By G. Neil Armstrong

Leviticus

From the Egypt to Canaan, during the entire 40 year wandering in a land that should have only taken a week or two, God tried to train the People to be a Holy nation, set apart from the ways of the heathen. In many cases, God had warned the People to have nothing to do with certain foreign nations because of their worship of idols.

It seems that this has been a strong battle for all people of all generations. We seem to magnate to the heathen way like a magnet drawn to metal. We need to reverse the polarity so that we can draw to God like a magnet to another magnet.

What enticing things managed to weave into the hearts of these People out there in the vast wilderness? How did the vile ways of heathen nations manage to seduce this separate People? God walked with this People in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He parted the Red Sea, spewed water from solid rock. He brought about the 12 Plagues of Egypt, and He “hand taught” the People His law. And yet they murmur. In their discontentment they sought after less than, in an attempt to instantly gratify a need.

It seems to me that the People didn’t even want to humble their hearts even enough to appeal to God in a request, but rather they murmured, or they demanded, or they even suggested a return to their oppressors in Egypt.

Did the People think the rituals of the heathen appeared fun? What was it about their savage way that did appeal to the People, that would cause them to provoke the anger of God Almighty? What Divine Provision seemed “not good enough” that would cause someone to seek after an alternative?

Sometimes an individual does not have any answers to this enigmatic question. “I don’t know what came over me” seems to be a very common response to these ever-present questions. What then? Should we surrender, or should we stand and fight? What did the great leaders always do just before a victory? They asked of God what should be their action. Sometimes we go out into battle an issue that we have easily overcome before, or we defeated greater foe, so we head on out to battle.

When we set out to challenge a life issue, it is exactly the same as when the Israelites faced an opposing nation. We must inquire of God as to our actions. It may or may not be exactly the same as before, but we must consult God. This one thing I do know, each time He tells us to go forth to battle, we gain victory. Every time He tells us to NOT go forth, but to hold fast, we do well to heed His instruction. Never will we overcome a challenge if we go out in our own accord.

Nadab and Abihu offered up a strange fire unto the Lord, probably something that fascinated them back in Egypt, and maybe they thought that it would be pleasing to God. They likely didn’t fully understand what this strange fire meant, or that they maybe didn’t fully understand the direct command of God in the following passages of scripture:

Clearly Nadab and Abihu knew this in advance. It is a short-sighted person who goes ought against such power as these People have seen in God. We do it today. We know as a personal fact that God is real, and we know just how real He is when He made His special appearance us in our experiences. Did we outgrow His mighty works? What is it that causes us to become “immune” to Divine Provision, Providence, and the countless other attributes of the Almighty God that has brought us out of our slavery and bondage in our old lives?

To be a “new creature” we must put away “old ways”. We must renew our minds. We do this in our prayer life, our meditations, and in our studies. Think on these things (Philippians 4:8). 

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