The sequence of events in Leviticus 8-10 shows us an all too common sequence of events in the history of God’s people: 1) In Leviticus 8, we read of the ordination of the priests. As usual, the details concerning how the ordinations were to be carried out and how they were carried out are extensive. in the last verse of Leviticus 8 we read: 36So Aaron and his sons did everything the LORD had commanded through Moses. Leviticus 8:36 (NLT) The ordination process was perfect, every detail just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 2) In Leviticus 9, we read of Aaron and his sons starting their work. They followed their instructions in minute detail. All went well. God offered a plan, and God’s plan was carried out to the letter. 3) In Leviticus 10, Nadab and Abihu offer unauthorized fire and the LORD kills them. This is the all too common third step, which sometimes turns out being the first step in the Israelites’ interactions with God. God’s instructions are always clear. God’s expectations are always laid out step-by-step. When the Israelites follow the instructions and expectations the result is blessing. But then someone decides to “improve” on God’s instructions and expectations, or simply to ignore them altogether and disaster strikes.
What an important lesson we can take from this example. While we might be taken back by God’s extreme response to Nadab and Abihu’s disobedience, Moses’ response to Aaron and their remaining brothers is basically, “What did you expect? God is holy, and we must honor His holiness.” All too often, we who live on the resurrection side of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection add to the mix that we are not under law, but under grace. We assume God will be okay with whatever we do, because of that grace. While God’s response to disobedience was more immediate and obvious during the time He was forming His people, the Israelites, in the wilderness, God’s response to disobedience is always the same: judgment. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin, we don’t bear the ultimate consequences of that judgment, but every time we disobey God we bear the consequence of our disobedience: Our relationship with God is fractured, and we must confess our sin, repent of it, and return to God. While we can’t lose our salvation by what we do or don’t do–because it is God’s gift to us–when we live in disobedience we lose fellowship with Him.
Many of us struggle with the idea of God’s wrath and judgment, because we live under a mistaken understanding of grace. We see grace as license to do what we want. It is not. Grace is God’s incredible sacrifice on our behalf. He pays the penalty for our sin, through the precious blood of Jesus. He gives us the gifts of restoration and redemption. He gives them so we will draw closer to Him, not so we will reject His leadership in our lives and do what we want. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for Aaron to accept God’s judgment on his sons’ disobedience. I can see how the example would have been forever burned into my memory. That incident would have reminded me how vital it is to obey God. Dr. Dale Milligan, a mentor of mine, used to say, “To love God is to trust God enough to obey Him.” That saying has always stuck with me, because it takes our love for God out of the realm of mere feelings, and reminds us both that love for God requires action–obedience, and trust–recognizing God’s instructions and explanations are always best for us, even when we don’t understand them or disagree with them. When we fail to learn those lessons, the results can be devastating, but when we do learn them, our relationship with God grows.
As we return to Mark 13 today, we read once again of Jesus’ comments concerning the “end of the age,” the time of His return. We read of the expected trauma taking place in the age when Jesus returns: wars, famines, etc…. Because wars, famines, etc… have occurred in every age, people in every age have assumed Jesus would return in their age. The assumption is reasonable. After all, Jesus told us He would return soon, and the signs He said would accompany His return have been present in every historic period. Every time I read this passage, I’m reminded of Jesus’ final word: Watch! Watch. In other words, be ready, be expectant, don’t get caught by surprise. We can see how people would get caught by surprise. Jesus has not come back and we’ve been waiting nearly 2,000 years. Why would we assume He’ll come back now if He hasn’t come back yet? The answer is simple: The time of His return is closer than when we first believed. Every promise of Jesus is true, so His promise to return is true as well. As we go about our daily lives, we must watch. The best way to do that, as Leviticus 8-10 reminds us, is to do what He calls us to do faithfully. The good news is we all have the Holy Spirit to empower our obedience, if Jesus is Savior and Lord in our lives. While I understand people want to know exactly when Jesus will return, my greater priority is being ready when He comes. I pray that is each of our priority. Only then will we be found watching when He returns.