Incense of Insult

By: Rev. Arnel Tan

“…..In this way they disobeyed the LORD by burning before him a different kind of fire than he had commanded.” Leviticus 10:1b NLT

Incense is supposed to be the symbol of our worship and prayers that we offer to the Lord. It is done for the glory of God and it is a sweet aroma unto the Lord. This also symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ whose sacrifice at the cross is a sweet aroma to the Father. When Nadab and Abihu mixed strange elements other than what the Lord required what was supposed to be an incense of worship became an insult. Here we ask the question, ‘What went wrong? What grievous sin did they commit that made them pay for it with their lives?’

The sin that Aaron’s sons committed in man’s eyes would have been no big deal, but in the eyes of God it was a big deal. God’s wrath was unleashed and their burned cadavers brought a deep sense of fear among the priests of Israel. They did not commit an honest mistake, rather, they disobeyed God! Their being creative went too far… they crossed the line between creativity to blasphemy. This is the sin of familiarity where God is taken lightly and His commands are not taken seriously.

The true worship of God is both intimate and reverent; it is a mixture of fellowship or communion coupled with fear. When our worship of God is not founded on the fear of God, it will not enjoy the friendship and favor of God. Remember, the sin of familiarity is not committed by pagans but by God’s Priests! Those who enjoy unique spiritual privileges in serving God in this temple and are entrusted with the secrets of the Almighty are in great danger of committing this sin. It is not only true of the Old Testament priests or prophets… this is also true to any believer today.

How is this sin committed? I think this sin subtly starts to bud when we make “self” as the center of worship, and convenience as our goal to worship. In other words, it is no longer about God. The desire to be emotionally ‘feeling good’ and the ‘cleverness’ to take some short cuts become the goal of worshipers and those who lead them to worship. When God is not first, the pressure to find new things to make things appealing to the flesh is tremendous. When ministers are bored with doing their duties and the congregation is in a hurry to finish the weekly rituals of worship, the sin of familiarity steps in.

It is in this context that God need to introduce Himself in such a way that refreshes us of His Holiness and revives the ‘fear of the Lord’ in our hearts. Each time we gather for worship, do we really believe that God is present? His Presence brings freedom as well as fire. Pleasure and punishment, at the same time, is at hand every time we worship God. Thank God that this does not occur every Sunday… this is grace to give us space to fear again. The next time we treat God lightly; the next time we become obstacles in the path of which God is to be greatly glorified, be reminded of this story. Let incenses of praise and prayer be sweet-smelling to God, and nothing is so sweet in the courts of God than a broken spirit and a contrite heart. This is the offering He will not despise.