Leviticus 10

Holy fire, holy calling

And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace. ~ Leviticus 10:3

Have you ever had a moment when you knew God was asking you to take something more seriously than you had before? A moment when you felt the weight of His presence inviting you to step higher, grow deeper, or change something you had let become casual?

Leviticus 10 tells the sobering story of Nadab and Abihu, two priests who offered “strange fire” to the Lord. They were chosen, anointed, set apart, yet somewhere along the way they lost the sense of holiness that their calling required. Their story is not meant to terrify me, but to teach me. It reminds me that God invites His people to honor Him with a heart that is sincere, obedient, and intentional. Even today as a Christian, I can easily let routine spiritual habits become casual. God uses this passage to remind me that His presence is holy, and how I approach Him matters.

1. God calls me to honor Him with obedience

Nadab and Abihu offered something God had not asked for. Their actions showed how easy it is to drift from simple obedience. God is not looking for perfection, but He does look for a heart that listens to His voice.

I have experienced this in a small way when I felt hurried in ministry and I started making decisions out of pressure instead of prayer. Even though the work was spiritual, I was doing it in my own strength. God gently brought me back to a place of listening to His instructions instead of rushing ahead.

You can start applying this message by choosing one area in life where you have been moving fast without asking God what He wants, then slow down and ask Him for clear direction.
You can also ask God to show you where He wants obedience today. Pause before making decisions and invite Him into the process. Ask someone trustworthy to pray with you as you pursue God’s plans. Read Leviticus 10 and ask God to speak to your heart.

2. God calls me to honor Him with purity

Nadab and Abihu blurred the lines by bringing something unholy into a holy moment. In my own life, I have had many times when my heart was cluttered with worry, frustration, or disappointment, and I found it difficult to enter God’s presence with sincerity. God does not shame me for those things, but He invites me to come to Him so He can purify what is heavy inside me.

You can apply this in your life by bringing whatever is unclean or heavy to God and ask Him to purify your heart. Pray openly about what feels heavy or frustrating.  Invite God to remove habits or attitudes that get in the way of His presence. Speak scriptures that strengthen purity in your thoughts and actions and spend time worshiping God to soften your heart.

3. God calls me to honor Him with reverence

After the incident, God reminded Moses and Aaron that those who come near Him must regard Him as holy. Reverence is not fearfulness, it is deep awareness of who God is and it is choosing to enter His presence with expectation, gratitude, and awe.

Many times during worship God reminds me of His greatness. Times when I have been praying about something small and worrying about it every day. In His presence, my worry suddenly feels small compared to His power. Those moments show me what reverence truly is.

You can step into this honor by approaching God each day with a heart that remembers who He is and not just what you need. Start prayer with praise instead of requests. Acknowledge God’s greatness when you feel overwhelmed. Spend time in Scripture that lifts your view of God and practice quiet moments with God where you listen and honor His presence.

Today I want to encourage you to come near God with a renewed heart that honors His holiness and welcomes His presence into every part of your life. He is calling you higher. He is inviting you deeper. He is ready to meet you with fresh fire, fresh purpose, and fresh strength as you choose obedience, purity, and reverence in your walk with Him.

Today’s scripture reading: Leviticus 10

1 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. 

2 So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. 

3 And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’” So Aaron held his peace.

4 Then Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.” 

5 So they went near and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.

6 And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled. 

7 You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.

8 Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying: 

9 “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, 

10 that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, 

11 and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.”

12 And Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons who were left: “Take the grain offering that remains of the offerings made by fire to the Lord, and eat it without leaven beside the altar; for it is most holy. 

13 You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your due and your sons’ due, of the sacrifices made by fire to the Lord; for so I have been commanded. 

14 The breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering you shall eat in a clean place, you, your sons, and your daughters with you; for they are your due and your sons’ due, which are given from the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel. 

15 The thigh of the heave offering and the breast of the wave offering they shall bring with the offerings of fat made by fire, to offer as a wave offering before the Lord. And it shall be yours and your sons’ with you, by a statute forever, as the Lord has commanded.”

16 Then Moses made careful inquiry about the goat of the sin offering, and there it was—burned up. And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying, 

17 “Why have you not eaten the sin offering in a holy place, since it is most holy, and God has given it to you to bear the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord? 

18 See! Its blood was not brought inside the holy place; indeed you should have eaten it in a holy place, as I commanded.”

19 And Aaron said to Moses, “Look, this day they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and such things have befallen me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord?”

20 So when Moses heard that, he was content.

Journal:

• What area of my life is God inviting me to obey Him in today?
• Is there anything in my heart that I need to bring to God for cleansing or healing?
• What does reverence look like for me in my daily walk with God?
• When have I experienced God’s presence in a way that changed my perspective?