Day 50

Leviticus 10-11 | Romans 12:9-13:7

Yesterday, I wrote about obedience. About how Labradors—Sadie in particular—have a natural instinct to resist it. And about how, if I’m being honest, I do too.

Today, Leviticus takes obedience to a whole new level.

A deadly level.

Leviticus 8-9 describes Aaron and his sons carefully obeying every command the Lord had given them for the priesthood. Fire came from the Lord, consuming their sacrifices—a sign of His acceptance. Worship done in obedience, blessed by God.

Then, in today’s reading, fire comes from the Lord again. But this time, it’s not a blessing. It’s judgment.

Because Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, had just done the opposite.

Profane Fire and the Cost of Disobedience

Leviticus 10:1-2 says:

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

They had worshiped on their own terms. They had taken something holy and twisted it into something self-made. And the result? Death.

The same fire that had been a sign of God’s presence and blessing now became an act of judgment.

The contrast is terrifying.

God is not a God to be trifled with. He is holy. He is jealous for His glory. And He will not tolerate those who come near Him in disobedience.

Holiness and the Weight of Worship

Verse 3 cuts straight to the heart of it. The Lord says:

“By those who come near Me, I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people, I must be glorified.”

I may not be a priest. But I am a child of God. And I do want to come near Him.

I want to be holy. But I know I never will be—not on my own.

And that’s where Romans 12 comes in.

Marks of True Worship

Paul shifts our focus from ritual sacrifices to the everyday realities of Christian living:

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9)

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

Aaron’s sons came near to God in disobedience, offering something He had not commanded. Their worship was self-determined, rather than God-ordained.

But true worship isn’t about doing what feels right. It’s about doing what God says is right.

And that’s where this gets personal.

Obedience in Unexpected Places

At our church this past Sunday, the executive director of a nonprofit that serves prisoners came to speak. After the service, Matthew, a brother who volunteers for this nonprofit, approached me and said:

“I know you’re a writer, Grant. And I think you should consider serving in our correspondence ministry. It’s simple. Download an app, and you’ll be matched with a prisoner who needs encouragement.”

I almost laughed as I thought about it on the drive home. A “prisoner pen pal.”

But I don’t believe in coincidences.

And the more I thought about it, the more I realized: I may not be able to build anything with wood again because my hand isn’t fully functional yet—but God can still use my hand to build with words.

I can still be obedient.

And obedience doesn’t have to look dramatic. Sometimes, it’s as simple as taking the gifts God has given me and using them where He opens the door.

The prisoner I will write to—whoever he is—knows the weight of disobedience. His actions, like Nadab and Abihu’s, led to real consequences. But unlike them, he has been given an opportunity:

A chance for grace. A chance for repentance. A chance to experience the mercy of God, rather than His judgment.

And somehow, in this strange and unexpected way, I get to be a small part of that.

Fire That Purifies, Not Consumes

Romans 13:7 tells us to “give honor to whom honor is due.”

What honor does God deserve? Everything.

My life. My worship. My obedience.

Not out of fear, but out of gratitude.

The same fire that judged Nadab and Abihu now refines us instead. Because Christ has already taken the judgment in our place.

Lord, let me never forget the weight of Your holiness. Keep me from offering You worship on my own terms. Let my obedience be driven by gratitude, not fear. And let Your fire refine me—not consume me. Amen.