It’s shocking! Absolutely unexpected! No one saw it coming! It reminds me of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in ’86 when it broke apart 73 seconds after it launched. Weeks and months of prep . . . anticipation building for the excitement of “T minus 0” . . . a seemingly perfect launch . . . and then . . . tragedy! True of the Challenger . . . true of the start-up of worship in the tabernacle . . . there may be a lesson in this morning’s reading on avoiding a tragedy.

Reading Leviticus 8 through 10 this morning. And I imagine there’s a certain excitement in the air. The tabernacle is built . . . the priestly garments are fashioned . . . instructions for the offerings have been given . . . time to get at ‘er! Time to offer sacrifices . . . sacrifices of atonement . . . sacrifices of communion and fellowship . . . sacrifices of praise, thanksgiving, and worship . . . sacrifices to arise to God as “sweet smelling savors” (NKJV), as “pleasing aromas” (ESV).

And so Moses, under the direction of the LORD, consecrates Aaron and his sons for the work of the priesthood. Love that word “consecrate” . . . we don’t use it enough today. Moses “set apart as sacred” Aaron and his sons . . . those who ministered before the Holy One of heaven, were to be holy. And so, with great care, they are dressed in their priestly garments, sacrifices of atonement and sanctification are offered for these rookie priests . . . the blood applied upon their garments and upon their bodies . . . consecrated for the work of the Lord . . . “T minus 10, and counting . . . ”

After 7 days of preparation, on the eighth day, time to launch tabernacle worship. Aaron & Sons are to first bring offerings for themselves and then bring a sin offering, a burnt offering, a peace offering, and a grain offering for the people . . . for, they are told, “the LORD will appear to you . . . that the glory of the LORD may appear to you” (Lev. 9:1-10) Can you imagine the excitement? To this point, only Moses had been permitted to get so up close and personal . . . now, this called and set apart priesthood would also know the privilege of mediating between the God of Abraham and these children of Abraham. And I’m thinking you can just feel the anticipation in the air as “all the congregation drew near and stood before the Lord” (9:5). “T minus 0 . . . we have launch!”

And these newly commissioned priests of the living God start offering the sacrifices . . . just as the LORD had commanded. The sin offerings of atonement . . . the burnt offerings of worship . . . the peace offering of fellowship (9:8-21). And, as the old saying goes, “Then, the glory came down!” . . . “the glory of the LORD appeared to the people. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces” (9:23b-24). Oh glorious day! What wonder! What awe! And then . . . before moving to the final offering, the grain offering, that offering which punctuates the other offerings with a sweet smelling aroma . . . then, the wheels come off . . . crash and burn . . . tragedy!

We can only speculate what was going through the minds of Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, when they decided to “wing it.” What led them to improvise is a bit of a mystery. Was it arrogance? . . . Were they simply caught up in the moment? . . . Could they have been drinking the night before and the morning of (see Lev. 10:8-9)? Don’t know for sure. What I do know is that these boys’ “unauthorized fire before the LORD” (10:1) was a big deal . . . and cost them their lives. How come?

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.” (Leviticus 10:3 ESV)

And I can’t help but reflect on my connection with Aaron & Co. . . . that I too have been called out and separated for service to my God . . . that, with all God’s redeemed, I am “being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1Peter 2:5). Mine is to minister before God, to offer spiritual sacrifices . . . my worship . . . my service . . . my life . . . in such way that “before all the people He will be glorified.”

My God is holy, holy, holy . . . Father, by your grace, keep me from offering “unauthorized fire” . . . keep me from crashing and burning and lessening the greatness of Your Name . . . use me so that people might behold Your glory and know Your presence . . .