“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.” – Leviticus 10:1-2
As New Covenant Christians, we rightly emphasize the mercy, grace, kindness, and love of God. However, we must also remember those aren’t the complete portrait of the glorious God of Creation. He is not an “anything goes” kind of God nor a God of “you do you, I’ll do me”. God’s holiness, righteousness, and justice are not to be taken lightly. The small details of faithful obedience matter.
The sons of Aaron, the newly installed High Priest, were killed early in their ministry because they decided to improvise. Though God’s instructions were clear, these two men decided they knew better. How very much like us! The old covenant highlights the holiness and majesty of the God they had seen work wonders before their eyes, yet these two new priests decided to go beyond the covenant and do whatever seemed right to them. Are we that different today?
Though we stand before the Lord in the glorious grace given by God through faith in Jesus, we are wise to take seriously what the Bible says to do and what it says not to do. Jesus’ disciple-making command to His followers wasn’t just about baptizing people, but also teaching them to obey *everything* He commanded. The small details of faithful obedience still matter! New life in Christ isn’t simply about uplifting experiences on Sunday mornings, but deep and sacrificial obedience to Christ every day and in every way.