Page 68 - Pentateuch

The punishment of Nadab and Abihu, like other abrupt punishments in the Bible, leads us to a gospel
connection. God was protecting their approach to him. As priests, these two men stood between all of
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 demonstrates his presence, might they not progress and
move further away from him? “For someone to bring strange fire in the sanctuary of the old economy
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corresponds to someone today preaching another gospel, not of the LORD.”

The New Testament often warns about this very danger. “But even if an angel from heaven or we 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 of 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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