Why was God so hard on Nadab and Abihu? Sure, they tried to incorporate some sort of innovation into the form of worship at the Tabernacle, but did they really deserve to get killed over it?
In order to understand all this, we need to remember that every part of the worship service, from the priests’ garments to the rituals they performed, all pointed in one way or another to the Person and Work of Christ. In the days before Jesus went to the cross, the only way that people could understand God’s plan of salvation was to observe everything the priests did. So, making any change in any of the symbolism, however small, meant running the risk of obscuring people’s view of Jesus.
And our own worship services need to have the same unwavering emphasis. No, we are no longer bound to one particular form of worship. The church now spans the globe, so music or clothing or furniture that are perfectly appropriate in one cultural context might seem strange or goofy or even offensive to other people.
But if worship styles may vary, the content of our worship must point in exactly the same direction as did the Tabernacle ritual. That means that everything we say and sing and do in worship must point only to Jesus, drawing people closer to Him. We must therefore be vigilant to keep the focus on Christ alone, and what better way to do that than to obey the clear directions He has given us and to follow the example of the early Church?
So, when we gather for worship, let’s sing our psalms and hymns in a way that glorifies only God. Let’s pray in the power of the Holy Spirit in the name of Christ. Let’s celebrate the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper as Jesus told us to do. Let’s hear the Word of God and try our best to learn what it means. Anything else just might be a bit like offering up unauthorized fire.
Leviticus 10:1-3 (ESV)
Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.'” And Aaron held his peace.
