"And Nadab and Abihu...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. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said...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" (Lev. 10:1-3).
The book of Leviticus teaches us that God is a Holy God. Therefore we cannot approach the Lord in just any kind of way. Nadab and Abihu, who were suppose to be examples of this truth, offered incense unto God with fire (type of prayer) in an unholy manner and paid for it with their lives. What was unholy about how they approached God. It appears that only the High Priest had the divine directive from God to place incense on a censer with the coals from the altar and present them before the Lord. There is also some indication from the text that Nadab and Abihu were drunk when they offered the incense unto God. Whatever the case, the bible says that they offered strange fire. In other words it was offered in a way that was offensive to a Holy God. The sacrifices and offerings that the Priest brought before the Lord were to be a pleasing aroma unto him.
In Proverbs we read, "The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?" (Proverbs 21:27). In a similar passage the bible says, "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight" (Proverbs 15:8). Through the blood that Jesus shed on the cross all the shadows and types found in the Levitical sacrifices and offering in the Tabernacle were fulfilled in Him. Jesus is our High Priest who offered up himself for our sins as a Lamb without spot or blemish (1 Peter 1:19). Therefore we no longer need a human mediator to come before a Holy God and neither do we need to offer animal sacrifices to make atonement for our sins. When now have the awesome privilege of personally approaching God’s Holy presence. Why has God given us this Holy access to Him? Has God now become are genie? Does God exist to please us or do we exist to please him? “Now in(A) a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay,(B) some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21Therefore,(C) if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable,[a] he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house,(D) ready for every good work. 22So(E) flee(F) youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with(G) those who call on the Lord(H) from a pure heart” (2 Tim. 2:20).
We have access to God not so that God can be a glorified Santa Clause. We have access to God so that we can cleanse ourselves of all that is dishonorable and present ourselves unto the Lord as vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house,(D) ready for every good work.” We have access to God so that we can present ourselves as living sacrifices and be a pleasing aroma unto him.
Jesus taught His disciple that when they come before God in prayer they should pray in this manner, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name..." God is able and loves to give good gifts unto His children in answer to prayer. But whatever we seek God for, may the underlying desire be the hallowing of His name.
Prayer: Our father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name. You deserve for your name to be exalted above all names in the whole earth. “Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory, and honor and power; for thou has created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:11). Lord my desire is to always be ready, wanting and willing to live to spread the fame of your name. Lord, I need your provision, I need your forgiveness, I need to forgive others, I need strength to resist temptation and to lay aside all sin in my life. I need you to answer these petitions because first and foremost I desire for your name to be hallowed in and through my life—because I want to live for your kingdom and do all things for thy pleasure. Grant that your name would be made holy in my life, my home, in the church where I serve and in the world that you created. In Jesus holy and precious name I pray. Amen.
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