God’s holy justice
Series: Holy – Holy – Holy | Bible text: Genesis 10:1–7
Some passages in the Bible seem to disturb us. Because they do not fit into our picture, because they do not correspond to what we would expect from God. The righteousness of God is dependent on his holiness. Only when we bring this together do we understand why God acts differently than we imagine. In the face of things that do not correspond to God’s will, it is precisely his justice that is revealed. God cannot simply leave them as they are, but must do justice. Followers of Jesus Christ, on the other hand, should recognise this – even if it does not correspond to their own understanding of justice.
A just God encounters unjust people
Time and again I come across passages in the Bible that I don’t immediately understand at first glance. If it is still an Old Testament story, then they are sometimes even rather disturbing. This morning we want to enter into just such a story together. It is the story of Nadab and Abihu. They are the two eldest sons of Aaron. Aaron held the highest religious office, that of high priest. His sons were also priests by descent, but were subordinate to their father. We read that the two brothers took their censers, put burning coals in them and then sprinkled incense on them. They wanted to offer incense to God. Unfortunately, however, they did this without any order from God, so his wrath struck them immediately. A fire, probably lightning, came from heaven and killed them both on the spot. This was no accident or coincidence. Many tried to explain this without a supernatural reference, but these lead astray. Unfortunately, we cannot avoid seeing the death of these two brothers as being brought about by God. God punished them both with death. Immediately after the death of his nephews, Moses, the brother of Aaron and leader of the people, spoke the following. «Moses said to Aaron: «Now is the time of the LORD’s word: On those who are near me I will show myself holy. Before all the people I will show my glory.» But Aaron kept silent» (Exodus 10:3 NLB). What is exciting about this is the soberness with which Moses says this. He does not condemn, does not reproach Aaron, but also does not try to excuse God. He simply says that God’s holiness is shown in those who are close to him. Just as priests are by virtue of their office. Moses then has the two corpses quickly removed from the sanctuary. He also gives the remaining priests an injunction that they should not mourn. Imagine this. Two of your sons have just died and you are not to mourn? You don’t want people to notice that you are sad. After all, Moses still gives permission for the people to mourn them. But Aaron and his remaining two sons are not to mourn. Yes, he even threatens them with death if they mourn or leave the entrance of the sanctuary. In this story, which is difficult for us to classify, God’s justice becomes visible in its fullness.
Perhaps you are asking yourself: God’s justice? How can a God who acts like this be called just? Yes, this story has very little to do with justice for us. But «We cannot place God’s action in our sensibilities because we do not understand four basic biblical concepts that are of crucial importance, namely. Holiness, Justice, Sin and Mercy. […] we cannot begin to understand the mercy of God unless we have first grasped some aspects of his justice». (R.C. Sproul). For this story of Nadab and Abihu is not simply isolated, but stands in the context of the prehistory. Together we want to delve deeper into the story and I hope I will succeed in making God’s justice clear.
The tragic end of the two brothers has its origins at the very beginning of human history. At that time, God created human beings to live in close communion with them. But there was a rift between God and human beings. Instead of putting their trust in God, people looked for another way. As a result, they lost their position before God – and what is even worse, there was a rift which from now on stands between God and man. But God according to his nature still seeks contact with his creatures. He still seeks the presence of people and wants them to put their trust in him. Therefore, he calls the people of Israel as his own, set apart for him. But this cannot overcome the gulf that stands between God and us. For God cannot lie to himself. He cannot approve of any selfish attempt by man. In the Bible, this is called impure or even sinful behaviour. Therefore, the people whom he has chosen must offer sacrifices to him. For the fact that the people have sought their own way instead of God Himself is punishable by death. The result of being far from God is death. This gap to God can only be bridged with blood. That is why there are daily sacrifices. Sacrifices for various offences and finally, once a year, a sacrifice that brings the entire people back into harmony with God.
God’s all-embracing justice
Man with his own ideas of goals stands in stark contrast to God’s all-embracing justice. It is pure grace that people can meet God and not die immediately. «For the wages of sin is death […]» (Romans 6:23 NLB). God puts the enforcement of his justice on hold. For all human beings would deserve to die. God’s prediction to the first humans was that they would die if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was only by grace that God let people still live, but even death was not suspended, but deferred. At the latest when we die on earth, the separation from God finally emerges. The difficulty with God’s justice is that it does not correspond to our sense of justice. We consider many things to be unjust that God does in order to satisfy his justice. Or in other words, he acts in a way that corresponds to his understanding of justice.
This is also the case with the story of Nadab and Abihu. However, before we can put the story into context, it is important to look at the context. The two brothers were priests. The function of the priest is to approach God (Ezekiel 42:13). They were destined for worship and both had already experienced and even survived an encounter with God. «Afterwards, Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and 70 of the leading men of Israel went up the mountain. There they saw the God of Israel. The ground beneath his feet shone like sapphire, clear as the sky. And though the leading men of Israel saw God, he did not kill them. Yes, they even ate and drank in his presence!» (Exodus 24:9–11 NLB). So they already had a relationship with God and saw him personally.
Shortly before the death of the two brothers, the priests offered the first sacrifice. Aaron offered all the opera and his sons assisted. At the end of the sacrifices, God’s pleasure in the institution of the priestly sacrificial service was evident. «Fire went out from him and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar. When the Israelites saw it, they shouted for joy and threw themselves to the ground». (Exodus 9:24 NLB). God himself inaugurated the sacrificial service. He sent his fire.
So Abihu and Nadab had experienced this and now they decided to offer incense themselves. In doing so, they violated several things. Firstly, they were offering incense without authorisation. Burning incense is the highest and most solemn of all the duties of a priest. Secondly, they offered it together. An incense offering should always be performed alone. But in my view the worst offence was, thirdly, that they brought strange fire before the Lord. That is, they lit the incense themselves. If the whole thing had been done out of ignorance, then it would not have been punishable by death, but there would have been the possibility of the sin offering. But the two offered the sacrifice deliberately, presumptuously and probably arrogantly. They took themselves too seriously. God desires a different approach. «Whoever wants to boast, let him boast only about this one thing: that he knows me and understands that I am the LORD! I act lovingly and provide justice and righteousness on earth, for that pleases me. I, the LORD, have spoken!» (Jeremiah 9:23 NLB). The two died because the wages of man’s selfishness is death. It is an anticipation of what threatens all people – death.
Therefore Aaron was not allowed to mourn. For as priests, Aaron and his sons stood before God and had to shun anything that disqualified them from worship. Moreover, their mourning would have symbolised that God’s punishment was unjust. But God is a holy and just God. It is only in contrast to sin that God’s justice is revealed. God’s justice can also mean punishment. If, for example, I am guilty of something in traffic, then I am threatened with punishment. If I am not held accountable for a crime I have committed, then justice has not been served. We too often equate God’s justice with positive approval of our own choices. But God cannot be indifferent to our wrong choices. For this would be indifference to the fact that he is God, Holy! In our understanding, the punishment must not exceed the deed. For an Israelite it was clear that God is always just in his judgement (Genesis 28:25). For God cannot be unjust because his justice is holy.
Acknowledge God’s justice!
What do we humans have to oppose God’s justice? God’s justice must be satisfied. Therefore, blood had to be shed, which ransomed us humans, indeed the entire world, and broke through the power of death. Jesus Christ had to die so that the path to God could be cleared. «For God was in Christ, and so reconciled the world to himself, and counted no more men’s sins against them. This is the glorious message of reconciliation […]» (2 Corinthians 5:19 NLB). Through Jesus Christ we have been justified. Justification means that the relationship between God and human beings has been restored. When we believe in Jesus Christ, we share in his substitutionary death and resurrection. Faith alone can save us. Not high-handed or well-intentioned actions. We are not righteously spoken of because of pride in our achievement, because of our ability, or because of a special position. But through Jesus Christ alone. Theologically speaking: The atoning death of Jesus Christ was the justified sacrifice that renders us righteous. Nadab and Abihu did not trust God. Therefore, death, which threatens every human being because of the will to do things for oneself, was preferred.
Followers of Jesus Christ acknowledge that they owe everything to Him. They themselves could not accomplish the opera that God demanded. They recognise that all their own efforts are fruitless and unsuccessful. This is expressed at baptism. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross and his resurrection are symbolically reenacted through the descent and reappearance. Furthermore, a change is witnessed. Namely, the change from trusting in oneself to putting all one’s trust in God.
Nadab and Abihu saw with their father how a proper sacrificial service should be performed. They saw how God took pleasure in it. So they wanted to experience this themselves. They copied, made things the same, but for selfish reasons. So followers of Jesus Christ also face this danger. On the one hand, we may hear about miracles, healings of the sick, etc. and want to act 1:1 like that. We promise ourselves the same result by copying. But behind this lies a magical idea of God. Namely, that I can make God available to me. But God alone gives this. On the other hand, this story shows that we humans are quickly in danger of wanting to misuse God for our own things. He has to take the rap for our reputation, for our prosperity or for our ideas. But this is contrary to God’s justice. For God’s justice means God’s faithfulness to his promises, to his people. But it also includes the faithfulness of people who say that they put all their trust in God. This is shown in the inner attitude of followers of Jesus Christ, but also in their outer behaviour. In this way, the words Moses said to Aaron also become visible in the lives of those who put their trust in Jesus Christ. «Now is coming to pass what the Lord has foretold: I will show myself holy in those who are close to me. I will show my glory before all the people. […]» (Deuteronomy 10:3 NLB).
Possible questions for the small group
Read the Bible text: Deuteronomy 10:1–7 (supplementary the whole chapter 10)
- What does this story do to you? What bothers you, maybe even upsets you? Where do you not understand God?
- What does justice mean to you? Does your idea differ when you think of justice in everyday life or the justice of God?
- How would you describe the justice of God?
- How are grace, righteousness, sin and holiness related? What do you understand least? What is the connection between God’s holiness and justice?
- Do you understand justification by faith alone?
- Where are you in danger of trying to instrumentalise God? How does God’s justice show itself in your life?
