Day 3 - Leviticus

Leviticus is not exactly the easiest book in the Bible to read.  I recently read through it.  It's hard to muddle through.  It's a lot of rules, laws and regulations.  It's got some strong language and some really strange laws.  Most of it is simply commands from God.  And, to be honest, I don't understand them all.  There's only a few stories sprinkled in there.  One catches my attention.

23 Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting.  When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24 Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.  Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 2 So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.  Leviticus 9:23-10:2

Unauthorized fire...contrary to his command.  I don't know why this fire was unauthorized.  Another translation called it 'strange' fire.  I just know that it was a big deal to God.  It was not something He had commanded.  Leviticus, as I said, is full of rulesI don't understand.  However, breaking them has real consequences.  Now, because of the grace and freedom found in Christ, we don't operate under all the laws of Leviticus anymore.  But, God's Word is still full of rules and commands.  Some people really don't like that about Christianity.  Why should I let God tell me what to do?

Maybe God knows something we don't.  My four boys often don't understand why I tell them to do something or not do something.  They're stubborn (I don't know where they get that) and want to do things their own way.  They don't always get what the consequences will mean if they don't obey me.  Sometimes I tell them that sooner or later they're going to figure out that I love them, want what's best for them, and know what I'm talking about.  Sometimes there's a piece of the puzzle that I understand that they simply don't.  Do you think the same could be true with God?  Instead of arguing with God or looking for a loophole when it comes to his commands, what if you just trusted Him?  What if you believed that He knows best and wants what's best for you?  Though the consequences of our disobedience probably won't be as dire as it was for Nadab and Abihu, they can still be very serious.  And God wants something better for us.  To me, that's really the lesson of Leviticus that is still important in a New Testament world.  God's commands aren't to lock us in or hamper us, they're to allow us the opportunity to live the best life we can and be the best us we can be.  May our lives be 'authorized' by Almighty God.