“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. Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified,” and Aaron held his peace.” This is one of the most humbling scenes in the Old Testament, really all the Bible, as these sons of Aaron, priests, offer unauthorized fire before the Lord. They did not perform their duties as God had commanded them and immediately fire came out and consumed them, and they died. Sin is serious before a holy God. God said, “Among those who are near me I will be sanctified. Before all the people I will be glorified.”
-Leviticus 10:1–3
I think we have a tendency, or better yet I should say, I know I have a tendency to treat sin lightly, to sometimes think of sin as not that big a deal. Like, “Oh, this thought, just a thought; this word, just one word,” one thing I said or one desire that was not good, or even when I know I should have done something and I didn’t do it, I can easily just be like, “Oh, well God will forgive me.” This is not the way we should think about sin. We should realize that one sin against an infinitely holy God is worthy of infinitely eternal punishment.
May we pray to God, pleading for help to kill sin rather than treating it lightly.
This Verse Emphasizes the Seriousness of Sin
Think about Genesis chapter 3, one sin, they ate a piece of fruit. They ate a piece of fruit and from one sin came condemnation for all men Romans 5 says. We must not underestimate the seriousness of one sin before a holy God. So, today, oh God, we pray, help us to realize the seriousness of sin. Help us to hate it. Help us not to be casual with sin.
God deliver us from any and all casual approaches to sin. Help us to see even what we would consider to be small sins as serious sins. Even right now, oh God, lay our hearts bare before you. Help us to see ways we have been casual with sin. I pray for this in my life. I pray for this in others’ lives who are listening to this right now. Please, oh God, don’t let us be casual with sin.
Leviticus 10:1–3 Calls Us to Confess our Sins
Lord, we confess our sin before you, even specifically in our hearts and lives after this little podcast episode is over, cause us to be broken over what we might consider the slightest, or smallest of sin. Lord, help us to hate it. Help us to confess it honestly, to turn from it, to repent of it, to receive your grace. Oh, Lord Jesus, we praise you all the more for your grace and covering over our sin. We should be dead. Lord, we should be separated from you forever in hell because of our sin.
We should be consumed by your judgment, Leviticus 10:1–3. Oh, God, thank you for your grace and your mercy. Jesus, thank you for enduring the condemnation we deserve in our place. So, help us then to be holy. Help us to honor you with our sanctification. Lord, help us to glorify you in our lives today, we pray. Help us to run from sin and pursue righteousness, a holiness before you and others. May it be so, we pray in Jesus name.” Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
