Leviticus - Part 4: Proper Worship
Leviticus - Part 4: Proper Worship
Pastor Scott Skones
Leviticus 10:1-11
Please remain standing as I read our sermon text for today. This is the fourth sermon in a series that we have titled “The Gospel According to Leviticus.”
We left off last Sunday in Leviticus chapter 9 with the first official worship service of God’s people. And today we are in Leviticus chapter 10.
Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 2 So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:
“‘Among those who approach me
I will be proved holy;
in the sight of all the people
I will be honored.’”
Aaron remained silent.
4 Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp, away from the front of the sanctuary.” 5 So they came and carried them, still in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses ordered.
6 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become unkempt and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. 7 Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or you will die, because the Lord’s anointing oil is on you.” So they did as Moses said.
8 Then the Lord said to Aaron, 9 “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, 10 so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, 11 and so you can teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses.”
Lord, your word is good and true. These are the words of eternal life. And so may the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, Oh Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
Some of you who are football fans might remember the drama surrounding the 1998 NFL Draft. The Indianapolis Colts held the first pick in the draft that year, and there was a lot of debate about who they would select.
Now the 1998 draft included quite a few great athletes, including Randy Moss, selected by the Vikings with the 21st pick – or Heisman Trophy Winner Charles Woodson – and then future Superbowl MVP Hines Ward who ended up going to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 3rd round.
But all of the attention surrounded those top two Quarterbacks battling for the #1 pick.
Some experts believed that the Colts would select the Quarterback of the Washington State Cougars by the name of Ryan Leaf. Leaf was a big, physical quarterback with an even bigger arm. Leaf grew up in Great Falls, Montana, the son of a Vietnam veteran. Leaf was a good story – he was a little brash – the type of out-of-the-shadows story that all of us love.
The other guy under consideration was the son of an NFL Hall of Famer – someone who grew up watching NFL football and followed his dad around to big-money events. They were two very different people.
But in the hours leading up to the draft, most of the speculation had settled on the Colts passing over Ryan Leaf and drafting the kid with NFL Football in his blood – a player who didn’t have the arm that Leaf did but was, perhaps, a little more polished. A Quarterback from Tennessee by the name of Peyton Manning. And that’s exactly what happened. Leaf was drafted by the San Diego Chargers with the 2nd pick in the draft.
Both being AFC teams, there were many news stories after the draft speculating about how these two Powerhouse Quarterbacks would be battling against each other for years to come.
If you know the story, however, that’s not the way things worked out. Years later, CBS Sports would rank Ryan Leaf as the 2nd greatest Draft Bust in NFL History.
A combination of poor play and a battle against personal, mental health, and addiction-related issues meant that Leaf’s professional career lasted only 4 years. As the years passed, Leaf was charged with a number of crimes related to his addiction and was convicted of felony burglary and felony drug possession.
It’s a sad story of a career that began with so much hope, so much promise, but quickly derailed.
There are some parallels there with our text for today. Aaron and his sons were designated, called by God, to serve as the priests of Israel. They were set apart for his service – and had just finished the ordination process – just completed their first worship service – when the wheels fell off and everything fell apart.
They were serving in the most respected and critical roles in all of Israel, and they messed it up. Not only did they lose their career, and their prominence – but also their lives.
This is a difficult passage for reader and preacher alike. Much like the account of the flood in Genesis 6 or Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19, these types of Biblical accounts rattle us. We struggle to understand how a good God could act in ways that we might categorize as rash or harsh.
And so today we are going to focus our attention on what took place on that day with Nadab and Abihu – and, perhaps more importantly, what it means for us.
It might help, first of all, for us to think about what led up to these startling events. Everything seems to hinge on the fact that these priests put unauthorized fire into their censers.
That might prompt a question in your mind right away: What’s a censer? If you have been to a Catholic Funeral Mass you know exactly what a Censer is. It’s the contraption that the priest waves around that causes everyone in the front rows to start coughing when they get hit by the wave of incense. It’s a device used to burn incense – which was part of the worship of the Old Testament.
There are actually many more Christian church bodies that still use incense as part of their worship. Many Anglican, Orthodox, and Lutheran churches use it. And, I actually read an article recently that an increasing number of churches have resumed using it at certain services.
In Exodus 30, God commanded Moses that Incense should be burned as an aroma pleasing to the Lord every morning and every evening.
Revelation 5 tells us that incense is a visual representation of the prayers of the people rising up to the Lord.
I’m not sure how some of you would respond if I walked out with a censer burning incense one of these weeks. It was certainly pleasing to the Lord in the Old Testament, and it’s referenced a couple of times in Revelation. However, it’s never commanded by the New Testament and so most churches have discontinued it more for practical reasons than theological.
But this is the context of the events of our passage for today. Two of Aaron’s Sons, Nadab, and Abihu, used “unauthorized fire” in their censer.
“Unauthorized fire” could also be translated as “unholy” fire – or, literally, “strange” fire. God had specified where the fire should come from and how it should be handled. We don’t know exactly what the problem with this fire was, but there’s a strong case to be made that it probably came from someplace other than the outer altar where it was supposed to come from.
And so you might ask “What was the sin of Nadab and Abihu that led to such drastic action?” The answer is found in the last words of verse 1 - Listen to v1: Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command.
They acted CONTRARY to God’s command.
The setting of this is really important. Remember this follows that first worship service in which the priests offered sacrifices “according to the Lord’s command.” And that’s a phrase that was repeated over and over in Chapters 8&9. If I counted right, we see this repetition of the Lord’s command regarding these offerings a total of 15 times leading up to the events of our text today.
God was inviting the people to come to him and worship him. God was coming near to his people, revealing himself to them. But it was all according to the Lord’s command and at the Lord’s invitation.
The sin of Nadab and Abihu wasn’t specifically that they used “strange” fire. It was that they knew the command of God, and they chose something different. They knew the specific instructions from God, and they chose to disobey. They deviated from God’s instructions for worship and did what they wanted.
There are a number of lessons that we could learn from this passage, but I want to focus on four this morning as we reflect on this unique scene from Leviticus.
First - The focus of worship is the holiness and glory of God.
V. 2 - So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:
“‘Among those who approach me
I will be proved holy;
in the sight of all the people
I will be honored.’”
The word in verse 3, which is translated as “honored,” could also be translated as “glory.” God is declaring that he will be shown as holy. He will be honored or glorified in worship.
God makes clear that worship is about him, and not about us. And that means that the goal and focal point of worship is Him and not us.
The focus in worship is not on you.
Not your preferences.
Not your needs.
Not your desires.
Not your style.
Not your musical taste.
The focus of worship is the holiness and glory of God.
Now, this doesn’t mean that the worship of the church must be stuffy, boring, and bland. That’s not the message at all. But far too often, churches shift the focal point from the holiness and glory of God onto something else – and it’s usually onto the person sitting in the congregation.
You’ll see this play itself out in sermons titled “You Have Potential!” or “Fight Your Battles.” Those were just a couple of sermons that I stumbled across this week.
Now at first glance, that type of sermon might come across as relevant and meaningful. But, in reality, they are a product of the focus of a worship service being in the wrong place. You don’t even have to listen to a sermon like that because you know right from the title that the focus is on the person and that God is in the back seat – if he’s there at all. And usually, the God mentioned in those types of sermons is NOT the God of Holy Scripture. He’s usually a God of your own making. A false God who exists to serve you.
Contrast that kind of God with the God of the Bible – both Old and New Testaments – who has set his glory, his honor, his holiness as the goal and the end result and the focal point of true worship.
He says, “I will be proved holy; I will be honored.” That is why we exist. That is why we gather. To lift up, to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. To proclaim what he has done; his love for sinners; his great work of salvation for all people.
The focus of worship is the holiness and glory of God.
What else do we learn as we reflect on this scene from Leviticus 10?
Second - The law demands perfect obedience.
These men were the type of people that we would say lived pretty good lives. They served the Lord. As far as we know they lived relatively obedient lives before God.
But one of the things that we come to understand as we consider this text and others like it – such as the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 – is that MARGINAL obedience or GENERAL obedience or RELATIVE obedience isn’t sufficient for salvation.
God demands PERFECT obedience.
This is illustrated in the verses following the death of the two priests as well when Moses gives instructions to the remaining priests. He says “Don’t let your hair become unkempt and do not tear your clothes, or you will die” This makes little sense in our culture, but these were outward signs of mourning. He forbids Aaron and his remaining sons to engage in a ritual period of mourning for the men who died – because there was work to do, and they were still required to fulfill the law exactly as prescribed. They were required to look the part and dress the part while they fulfilled their duties in the Tabernacle.
There are several of these warnings – they aren’t to leave the tent of meeting – they aren’t to drink alcohol while they are on duty. And the penalty is the same “Or you will die.”
God is using the circumstances to make it abundantly clear that the law demands perfect obedience. That there are no exceptions when it comes to God’s holy law.
This comes up in Romans chapter 2 when Paul refers to some in the church who were “Relying on the law.” And the insinuation is that to rely on the law is a deadly endeavor because you will never fulfill it. The Law is never done making demands of you. The law doesn’t allow for partial obedience. It demands PERFECT obedience.
If your confidence before God when it comes to eternity is on the basis of some delusion of relative or marginal or general obedience – if you think that “mostly” obeying is the standard – please take some time to consider this warning from our text. The Bible gives no assurance for those who depend on their obedience for salvation because you cannot obey perfectly. And that is the standard.
To rely on the law – to bet eternity on your obedience is a losing bet every time.
The law demands perfect obedience. And as we see in our text today, it is ferocious in its demand.
Third - There is no insignificant sin.
This is sort of the other side of the same coin.
Romans 6:23 declares this when it says “For the wages of sin is death.” It doesn’t say, “The result of sinning badly is death.” It doesn’t say, “The wages of certain sins is death.”
This is the principle that is on display in Leviticus 10. Chances are you heard this passage and thought, “Man that’s harsh. All that they did was take fire from the wrong place and use it in worship!”
But that reaction is predicated upon the idea that there are big sins and little sins. Moderate sins and severe sins. When, in reality, all sin separates us from God. All sin leaves us impure and guilty before a holy God.
Now, this isn’t to say that all sins have the same consequences. All sin has the same FINAL consequence, but there are all sorts of other consequences as well.
Some sins have the power to enslave you in ways that others do not. Some sins destroy your family while others do not. Some sins get you fired while others do not. Some sins cause harm to your body while others do not.
Your employer won’t fire you if you rob from the Lord and don’t live generously, to use the words of Malachi. But your employer will fire you if you steal from them.
You won’t go to jail if you hate your neighbor – but you very well might go to jail if you act out that hatred. Both are sinful in the eyes of God – but one will have direct consequences in the kingdom of this world.
The point here is NOT that all sins are equal in the horizontal realm – in this kingdom; but that the wages of all sin is death. That there is no such thing as a small sin. That all sin is rebellion against our holy and loving God.
There is no insignificant sin. It all leaves us guilty before God.
Well, the last thing for us to consider today is this:
We need a perfect priest.
God sets up this system of worship – this means through which the people can come to the Lord, and through which God will reveal himself and meet with his people. And right from the very beginning everything is a mess. The priests that God called and ordained have failed.
This entire scene is intended to leave us longing, aching, for something better. For a better system. For a better sacrifice. For a better priest.
This is confirmed, time and again, in the modern church. Think back on the number of prominent pastors or other spiritual leaders who have descended into ruin as a result of sin. If your faith and your spiritual growth is wrapped up in a person, they will leave you disappointed at some point. This is one of the reasons that, in years past, pastors tended to stay for shorter periods of time. Congregations held the pastor up on a pedestal, and when they really got to know him, they realized that he was a sinner just like them. And so pastors would often move along every few years.
But the reality is that the job of the pastor is not to be your priest but to point you to a better priest. To be a herald of good news. To continually direct your attention and turn your eyes to something – someone – better.
Aaron and his sons were in the difficult position of approaching God, through the law, carrying the sins of the people. Their access to God was through the prescribed means as established in the law.
In other words, their effectiveness depended upon their perfect obedience to the law. And they were sinners like you and me.
Listen to how the New Testament speaks about this in Hebrews 7:24-25: ”...because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”
In Jesus Christ, we have the grand solution to the crisis that arises in Leviticus 10.
Jesus came as BOTH the Sacrifice AND the true High Priest. Because of his sinless life, Jesus was the lamb of God, without blemish or defect, slain for the sin of the world. But because he was fully God, he is also the Sinless High Priest who has made a way for sinners like me and you to know our holy and glorious God.
And, rather than try to come to God and worship God and live in relationship with God through the LAW, through obedience, through perfection which we could never achieve – we come to God through Jesus.
Jesus said I am the WAY – and that no one comes to God except through him. He said I am the GATE.
Nadab and Abihu died for their own sins. And their death is an arrow pointing forward to another priest who would die for sin. But this priest wouldn’t die for his own sin but for yours.
Nadab and Abihu were struck down by God’s holy and righteous wrath against sin. But Jesus was struck down by God’s holy and righteous wrath against MY sin, against YOUR sin. Jesus is the mediator, the sacrifice, the true and better priest.
And because of Jesus, we don’t live our lives afraid of God’s wrath, because Jesus said “It is finished.” But we DO live our lives in reverent awe. Why reverent awe?
Because God is still holy and we are still sinners. And, according to the letter of the law, we deserve the same fate as Nadab and Abihu. We deserve what they got. But we live in reverent awe because while we are sinners and God is holy, Jesus offered himself in our place. Jesus was forsaken by the Father on the cross so that we don’t have to be. And Jesus has invited us to Himself.
Hebrews 10 says that Jesus opened up a new and living way for us to come to God through his body and his blood.
We don’t come to God through the law. The law that demands perfection. We come to God, by faith, through Jesus. Through his body and his blood.
Listen to these words from Hebrews 10:19-23:
Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
In just a few moments I will invite you forward to receive the body and blood of Jesus – through which we come to God with confidence. That confidence is NOT in ourselves, or in our obedience, or in our goodness. That confidence is in a better priest – a perfect priest – who was both high priest and perfect sacrifice. That confidence is in God who took on flesh so that he could take, for us, the penalty for sin and fully absorb his own wrath in our place.
Jesus became Nadab and Abihu – slain for sin. And today he offers you his holy body and blood through which he has made full satisfaction for your sin. And through which you can come and worship the Lord.
This sermon is offered as a resource by Living Word Lutheran Brethren Fellowship in Dickinson, North Dakota. It has been lightly edited for the website, but the original tone remains unchanged, and no grammatical revisions or style adjustments have been made.