God Conversation

In En-hakkore a spring was miraculously supplied to Samson.

The context of this miracle

Judges 15 describes the result of a Philistine incursion meant to capture Samson. The Israelites in Judah hand Samson over when he volunteers to have his hands tied with new rope. However, when he sees the Philistine forces, Samson is empowered by God's Spirit. He snaps his restraints and attacks. Using only jawbone of a donkey, he slaughters the enemy troops and shouts out a clever poem about his victory. God then answers Samson's plea for water.

Judges 15:19 - And God split open the hollow place that is at Lehi, and water came out from it. And when he drank, his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore the name of it was called En-hakkore; it is at Lehi to this day.

God spared Samson's life

What happened is truly miraculous. Empowered by God's Spirit, he wiped out an entire Philistine army with nothing more than the jawbone of a donkey. It's not surprising that he'd be intensely thirsty after such battle.

Samson prayed and The Lord responds to Samson's request immediately. He splits open a nearby rock, which gushes water. Samson drinks and is revived. God graciously gives Samson what he asks, despite Samson's pride and selfishness.

En-hakkore

The new spring is later called "En-hakkore," which literally means "the spring of him who called."

The term Lehi, itself, means "jawbone," likely a name given because of the events of this chapter.

God can spare your life too

Psalm 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life

What is God trying to teach you through bad experiences? What does He want to do in your life? God loves you and has a plan for your life. You aren’t here by chance, nor are you here just to live for yourself without any thought of God.  Don’t ignore God any longer, but by faith commit your life to Christ today.

God needs to work on each one of us. Perhaps you can see God’s hand on your life. He’s brought you through some events in life that made you wonder why He ever saved you? God has brought you this far for a purpose. He wants to spare your life.

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

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Joshua 10:12–14 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.  And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.

Many explanations have been given concerning this event. Some suggest a “local miracle” in which God allowed light to remain in Gibeon, much like the Hebrews had light even when the Egyptians were in the dark (Exodus 10:23). However, the text seems to indicate an actual change of the earth’s rotation, since it says the sun did not set.

We may not have a scientific explanation of how God performed this miracle, but He did.

God performed a wonderful miracle, causing the sun to delay its “setting.” God stopped the motion of the earth. There are objections to this explanation, based on the physics of motion, but the God who created the world and established natural laws is perfectly capable of compensating for any collateral complications. 

We may not fully understand how this “long day” occurred, a miracle does not have to be scientifically proven—just accepted. Joshua prayed, and God supernaturally provided the light necessary for Joshua’s army to win its battle.

Why did the day extend?

According to Joshua 10, the Israelite leader, Joshua, made a “mad dash” to get to Gibeon to protect that town against a coalition of Amorite kings. Like any good military leader in antiquity, Joshua inquired of God about his chances in battle; God guaranteed victory, which was all Joshua needed to know.

In compliance with God’s will to punish the terribly wicked nations of Canaan (Deuteronomy 9:5; Joshua 10:8), Joshua and his army of Israelites engaged in battle with the “five kings of the Amorites” and their armies at Gibeon (Joshua 10:5,10).

The consequence of the miracle

When we research this amazing miracle people try to give different explanations on how this was possible or impossible.

I would like to tell you my take. God is able to extend a day so that you will achieve victory. This was the consequence of this great miracle

God is "the Father of lights” (James 1:17). According to 1 John 1:5 "He is light"

If God was able to create the sun, the moon and the stars, wouldn't he be able to stop them from rotating if he wanted?

There are no limits to what you can accomplish through God 

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Jesus lives in you, and He strengthens you. In your own strength you can do nothing, but in the strength of God, you can do all things. "All things" means there is no limit to what you can do. God has given you everything you need to be successful in accomplishing His purposes in your life.

Push your limits out, as far they will go. Be bold in your prayers and even though God may not stop the rotation of the earth for you He is able to do more than what you ask, think or imagine.

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

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This is the first miracle in the promised land.

Right after the crossing of the Jordan the first town to be overcomes was heavily fortified and almost impossible to conquer.

The story of the walls of Jericho falling down, recorded in Joshua 6:1–27, is one that vividly demonstrates the miraculous power of God.

The people of Israel had just crossed over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan (Joshua 3:14–17). This was the land of milk and honey God had promised to Abraham over 500 years earlier (Deuteronomy 6:3, 32:49). After spending forty difficult years wandering in the desert of Sinai, the people of Israel were now on the eastern banks of the Jordan. Their challenge: take the land of Canaan, the Promised Land.

Conquering the city

In ancient warfare such cities were either taken by assault or surrounded and the people starved into submission. Its invaders might try to weaken the stone walls with fire or by tunneling, or they might simply heap up a mountain of earth to serve as a ramp. Each of these methods of assault took weeks or months, and the attacking force usually suffered heavy losses. However, the strategy to conquer the city of Jericho was unique in two ways. First, the strategy was laid out by God Himself, and, second, the strategy was a seemingly foolish plan. God simply told Joshua to have the people to march silently around Jericho for six days, and then, after seven circuits on the seventh day, to shout.

Though it seemed foolish, Joshua followed God’s instructions to the letter. When the people did finally shout, the massive walls collapsed instantly, and Israel won an easy victory. In fact, God had given the city of Jericho to them before they even began to march around its walls (Joshua 6:2, 16). It was when the people of God, by faith, followed the commands of God that the walls of Jericho fell down (Joshua 6:20).

God is stronger than any walls!

Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.

Jericho was the gateway city to Canaan that the Israelites came to when they entered the Promised Land. The walls of Jericho should have been impenetrable. What Joshua and the Israelites were up against may have seemed impossible to overcome. But they followed God anyway with full trust and hope in His promise, and faithfulness that He would indeed fight for them to claim the land that was promised to them.

This biblical story reminds us how crucial it is to lean on God and put our trust in Him, because that is when the impossible can happen

The outcome may not be instant, so keep waiting on the Lord.

The Israelites were not given permission by God to simply storm the city when they were ready. They had to wait seven days. They marched, they camped, and they waited on God to move.

Isaiah 40:31  but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

We need God to win our battles, to empower us to love others, to overcome obstacles, and to make a lasting impact in the world

Perhaps you are waiting on God, or maybe you are wondering if He’ll come through. Whatever your situation, the fallen walls of Jericho remind us of God’s power and faithfulness that we can believe in and put our hope in.

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Several Bible stories involve the Jordan River. God often called his followers to cross the Jordan as part of his divine plan.

The Israelites feared the people of Canaan. As punishment for their lack of faith, God did not allow any Israelite over twenty years old to enter the Promised Land;including Moses. The Israelites wandered for forty years, and despite begging God to allow him to enter, Moses only viewed the Promised Land from a distance.

Joshua 3:14-17

14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

The Ark of the Covenant

There is a religious object that is very significant to understanding this passage and that is the ark of the covenant. I believe the ark is mentioned ten times in these seventeen verses. (Joshua 3:3,6,8,11,13,14,15,17)

The ark of the covenant is leading the way into the Promised Land. The ark of the covenant stops the flow of the Jordan River from sweeping away the people of God.

The ark of the covenant, given the things we just have said, is symbolic of Christ Jesus. Inside of the ark is the scroll of the law. Over the law of God is the mercy seat of God upon which the high priest on the day of atonement would sprinkle blood to atone for the sins and the people. And provide the people access to God.Christ is God with us. Christ is holy God with us. Christ leads us out of slavery. Christ leads us across the Jordan River. Christ prevents the waters of death sweeping us away from Him. Christ brings us into the Promised Land, where He is now waiting for us.

Centuries later, the true Ark of God would come among us, the living Immanuel. The Ark contained the Ten Commandments; Jesus fulfilled the Law (Matt.5:17)

God is with them. The people of God enter the Jordan River. Christ is with them. They face all their fears with Christ. They face the fear-of-fears, even death, with Christ.

Psalm 114:3-7 records it: The sea looked and fled; the Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills, like lambs. Why was it, sea, that you fled? Jordan, that you turned back? Mountains, that you skipped like rams? Hills, like lambs? (Here's the answer) Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob.

We need to "Cross our Jordan"

Before the crossing Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, because the Lord will do wonders among you tomorrow."

The Hebrew word for consecrate means "to prepare, to dedicate, to be hallowed, to be holy, to be separate or set apart."

Two things we must do

* Personal repentance of every known sin

* Putting ourselves on spiritual alert to see God at work

To cross the uncrossable we must 1) Fix our gaze on Jesus--sensing His movements and follow; and 2) Set ourselves apart from sin unto Him, being on constant alert spiritually for the hand of the Lord around us.

We must be ready to move when He does His work, always being mindful that if anything is going to last, it's from the Lord.

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Balaam was a prophet, or soothsayer who was called by Balak, king of the Moabites, to travel to Moab and curse the Israelites who had invaded Moab.

Numbers 22:5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: 22:6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me

Balaam, the seer, is riding on his she-ass to deliver a paid-for-in-ad­vance imprecation of the Jews. God, who is not too keen on cursing Israel, stations an angel to block his journey. But there’s a catch: only the donkey can see the angel. 

Numbers 22:23 And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

The first time, the angel appears with a drawn sword. The animal, intelligently, swerves off the path; Balaam whacks her. The second time, the angel appears in a narrow space between two vineyard walls, mashing Balaam’s foot; Balaam whacks her again. The third time, the angel chooses such a narrow place on the path that the animal’s only option is to lie down; and Balaam whacks her again. Whereupon—here it comes—the she-ass turns to Balaam and speaks

Numbers 22:30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.

Balaam only says to the donkey, "How dare you mock me! If I had a sword, I’d kill you right here and now"(Numbers 22:28–29). (There is no indication whatsoever here that talking to your ass is abnor­mal!)

Then—and only then—does "the Lord open Balaam’s eyes . . ."(Numbers 22:31). Balaam has a short conversation with the angel and realizes that his donkey has been way ahead of him all along.

The Parable

This story is about the standard, mythic three con­fron­tations with an invisible angel, and each one is increasingly difficult to ignore. Indeed, the great "seer"is effectively "blind,"while a dumb animal (and she-asses are notor­iously dumb) can see that his mission is contrary to God’s plan.

The question now quickly becomes: Can the seer raise himself to the level of a don­key? (And can we?)

Balaam was (1) rerouted, (2) squee­zed, and finally, (3) stopped until he gets his eyes open­ed and see what’s really going on.

The end of the story

Numbers 24:1–3, 5 "Now Balaam, seeing that it pleased the Eternal to bless Israel, did not, as on previous occasions, go in search of omens, but turned his face toward the wilderness. As Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the spirit of God came upon him. Taking up his theme, he said: '. . . How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!’" 

Balaam’s name and story became infamous, and he is referred to three times in the New Testament. 

* Peter compares false teachers to Balaam, “who loved the wages of wickedness” (2 Peter 2:15). 

* Jude echoes this sentiment, associating Balaam with the selling of one’s soul for financial gain (Jude 1:11). 

* Jesus speaks of Balaam when He warns the church in Pergamum of their sin: “There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality” (Revelation 2:14). 

Satan’s tactics haven’t changed all that much. If he cannot curse God’s people directly, he will try the back-door approach, and idolatry and sexual immorality are his go-to temptations.

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Numbers 21:8-9 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

God’s people are yet again rebelling against God and what’s happening is there’s basically a curse among God’s people and they are all getting bit by snakes and dying.

God delivered judgment, but then He delivered mercy

When the grumbling Israelites looked to the bronze serpent held high on a pole, they were saved from the punishment they deserved. Mercifully, God used the emblem of His judgment to draw His people back to Himself.

First we see that the people asked Moses to pray that the snakes would be removed.

Numbers 21:7 “Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” 

God didn't answer that prayer. Are you asking God to remove your illness? In the same way, God can answer in a different way. He nailed the sickness to the cross but we need to obey him to receive what we are asking.

Jesus talking about the snake of bronze

John 3:14 “just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. So the son of man must be lifted up that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

When Jesus talks about being lifted up, he’s not talking about being exalted here in Heaven at the Father’s right hand. He’s talking about being lifted up on a cross. 

* The Israelites looked to a snake on a pole for healing from poisonous venom.

* We look to the Savior on the cross to heal us from the poison of sin.

* They were given an injunction against immediate physical death.

* We’re saved from spiritual death, and granted eternal life instead.

There is healing in Jesus

God asks Moses to erect a bronze serpent which in the Bible is symbolic of judgement. You see, God has judged the illness you live with on the body of Jesus.

Numbers 21:8 Then the LORD said to Moses “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it [hebeit], he will live.

You and I look at the Cross with the intention and expectation to receive all that Jesus died to give us. Healing, restoration, provision, peace, and victory

Hebrews 6:12 it is through ‘faith and patience we inherit the promises’. 

It’s by ‘looking intently’ at the cross (and the Scriptures) that builds our faith.

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Miriam passed away

Miriam, prophetess and sister of Moses, passed away. With her passing, the rock that supplied the Jews with water dried up. The Jews had this miraculous well in Miriam’s merit, so when she passed on, the well ran dry, and the Jews were left in the desert without water.

This was not the first time the Jews had no water. It is actually the third time the Bible records such a story.

* The first time was when the Jews were fresh out of Egypt. They arrived in a place called Marah, where all the water was bitter

* The second time4 was shortly after the first, when the Jews were in Refidim and also ran out of water. 

* This third time happens 40 years later, on the eve of the Jews’ entry to the Promised Land

Numbers 20 The congregation had no water; so they assembled against Moses and Aaron. The people quarreled with Moses, and they said, "If only we had died with the death of our brothers before the Lord. Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord to this desert so that we and our livestock should die there? Why have you taken us out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place; it is not a place for seeds, or for fig trees, grapevines, or pomegranate trees, and there is no water to drink.”

Then it says that God said to Moses, SPEAK TO THE ROCK

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Take the staff and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron, and speak to the rock in their presence so that it will give forth its water.

Moses did not follow the instructions

Moses took the staff from before the Lord as He had commanded him. Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in front of the rock, and he said to them, "Now listen, you rebels, can we draw water for you from this rock?" Moses raised his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, when an abundance of water gushed forth, and the congregation and their livestock drank.

The Jews had watched him bring water from a rock for 40 years, and God had just commanded him to do precisely that. Why the hesitation? Additionally, why did Moses call the Jews “rebels,” and why did he hit the rock twice?

At this stage in the story, all seems pretty standard. No water, people complain, Moses prays, God performs a miracle. Seems like a regular day for the Jews in the desert. The next verse is where the story takes a turn:

The waters of Meribah (dispute)

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Since you did not have faith in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly to the Land which I have given them. These are the waters of dispute [Mei Meribah] where the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and He was sanctified through them.

In an instant, Moses and Aaron’s dreams were crushed. Their life’s goal, to bring the Jews to the Promised Land, dissolved to dust.

The Lord still kept His promise in providing water but told Aaron and Moses that they would not enter the Promised Land because of their failure to obey Him.

Being a place of strife and testing, Meribah is worthy of remembrance. 

Psalm 95:8 warns, “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness”

Aaron’s and Moses’ disobedience at Meribah Kadesh kept them from entering the Promised Land as well. Disobedience and unbelief have enduring consequences that can affect the rest of one’s life.

Moses was culpable of sin: He hit the rock when he should have spoken to it. According to some commentators he should have brought water from all the other rocks as well. 

God still did the miracle and the people got the water they needed

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Numbers 16:31-35 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!”  And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

The rebellion of Korah

The rebellion of Korah demonstrates the grim consequences of usurping the authority of God and of those whom He has chosen to be leaders of His people.

Korah was the oldest son of Izhar, who was the son of Kothath of the tribe of Levi. Korah, then, was of the same tribe as Moses and Aaron. He led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, accusing them of exalting themselves above the congregation of the Lord (Numbers 16:1-3). Korah was not alone in his charge. He gathered 250 other men to challenge Moses’ authority as well: “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?” (Numbers 16:3).

Moses proposed a test to prove the source of his authority. Korah and his followers did not pass the test, and God opened up the earth and swallowed the rebels, their families, and all their possessions. Furthermore, “fire came out from the LORD” and consumed the other 250 men who were party to Korah’s rebellion. The rest of the Israelites were terrified and fled (Numbers 16:31-35).

1,500 years later

Some 1,500 years later, Jude records a strong warning about such men who come into the church as false teachers, arrogating to themselves the authority of God and His Word

Jude 11  Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion.

The characteristics of false teachers within the church include pride, selfishness, jealousy, greed, lust for power, and disregard for the will of God. Just like Korah, today’s false teachers disregard God’s plan and are insubordinate to God’s appointed authorities. Their end will be the same as Korah’s. Thus the warning: “Woe to them!”

God selected men of His own choosing

God had no interest in holding a popularity contest, collecting résumés, or letting someone appoint himself to the position of prophet, priest, or leader. Korah’s problem was not that he was unqualified, humanly speaking, for the position, but that he was arrogant, stiff-necked, and self-promoting.

God’s true leaders, the elders and pastors of the church who shepherd the flock with humility and care, have an accurate understanding of the Scriptures

Jesus warned his disciples

Matthew 7:15  Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

God did not call Korah; He called Moses (Exodus 3-4). God calls whom He chooses and equips them for service.

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Numbers 11:1-3 Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched. So he called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of the Lord had burned among them.

In the first 10 chapters of Numbers, Israel was ordered, organized, cleansed, separated, blessed, taught how to give, reminded of God’s deliverance, given God’s presence, and the tools to advance to the Promised Land. Now, having set out towards Canaan, after just a few days the people complained.

Why do people complain so much?

We might think it strange that a people so blessed could still complain. God did so much in and for Israel; yet they still murmured against Him. They were still in the wilderness and their circumstances were not easy, but nothing good came of it when the people complained

We aren’t told here exactly what Israel complained about. It is possible that it simply came from a generally dissatisfied heart. Sometimes we complain not for any one great reason, but because our hearts are dissatisfied.

The complaints where not so much as just venting their frustration but a literal translation of this sentence could be, "Now the people became truly murmurous, an offence to Yahweh’s ears."

Their complaining made God displeased. Complaining hearts often displease God, especially when they show little gratitude for what He did in the past, and little faith for what God could do at the moment.

A Consuming fire

Israel had valued the pillar of God’s fire present with them every night. Here, that the fire and the presence of God became something of a two-edged sword. God’s fire was present with Israel to comfort them, but it was also present to deal with their sin

Hebrews 12:29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Aaron’s sons, Abihu and Nadab, were destroyed by fire when they offered strange fire, which is a profane sacrifice in the tabernacle. Their sacrifice was a sign of disregard for the holiness of God and the need to honor Him in holy fear.

Here we see the people being consumed by fire as a result of complaints. This purging fire was limited to the outskirts of the camp, a mercy of the Lord. He might have cast his fire into the very midst of the camp and killed many more persons than suffered this terrible judgment.

The people cried out to Moses

Ideally, Israel would have cried out to God directly. Because they lacked a strong sense of relationship with God Himself, they brought their cry to Moses instead of bringing it to the Lord.

Moses didn't put off the fire himself but, "when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched".

Taberah became known as "Burning", a place in the wilderness of Paran, where the "fire of the Lord" consumed the murmuring Israelites (Numbers 11:3; Deuteronomy 9:22). It was also called Kibroth-hattaavah.

The complaining of the people wasn't over, we will see that it continued and a few more ended up dying. God was teaching His people in the wilderness and many signs and wonders occured in this desert place.

The most important fact here is that when the people cried to Moses, he prayed to the LORD, and the fire died out

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Leviticus 10:1–2 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.

Nadab and Abihu were the oldest and second oldest sons of Aaron, the brother of Moses and first high priest of Israel.

Nadab and Abihu are known for offering “unauthorized fire” (or “strange fire,” KJV) before the Lord in the tabernacle and dying as a result. Those who served as priests before the Lord were required to serve Him honorably. If they did not, the consequence was death.

The reason for the sudden death of Nadab and Abihu remains one of the Torah's most perplexing mysteries.

These Bible verses suggest many possible inferences. The brothers each laid incense on a burning pan, which they offered as "alien fire" that God had not commanded of them. As a consequence, fire came forth from the Lord and consumed them (Lev. 10:2)

Strange fire

Their unauthorized fire was met with an unquenchable one. God killed them on the spot in dramatic fashion. What exactly was this strange fire? Did they use the wrong incense? Did they come at the wrong time? Did they enter the Holy of Holies? Were they drunk (Lev. 10:9)? Did they offer incense to a false god?

Exodus 30:9 You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.

A subsequent Bible verse states, The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they drew too close to the presence of the Lord (Lev. 16:1). This verse reiterates what happened to Nadab and Abihu, but adds when they drew too close to the presence of the Lord.

How We Worship Matters

Nadab and Abihu went rogue and did what “he had not commanded them.”

Are we offering “strange fire” as worship?

Given the lack of a clear reason for the death of Nadab and Abihu, ancient rabbis and medieval commentators came to suggest other reasons for the severe fate of these two, Milgrom notes, including "drunkenness, celibacy, arrogant impatience for Moses and Aaron to die, or neglect of their sacred obligations.

John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

God will not be glorified before the people unless His servants submit to His commands.

The coals that Nadab and Abihu used came from a source that was ‘profane.’” It was not normative. Profane there doesn’t mean something like swearing. It means ritually disqualified, ritually impure.

This story of the death of Nadab and Abihu falls into a set of unusual stories in the Bible

While God does not consume rebellious people by causing fire to fall from heaven today (He did in the past and He will in the future), it should be clearly noted that He never takes lightly someone trying to replace His work with their own.

Repentance involves recognizing that you have thought wrongly in the past and determining to think rightly in the future. The full biblical definition of repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action.

"Unless you repent, you will all perish!" (Luke 13:3)

2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

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