God's Holiness Demands Justice For Sin

While reading through my daily Bible plan something jumped off the page at me. The death of Aaron's two sons in Leviticus 10. Let's get some context from chapter 9, The Lord accepts the special offering from Aaron:

 Fire blazed forth from the LORD’s presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground

 Now chapter 10 starts off with Aaron's two sons Nadab and Abihu burning a strange fire and the Lord kills then for their sin.

1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over them. In this way, they disobeyed the LORD by burning before him the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded.

2 So fire blazed forth from the LORD’s presence and burned them up, and they died there before the LORD.

 Though we may not know exactly what kind of fire was kindled that issue is not the focal point here. God clearly wants us to see that we must obey what he says especially when in his presence. Then Moses tells Aaron something and Aaron knows that he speaks the truth.

3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when he said,
‘I will display my holiness
through those who come near me.
I will display my glory
before all the people.’”
And Aaron was silent.

And Aaron was silent, this is an incredible revelation for us to understand God's holiness. Be very careful not to commit sin in the presence of God for his holiness demands perfection and he can not reside in a place of sin. This is the very reason that when Adam and Eve sinned they were separated from God. This is why when you sin you feel so far away from God. There are characteristics of God that can be hard for us to understand when all we have know is a world of sin.

In summary, sinning in God's presence without someone to pay your penalty (i.e. Jesus Christ) results in immediate justice for sin. "23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:32