Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons, took their censers and put fire in them and laid incense on it, and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord. Fire came forth from the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.
This is the hardest passage to preach. Two young priests do something that seems reasonable - they're bringing an offering - and they're killed for it. Why? Because they brought 'unauthorized fire.' They weren't following the prescribed way.
I think about this with young, zealous believers who want to serve in their own way, outside the structures and practices the church has developed. There's passion there, but without formation, without discipline, without the wisdom of tradition, it becomes presumptuous. This passage reminds me that not all religious fervor is welcome.
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