Remember the story of Aaron’s two sons, Nabad and Abihu, offering “strange fire” and being stuck down by the Lord? Scholars wrestle with exactly what that “strange fire” referred to, but there is a consensus that they didn’t respect the holiness of God.
Can I just make an observation?
I think there is a lot of “strange fire” in our culture. I’m not the kind of guy that takes potshots at our culture from the comfortable confines of the Christian subculture. I believe in criticizing by creating. But just to make a point, indulge me. I remember seeing a t-shirt a few years ago with a portrait of Jesus on it that said: Jesus is my homeboy. On one level, that could be considered funny or creative or relevant. But Jesus Christ isn’t your homeboy. He’s the sinless Son of God who suffered brutal torture and crucifixion on a Roman cross. His blood was shed to pay the sin debt that you owed. And that makes Him more than your homeboy. He is the sovereign Savior who is seated on His Throne and the earth is his footstool.
What we so desperately need is a revelation of His holiness. Like Isaiah who saw the Lord seated on the throne, high and lifted up. And he cried out: “Woe is me. I am undone. For I am a man of unclean lips.”
Until we have a revelation of the holiness of God, we’ll keep making the same mistake that Nadab and Abihu made. And we’re playing with fire. And if you play with fire long enough, you might eventually get burned. It’s the holiness of God that engenders the fear of God. And the fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom. Or to flip the coin, our lack of fear is the beginning of foolishness.
Nothing is more dangerous than under-estimating and under-appreciating the holiness of God. Why? When we under-estimate the holiness of God we under-estimate the mercy of God. We cheapen God’s grace because we don’t comprehend His holiness. And the foundation of salvation begins to crumble.
