The Fall of Nadab & Abihu - Fighting the Serpent of Strange Fire - Torah Portion: Sh'mini

When we think about strange fire, we often associate it with the idea of false signs and wonders. Conferences have been held and books written to tell us that this is the definition of strange fire. And it can be. But the story where this phrase appears in the Bible contains no false sign or false false miracle at all. Rather, Nadab and Abihu attempted to make an offering before God improperly. See, strange fire isn't just in some strange Pentecostal church. It can even be in our own hearts. See, from the beginning, God wanted to share with Adam and Eve many things. But it was their impatience that led to their demise. They didn't trust God. Instead, they wanted to take a shortcut, the bite of a fruit that promised life here, now, today. It was easier than investing in a relationship from their perspective. When we take this shortcut, we will produce strange fire. Our impatience causes us to settle for a counterfeit way. But even though Adam and Eve betrayed the relationship, God did not abandon his relationship with humanity. So when we come to the story of Nadab and Abihu, we first have to remember that it is happening in the context of how God is restoring that relationship with with Israel. God came to Israel in the previous chapter of Leviticus 9, and he explains how they can make offerings to draw near to him. This, of course, is a picture of the Christ that is to come that will take away their sin as God instructs humanity on the seriousness of their sin, their need for repentance, and to prepare this way for the real sacrifice that is to come. And in the next chapter, we see a contrast of how men thought that their way is better. And we read in Leviticus 10:1, and Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said unto Aaron, this is that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron howled his peace. Nadab and Abihu took the act that God gave Israel as their sign of repentance, and they turned it into a casual mockery, approaching God in sin. This is similar to false grace today, this idea that you can do as you wish because Jesus died for you. After all, have no concern for sin, have no concern for the need to repent. Just ask Jesus into your heart and live as you've always lived. But God says, among the people, I will be sanctified and I will be glorified. When we do not approach God in fear and in trembling and in repentance and in solemn, we will find ourselves coming to him with our own way, not in the ways that he has prescribed, not following that is his commandments, not following his instructions in our life, not considering his word as true, but putting our word before His. So what was the strange fire? Truly, some say that Nadab and Abihu was drunk. Others say strange fire represents false signs and wonders done in the name of the Holy Spirit. Was it because they were too casual? Did they not follow the protocols of the Levites correctly? So often we've tried to pinpoint strange fire as some particular sin. The strange fire was the type of fire that was burning in Nadab and Abihu's hearts. The fire that says, I know that God set forth away, but I'm doing it my way. And so you see, it's not just a rejection of God. It is making God in your likeness, picking and choosing parts of God that we like. For example, as we mentioned, the Jesus of hyper grace that will never judge anyone, which is a false portrayal. Or the Jesus that died for Sabbath keepers alone, which is a false portrayal. Or the Father that stopped giving spiritual gifts today, which is a false portrayal. A God made in our image. Strange fire comes from taking these shortcuts on who God is and how he wants us to live and how we get life. Just as Adam and Eve ate of the fruit Nadab and Abihu ate of the fruit, they attempted to shortcut approaching God instead of patiently investing in their relationship with God. They were sons of Aaron. They were called to be set apart. God had chosen them for a specific important role. But they threw it all away. Through relationship with God, we come to know God's ways and prioritize his ways above our own. And the moment that that relationship with God starts fading, we become God to our lives. The authentic fire of God was the fire that Moses met at the burning bush. It was the fire that had a name. The fire that spoke and said to Moses, I am do it my way, not your way, Moses. Moses didn't see how it could happen. How can I convince Israel to leave Egypt? But what Moses thought didn't matter. His ways didn't matter. All that mattered was God's way, and it included Moses. God's way includes you. He has a plan for you in his way. But you have to make way for his way. And when Israel left Egypt, it was that authentic fire of God that surrounded and protected Israel from the Egyptians. It was the authentic fire that then descended upon Mount Sinai as the law was delivered to Moses. It was the authentic fire that landed on the hands of men in Acts chapter two. And some they said that these men must be drunk because God's way often didn't make sense. It still often doesn't make sense. It was the fire that also entered then the temple of Cornelius, where he spoke in tongues. The Holy Spirit is that fire. And the Holy Spirit will always glorify and sanctify the Father and uphold his word. Nadab and Abihu were not led by the Holy Spirit. They were led by another Spirit. So often today I want to submit to you that believers say, the Holy Spirit is telling me something. If the Holy Spirit told you, you should be able to back it up with the scriptures. Otherwise it's strange fire. The reason Nadab and Abihu's fire was strange is because the word of God tells us. Because God said, this is what I need you to do. And they didn't do it. They had strange actions. And Nadab and Abihu could have well said, well, we feel led by God to do this. We feel like the Holy Spirit is telling us to go out now with this fire. But they were following their feelings and saying that the Holy Spirit told me would be a bad justification for a theology that they can't explain using scripture. Same for us. Sometimes people have said, the Holy Spirit told me while they've been following their feelings and the Holy Spirit didn't tell them anything. And they're saying that as a bad justification for a theology that they can't explain using scripture. Nadab and Abihu, they just felt like it and they were struck down. They were struck down because they didn't follow God's word, but they followed their own. So let us no longer say, just ask the Holy Spirit, when we cannot provide a biblical explanation for our actions or beliefs. For if we are wrong, we bear false witness against him that the Holy Spirit has said when he has not spoken. If the Holy Spirit has spoken, then let him speak. Hallelujah. But when he does, he provides us with the revelation and ability to explain what he has said. Using the Scripture for all that he says always lines up with Scripture. Otherwise we create a Holy Spirit now who says things that we like him to say, creating a God made in our image. We morph and we change God based off what makes sense to Us and what God would be like in our opinion. And we see this most clearly when people handle God's word improperly by throwing out parts of it, like throwing out the writings of Paul, or inserting new books, like inserting Jubilees or Enoch, or when we start questioning various different stories saying Noah's Ark couldn't really have happened, or Jonah couldn't really have been in the belly of a fish for three days. But as a follower of Yeshua, you have a sacrifice to make. The sacrifice that Nadab and Abihu never made. They made a sacrifice, but it was strange. God is calling you to make a real sacrifice. And the most real sacrifice that we can make is to become a living sacrifice. That is to lay down our thoughts, our ideas, our misunderstandings, our understandings, everything that we think before him and say, God, have your way. Let yout will be done. Let what yout say be established in my life. Let yout understanding become mine. And the things I don't understand about yout, I lay down as well, because I trust yout. I know that yout're good. And even when it seems like you're doing things that I don't see and understand, I understand that I'm bad, less than a toddler compared to you. So how can I judge you when I cannot even comprehend? You see, some people are all about being a living sacrifice until they're challenged by something that God asked us to do or believe that we don't understand. Jesus authenticated the Torah. He authenticated the law and prophets. He said in John 5:46 that if you believe Moses, you will believe Me, for He wrote of me. But if you don't believe his writings, how will you believe my words? Jesus says, if you don't believe in Me, you won't believe in the law. If you don't believe in the Law, you won't believe in Me. You cannot separate him from His Father, and the instructions that His Father has given. Nadab and Abihu should have taken Yeshua's advice. They should have listened to the words of Moses. Jesus also said in Matthew 10:38, and he that takes not his cross and follows after Me is not worthy of me. He that finds his life shall lose it. And he that loses life for my sake shall find it. Some believers are still holding onto their life when with dear life. But Yeshua said, we have to lose our life so that we may find it, because the only way to find your life is in Him. And he lost his life for you and called you to Pick up your cross and lose your life for him and his kingdom. And brothers and sisters, when we find ourselves in this humility, we will find ourselves coming one day to be with him face to face. And he will answer our questions. He will answer our confusions. 1 Corinthians 13:12 for now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And you say, well PD he needs to answer it right now. Well, who are you to ask of God that he must answer you right now? Were you there when he made the earth? Were you there when he created the mountains, when he crafted the seas? Were you there when he put the stars in the skies? We are so small, we require the humility of a child. Matthew 18:1 at that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And calling to him a child. He put him in the midst of them and said, truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Today's message was simple, but I hope that it speaks to you and it blesses you with remembering the glory of our God, that we may sanctify him among us and glorify him among us, doing all that pleases him, worshiping him with all of our hearts and being, becoming the living sacrifice that Nadab and Abihu failed to be. Father, I ask that you would create in us a clean heart, that you would humble us, that you would show us your majesty in the things that you have revealed and that you have revealed enough. Thank you for revealing above all the beauty of your son and your your offering for us. Lord, thank you for giving us revelation on how you desire to be worshiped, how you desire to be loved, and how we can best love one another. Help us to lead our families in the truth of who you are, not in the falsehood of who we want you to be. Lord, how we want you to be is irrelevant. Who you are is everything. We praise you, we worship you, we glorify you. Be sanctified among your people in the name of Yeshua. Amen. Guys, thank you so much for joining me today. Today we are marking 800 videos and 10 years of ministry at Rise On Farm. I just wanted to say thank you so very much for journeying with us, for watching, for subscribing, for commenting. We love you guys and we hope to continue as the Lord permits making videos for reaching people far and wide. I also want to remind you of my book called Reigniting Spirit and Truth where I speak about how God is restoring spirit and truth worship to his people, what that is and how you can become a part of it. You can find out [email protected] for a free PDF paperback or if you want to listen to me, read it the audiobook. We'll see you guys in the next video and thank you so much. Shalom.