Strange Fire: (Healthy Fear - Part 2)
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” - John 4:23-24 (ESV)
In Jesus’ words, “....those who worship the Father must do so in spirit and truth.”
We are to be true worshipers. Our Father not only desires but requires true worship.
I might sound like a broken record with how many times I mention it in this space, but I believe it’s worth repeating. If anything, to remind ourselves of this biblical truth: true worship must stem from the heart.
King David, in Psalm 51:16-17 says, “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
God values inner transformation over ritualistic offerings. A "broken spirit" signifies humility and repentance. A "broken spirit" and "contrite heart" suggest a deep sorrow for sin and a sincere desire for reconciliation with God. This internal posture is essential for true repentance.
Whether it’s in our prayer closet or together with our brothers and sisters in church service, we should always be careful to bring this internal ‘posture’ before the Lord.
Why?
According to Scripture, this is what our Lord requires. A requirement is akin to a mandate, it’s not an option.
To meet this requirement, the Lord in all His grace has given us His Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit that enables us to come before the Lord in this posture.
The Spirit is doing the work of regenerating us from the inside, replacing our hearts of stone with a contrite, repentful heart. A heart of flesh Ezekial 36:26. A heart capable of worshipping in Spirit and Truth. Devoid of the Holy Spirit, we simply aren’t capable of meeting this requirement. We wouldn’t desire to meet this requirement.
We are capable of coming before the Lord, but what would we be offering? Would He look upon us and our offering with favor as He did with Abel, or would He have no regard for us nor or offering, as with Cain? Genesis 4.
Cain was ultimately cast out from the presence of the Lord after murdering his brother. But it started with his failure to bring a proper offering before the Lord to begin with. Because his heart was not postured correctly.
An even more tragic example of this can be found later in the book of Leviticus.
Imagine being born into a family lineage where your father was chosen by God to be the first high priest of Israel. Signifying the beginning of the formal priesthood, which would play a crucial role in mediating between God and His people. And because of the importance God places on family lineage in priesthood, you also are appointed to the priesthood, thus establishing a hereditary priestly line.
Your duties are varied and many: carrying out sacrifices, maintaining the tabernacle, teaching the law to the people.
You have been chosen by God to serve in a role requiring strict adherence and obedience to His commands.
Yet for you, it ends in instant, divine judgment.
That is the story of Nadab and Abihu found in Leviticus 10. The first two sons of Aaron, nephews of Moses, and ordained priests of Israel.
For whatever reason, they thought it ok to disobey a requirement of the law, and fire came out from the presence of the Lord. Totally consuming them.
What was their crime?
Offering "strange fire" before God. This strange (no pun intended) event is not just an ancient history lesson. It carries a sobering, powerful truth for every Christian and church congregation today.
What was the "Strange Fire"?
The Hebrew phrase esh zarah translates to "unauthorized, foreign, or profane fire."
Just a few chapters earlier, God gave highly specific instructions on how to worship Him. He even provided the fire Himself, miraculously igniting the altar.
The priests were commanded to keep that specific, divine fire burning continuously.
Instead, Nadab and Abihu took matters into their own hands. They brought their own fire from an unauthorized source, acting out of human presumption and flesh, rather than divine obedience.
Scripture also strongly implies that they may have been intoxicated while doing it.
esh zarah…. Unauthorized. Foreign. Profane.
God not only rejects such sacrifices, but there are consequences to them having been brought before Him.
Where was their reverence? They treated a holy moment with such casual carelessness.
As modern believers in a modern church, there is much we can learn from the story of Nadab and Abihu, and I encourage you, my brothers and sisters, to read and meditate on it.
I believe their story teaches our church family that:
While we live under grace and no longer face the immediate physical judgments of the Old Covenant, God's character has not changed. He is just as holy today as He was in the wilderness.
Worship is about God, not us. Nadab and Abihu worshiped on their own terms, in a way that felt right to them. True worship requires bowing our preferences to God's instructions.
Casualness breeds carelessness. Isn’t it wonderful that we can approach God intimately as our Father? Yes and amen! However, we must never lose our holy awe and reverence for Him as the Creator of the universe.
Obedience matters more than performance. I imagine Nadab and Abihu put on quite a visual show with their incense and censers, but God rejected the display because their hearts were disobedient. God desires our submission, not just our outward religious activities.
Grace and Truth. The story of strange fire is a heavy one, and honestly, may even terrify us to some degree. But I believe it really heightens our gratitude for Jesus Christ. Jesus perfectly fulfilled every holy requirement that we could not. Because of Jesus, we don’t approach God in fear of being consumed Hebrews 10:19-22. Instead, we are invited to draw near to the throne of grace Hebrews 4:16, but we must still approach with clean hands, humble hearts, and deep reverence.
I am so grateful that our worship team at Living Faith Christian Church approaches our daily lives, as well as our corporate worship in this posture.
This stems from Pastoral leadership that is led by the Holy Spirit, shepherding through biblical truths, with Jesus our High Priest at the head.
I pray that every ministry in every church, throughout every nation, does the same. All to the glory of God. Amen.
-Jorge Velez, Worship Director @ Living Faith