But Wait, There's More.

At the bottom of my blog page is a necessary disclaimer: "My blog posts do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of my pastors nor of the denomination at large."

On occasion, a pastor will express his or her viewpoint concerning a blog post: when one does, I add the comment to the "Comments" section of that particular post. Today, though, the viewpoint expressed really needs to be the main post (and not relegated to the comments section). So I'd like to share with you some information from Pastor Sam in light of this past Tuesday's post (Engaging The Fire Of Intercession, Part One).

In using Exodus 30:1-10 to supplement Tuesday's post, I failed to take into account other passages that give a different perspective of the place and role of Nadab and Abihu in regard to intercession. Here, then, are additional notes and texts:

"Please note that Aaron's duties were allied with that of his sons. Their mis-step was therefore not in what they were doing, but in how they were doing it. To see that the responsibility of the priesthood involved both Aaron and his sons see the following texts: Exodus 27:21 and 28:1-5; Leviticus 1:7, 3:13, 6:9-15,and 6:19-25. Your emphasis on the "intercessory" implication of the priestly work therefore do not (based on these texts) exclude [Nadab and Abihu]. Their problem was that they sought to do it their way instead of God's way." (Pastor Sam)

So, given these additional points, I must abandon my theory that Nadab and Abihu were, like Miriam, seeking to walk into a role they weren't suited for. It is, therefore, summarily removed and replaced with the key thought provided by our pastor:

"... they sought to do it their way instead of God's way."

That is a good thing for us to reflect on today: if God prescribes a particular course of action, what valid justification can you or I give for not following His instructions?

Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still. (Adelaide A. Potter, 1907)

Lord, we want to "do life" Your way. Cause us to execute Your good, acceptable, and perfect will.

Engaged By God To The Fire Of Intercession, Part Two.

As we continue our reflection on the error of Nadab and Abihu, let’s take a look at the relationship between the altar of incense, the lamps, the oil, and the anointing and responsibility unique to intercessors.

The lamps are not just for light. The prophet Zechariah was given a word of knowledge concerning the lamps in the temple of God (found in Zechariah chapter 4). The lamps were symbolic of the way in which God's leaders speak in the world: not by might nor power, but by the Holy Spirit (see Zechariah 4:6). And, in several Old Testament texts, we see that the Holy Spirit’s anointing (associated with leadership) was signified by the presence of oil. Zechariah was given a vision of this:

Next I asked the [angelic] messenger, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the menorah?” Before he could reply I asked again, “What are these two extensions of the olive trees, which are emptying out the golden oil through the two golden pipes?” He replied, “Don’t you know what these are?” And I said, “No, sir.” So he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” (Zechariah 4:11-14) By implication, then, a person who is not designated as an “anointed one” is not qualified to stand as an intercessor for the community because he has not taken on the task of tending to the lamps and oil-- a metaphor of life lived "by the Spirit" (see Galatians 5:16).

The incense is not just for aroma. The book of Revelation gives a stunning commentary on the power of intercessory prayer. The imagery used is that of bowls of incense. Our prayers are carried with bowls of incense to heaven, poured out before the Lord, and the emptied bowls are then re-filled with God’s decisions/judgements and hurled back to the earth (Revelation 8:1-5; Revelation 15:7 through 16:21). This helps to clarify why God was so specific concerning the way in which incense offerings were to be presented: it was not simply an issue of smells. It was an earthly representation of a heavenly protocol.

In Exodus 25:9 we see the command given to Moses: “You must do everything exactly as I show you.” Why? Because the place and way of ministry serve as a reflection of God and His glorious kingdom. Nadab and Abihu opted to do things “not exactly” the way God intended, and it cost them their lives.

You can't deal with the altar of incense unless you deal with the lamps. The work of Aaron, daily, was to both offer the incense and tend to the lamps as he met with the LORD (see Exodus 30:6-8). Specifically, while the incense was burning on the altar, its flame provided enough light so that Aaron could clean the lamps, empty out the old oil, and add fresh oil. For us today, the same process occurs in our beings. In the realm of prayer we receive enlightenment from God, we are emptied of our old tendencies, and we are filled and re-filled with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. It no wonder, then, that Scripture urges us to pray continually (First Thessalonians 5:17).

God demands, and expects, an accurate reflection of Himself in the earth. And He has chosen us, anointed as twenty-first century kings and priests, to be that reflection (see First Peter 2:9). Let us heed the warning from the lives of Nadab and Abihu. God loves us, and He urges us to walk in His statutes. Do we dare to carry unauthorized fire into His most holy place? For the sake of His Name, our Lord holds the option to shut us down… even while we’re dressed in our vestments, standing on the platform, holding our offending fire pans. God sees your slackness, Nadab and Abihu. It is why He warns you so.

"So get rid of all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. And yearn like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation, if you have experienced the Lord’s kindness. So as you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and priceless in God’s sight, you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (First Peter 2:1-5)

Engaged By God To The Fire Of Intercession, Part One.

“You are to make an altar for burning incense; you are to make it of acacia wood. Its length is to be a foot and a half and its width a foot and a half; it will be square. Its height is to be three feet, with its horns of one piece with it. You are to overlay it with pure gold – its top, its four walls, and its horns – and make a surrounding border of gold for it. You are to make two gold rings for it under its border, on its two flanks; you are to make them on its two sides. The rings will be places for poles to carry it with. You are to make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. You are to put it in front of the curtain that is before the ark of the testimony (before the atonement lid that is over the testimony), where I will meet you. Aaron is to burn sweet incense on it morning by morning; when he attends to the lamps he is to burn incense. When Aaron sets up the lamps around sundown he is to burn incense on it; it is to be a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. You must not offer strange incense on it, nor burnt offering, nor meal offering, and you must not pour out a drink offering on it. Aaron is to make atonement on its horns once in the year with some of the blood of the sin offering for atonement; once in the year he is to make atonement on it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.” (Exodus 30:1-9)

Then Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his fire pan and put fire in it, set incense on it, and presented strange fire[unauthorized fire; profane fire; unholy fire; a different kind of fire] before the Lord, which He had not commanded them to do. So fire went out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them so that they died before the Lord. Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke: ‘Among the ones close to Me I will show myself holy, and in the presence of all the people I will be honored.’” So Aaron kept silent. (Leviticus 10:1-3)

It seems that Nadab and Abihu, similar to their aunt Miriam, made the mistake of attempting to step in to someone else’s job function without giving heed to the job description.

When God instructed Moses on the construction and ministry requirements of the tabernacle, He called Aaron by name as the High Priest who would bear responsibility for daily carrying the petitions of the people to God (Exodus 30:10). As Pastor Sam shared with us on Sunday, Aaron’s job description included intercession (speaking to God on behalf of the people) and interpretation (speaking to people on behalf of God).

Further, God was very specific concerning the way in which Aaron was to carry out his responsibility for intercessory prayer:

• The incense had to be burned on the altar that stood in front of the ark (Exodus 30:36);
• It had to be offered as part of the process of caring for the lamps (Exodus 30:7-8); and
• It had to be offered once in the morning and once as evening approached (Exodus 30:7-8).

Intercessory prayer is a special assignment. Perhaps this is why Nadab and Abihu were struck down by the LORD instantly, even as the offending fire was still in their fire pans:

• The use of fire pans instead of the altar (for burning the incense) was not authorized;
• The offering was not accompanied by the co-requisite attendance to the lamps; and
• The persons making the offering were not authorized to do so.

Leviticus 10:1 is clear about the root cause of the deaths of Nadab and Abihu: God had not commanded them to engage intercessory prayer. And this might be a challenging concept for some of us, especially in light of New Testament scripture that urges us to pray at all times, with all kinds of prayers… perhaps we are under the impression that “all kinds of prayers” implies “anything goes, and anyone can go.”

But intercessory prayer is not an “anything goes” venture. It is a job in which, as Pastor Sam warned us, “If you take your job for granted, you might hurt yourself”… even if you are sons of the High Priest.

Tomorrow, we’ll take a closer look at the ministry of intercession.

The Open Show: Nahab and Abihu

"Aaron's sons Nahab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD" (Leviticus 10:1-2).

It's a dangerous thing to engage in activity that is in opposition to the mandate of God. Nahab and Abihu approached the presence of God unworthily, and in the light of His awesome presence they perished.

God particularly doesn't like it when people approach Him with unauthorized forms of worship. He made this clear at the beginning of man's history, as we see recorded in Genesis 4. Cain was rebuked and warned for his offering of fruits: "if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door" (see Genesis 4:7). The implication is that Cain knew what was the right thing to offer, but chose to offer an alternative.

We have the same scenario in Leviticus 10. Nadab and Abihu, along with their two brothers, were present with their father Aaron as Moses instructed them on the proper way to offer the various sacrifices and offerings before the LORD. So they were not ignorant, they were disobedient. But, unlike Cain, Nahab and Abihu did not get a second chance.

God had said previously, "Among those who approach me I will show myself holy" (Leviticus 10:3) - and in that statement we are reminded of the power of God which presents itself in the community of faith, which we've discussed in several of the Back to Basics blogs. There is no question that God shows up. But there is a question of whether the people of God are ready to experience what happens when He shows up in His power.

There are modern-day versions of this scenario, where we see the service of worship compromised by persons who, knowing the mandate of God, choose to step in and defiantly do their own thing. Armed with laptop and lectionary, they make up their own contributions to a ministry they were not called to. And God, in His grace, still ensures that the message He intended to send is sent clearly. "My word will not return void, but will accomplish the purpose for which I sent it..." (see Isaiah 55:10-11). But the day comes when He shows up... and when He does, make sure you are not found offering the strange fire. If you are, you will die and someone will carry you out of the sanctuary (Leviticus 10:4). Those who disobey the mandate of God will be put to an open show.