Talk about your sudden turn of events . . . about going from your high to your low . . . about going from glory to grief. Sudden, swift, and absolutely life-changing . . . that’s the feeling you get as you finish reading Leviticus 9 and then head into chapter 10. Here it is:

Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’” So Aaron held his peace. (Leviticus 9:22-10:3)

Man! What a sour, sobering end to what had been an amazing “opening ceremonies.” The tabernacle had just been opened for business . . . the business of atonement. The priests had just been consecrated . . . the offerings for their atonement completed, they were now ready to make atonement for the people. Aaron, the high priest, raises his hand in exaltation as he finishes up the offerings. Moses joins him and together they bless the people. The glory of the Lord then appears . . . fire comes directly out of the cloud (assuming a cloud was how God manifested His glory) and consumes the offerings on the altar. The people cry out with joy . . . or fear . . . or both . . . and then go facedown before Jehovah. And then it happens.

What exactly they were thinking, we don’t know. But the sons of Aaron . . . those called to minister with their dad as priests . . . Nadab and Abihu . . . they decide to improvise. They are inside the tent . . . at the altar of incense . . . just before the curtain which closes off the Holy of Holies. They take their censers . . . and they approach God with what they thought was a pretty cool offering . . . but one which the Lord had not commanded them. And then . . . BAM!!! Fire comes out of the cloud . . . the glory of God “devours” them . . . they are consumed by fire . . . they lay their dead. What they had thought would be their shining moment, had become the end of their service to God . . . and end to their lives.

And you can’t help but think, “Seems a bit extreme, don’t you think?” Apparently not.

God has made atonement . . . through the blood of Christ He has taken down the veil and given us, as believers, bold access into the most Holy place. We enter by the grace of God . . . we enter clothed in the righteousness of Christ . . . but we are to enter reverently. Those who would come near to God must regard Him as holy . . . not as common place. Those who would come near must come to glorify Him . . . not themselves.

And it’s not about ritual . . . but about a right heart. Setting Him apart as holy . . . desiring to bring Him the glory due His name . . . that’s the offering He desires . . . that’s the heart attitude He deserves . . . that’s the privilege we possess. Father, keep us from offering “profane fire” . . . by Your grace, and through the Spirit within us, lead us to offer only that which pleases You. Amen.