendants. If we desire to spiritually reproduce and offer the acceptable sacrifice of our lives to him, we, too, must choose holiness, even as he is holy.

“Lord Jesus, I choose to honor you with my body and life, for your glory.”