Page 75 - Pentateuch - Student Textbook

God ask Abraham to sacrifice his only son, and why did God let my oldest child live when the oldest
children of the Egyptians were killed?” They understood their sinfulness and their inability to keep the
law. Many, many would have lifted their hearts in faith to believe in God’s promise of a coming Messiah.
“All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins
through his name (Acts 10:43).”

We are reminded in these of the seriousness of sin. Even accidental sins are worthy of punishment. A
Christian can never even begin to think of paying for a personal sin or making up for some sin. Only the
death of Christ is sufficient. As we read and study, our hearts are filled more deeply with thanks for the
death of Jesus Christ. We desire to “continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise” (Heb. 13:15).
Experiencing his undeserved mercy leads us to offer the same to others in a variety of ways (13:16). His
incredible gift calls from deep within. “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God –
this is your true and proper worship (Rom. 12:1).”

As with so much of the Pentateuch, we cannot know what might have been in the minds of the
Israelites. Yet God’s intent was not to confuse them. Knowing the customs of the nations and the
expectations of the average person, God was carefully and purposefully leading them to himself. Surely
a faithful person could make the connections. Could not a man or woman or even child witnessing these
events and instructions, be deeply saddened by the difficulty of knowing God and turn in hope to the
Promise? Someday a Messiah will come. “I cannot be pure enough. I cannot sacrifice enough animal
blood. I cannot be careful enough to avoid all dangers. I will try my best, but I will trust in God’s better. I
don’t know exactly what the Messiah will “look like,” but I will trust in YHWH’s character to provide
exactly what I need to know him.

The punishment of Nadab and Abihu, like other abrupt punishments in the Bible, leads us to a gospel
connection. God was protecting the approach to him. As priests these two men stood between all Israel
and God. If they blurred the way to YHWH, people would be confused. If they changed in some small
item the way to come to God so soon after God’s demonstration of his presence, might they not
progress and move further away from him? “For someone to bring strange fire in the sanctuary of the
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old economy corresponds to someone today preaching another gospel not of the LORD.”

The New Testament warns often about this very danger. “But even if we or an angel from heaven should
preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse (Gal. 1:8).” “No
one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed’ (1 Cor. 12:3).” “Every spirit that does not
acknowledge Jesus is not from God (1 John 4:3).” Our God is gracious, deeply gracious in giving his Son.
As we have already noted, he is jealous about his graciousness. He protects the way of his grace and
threatens utter disaster to anyone who ruins this only way to him.

82 Ross, Holiness, p. 238.

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