Strange fire, as it pertains to worship, is offering to God something other than that which He has clearly commanded. As fallen human beings, we have to be taught how to worship, because we do not naturally have it within us to worship anyone but ourselves. It is because of this fact why God has given extensive, detailed, and meticulous instructions regarding our worship of Him. Any deliberate deviation from what He has outlined, and approved, is a form of strange fire, of our own kindling.
Strange fires were first kindled by Cain, who sought to force The Lord to accept that which He had not commanded, by offering fruit of the ground instead of a lamb of the flocks. By offering a substitute, Cain had proposed to worship God according to his own finite ideas, and he thereby set the stage for other strange fires to be kindled by self-serving, subjective worshipers down through the ages. Let’s read:
Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.
In our day, contemporary Christianity has kindled a host of strange fires, which God neither recognizes or endorses. These fires range from the incoherent speaking in tongues, to Sunday keeping, and from dancehall-style praise, to the free use of alcoholic beverages in some communion services. Strange fires also include the use of the tithes, and offerings for personal gain, and self-aggrandizement.
But God has clearly stated in His word, and by the teaching of His providences, that strange fires will never be accepted, whether those fires be kindled deliberately, or inadvertently. That passage in the book of Acts which says, “At the times of ignorance God winked” is often misunderstood to mean that God accepted substitutes. Winked is not a synonym for accept, and furthermore, God commanded that necessary corrections to be made, two thousand years ago.
In the instance of Aaron’s sons, the strange fire was kindled under the influence of alcohol, and their sin was speedily, and signally dealt with, so that future generations would have on record, the way God will also deal with modern-day strange fires. Very many Christians are being brainwashed by false prophets into accepting a “Cool” Jesus, who sits idly by, while His laws, statutes, and His instructions are trampled upon.
Then again there are others who believe that God’s commands are all optional, and subject to variables such as feelings, emotionalism, and impulse. But in the example of Aaron’s two sons, God showed that He will not be trifled with, and any individual who desires to serve and worship Him, must of necessity do so according to those instructions given in bible, and nothing else. When we as mortals understand this basic fact, we will be prepared to worship God in spirit, and in truth. Let’s read:
Leviticus 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.
2 And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.
3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.
5 So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.
6 And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord hath kindled.
7 And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.
8 And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying,
9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
10 And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean.
There are very grave, and important lessons to be learned from this singular experience, lessons that are greatly needed in our day and age, where any, and everything seems to be incorporated under the banner of Christian worship, and lifestyle.
[1] Alcoholic beverages distort a person’s judgment and interferes with one’s ability to distinguish good from evil, and right from wrong. This is the reason given in the scripture for the perversion of the sons of Aaron, for their better judgment was impaired by the use of spiritous liquors; and by the way, there is a reason, why alcoholic beverages are referred to as “spirits”. Let’s read:
Leviticus 10:9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die.
10 That ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean.
Proverbs 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
When David had sinned against Bathsheba, and her husband Uriah, by their illicit rendezvous, Uriah had displayed excellent morals, by refusing to go home and have intimate relations with his wife. Thus, in sheer desperation, David sought as a last resort, to interfere with Uriah’s rational judgment, by offering him several bottles of Jack Daniels on the rocks, so as to confuse Uriah’s better judgment.
However, in this particular instance, the providence of God overruled David’s ploys, and kept Uriah both sober, and drunk at the same time, so that the small window of opportunity David had been hoping for, to credit Bathsheba’s pregnancy to Uriah now faded into oblivion. But one thing is certain, David knew exactly what he was doing when he reached into his refrigerator for those bottles of alcoholic beverages. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 11:12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here today also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart.
13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord but, went not down to his house.
[2] God does not accept, partial obedience that is deliberate, meaning, that if we know better, He will require better from us.
The idea that we are free to pick, and choose what we desire to obey is a non-starter, and, will lead us to outright rebellion. It is not good enough to keep nine commandments out of ten, because the one thus omitted, puts us in the category of breaking all ten. Spouses should not be faithful to each other 90% of the time, because the other 10% can lead to a permanent fracture in their relationship. Let’s read:
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
[3] Great blessings, great revelations, and privileges should always lead us to greater obedience. Those who are privileged to talk with God in the mountain must render commensurate obedience in the valley, for privilege is not license, and great revelations do not release one from obeying all of God’s word. On the contrary, the more revelations are given us, the more is expected of us. Let’s read:
Luke 12:48 For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 359>360] Next to Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu had stood highest in Israel. They had been especially honored by the Lord, having been permitted with the seventy elders to behold His glory in the mount. But their transgression was not therefore to be excused or lightly regarded. All this rendered their sin more grievous.
Because men have received great light, because they have, like the princes of Israel, ascended to the mount, and been privileged to have communion with God, and to dwell in the light of His glory, let them not flatter themselves that they can afterward sin with impunity, that because they have been thus honored, God will not be strict to punish their iniquity. This is a fatal deception.
The great light and privileges bestowed require returns of virtue and holiness corresponding to the light given. Great blessings or privileges should never lull to security or carelessness. They should never give license to sin or cause the recipients to feel that God will not be exact with them.
[4] False sympathy, which leads us to view God’s corrective judgments as cruel, unwarranted, and unfair, puts us in a position of aiding and abetting in the crimes committed. God is a Spirit, and therefore sympathy given to those who are deserving of God’s correction is a sign that we disagree with His actions and sets the stage for rebellion by contagion.
When Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were destroyed because of their rebellion against Moses and Aaron, the people had fled in terror, but in their hearts was murmuring against God, for what they thought was the unjust treatment of the conspirators, and their families. And the following day, this false sympathy found open expression in their complaints, and accusations against the Lord’s anointed. Let’s read:
Numbers 16:41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord.
42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.
44 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun.
47 And Aaron ran into the midst of the congregation, and behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
Leviticus 10:6 And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people.
In closing, there is a whole lot of foolishness taking place across the land, and liars, fraudsters, and all those who deliberately destroy the land, are found to be multiplying at an unprecedented scale. And for all intents and purposes it may now seem to the casual observer that God has forsaken the earth.
In addition to this, many professed Christians are countenancing the cruelties being done across the land, and no one seems to have the nerve, or the resolve to stand up for truth and righteousness. But when men fail to carry out God’s revealed will, then He will take matters into His own hands, which will result in catastrophic judgments, the likes of which we have never seen, or expected from The God of love. Let’s read:
[P&P pp 578] Those who have too little courage to reprove wrong, are held accountable for the evil that may result from their neglect of duty. We are just as responsible for evils that we might have checked in others by as if the acts had been our own.
Strange fires, which put the human agent at odds with God’s revealed will should be avoided under all circumstances, for God is impartial in His dealings, and if Moses was prevented from entering Canaan, because of striking the rock when God had required him to speak to the rock, then we who are living on the brink of eternity should clearly understand that whatever God requires, that alone will be accepted.
Therefore, we close with two important passages of scripture, so that whosoever will, may understand what is coming upon the earth, as a result of the many forms of strange fires now being offered. Let’s read:
Ezekiel 3:18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
Isaiah 28:21 For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.
22 Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word.
God Bless!