Some pas\u00adsa\u00adges in the Bible seem to dis\u00adturb us. Becau\u00adse they do not fit into our pic\u00adtu\u00adre, becau\u00adse they do not cor\u00adre\u00adspond to what we would expect from God. The righ\u00adteous\u00adness of God is depen\u00addent on his holi\u00adne\u00adss. Only when we bring this tog\u00ade\u00adther do we under\u00adstand why God acts dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly than we ima\u00adgi\u00adne. In the face of things that do not cor\u00adre\u00adspond to God\u2019s will, it is pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly his jus\u00adti\u00adce that is reve\u00ada\u00adled. God can\u00adnot sim\u00adply lea\u00adve them as they are, but must do jus\u00adti\u00adce. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ, on the other hand, should reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse this \u2013 even if it does not cor\u00adre\u00adspond to their own under\u00adstan\u00adding of justice.<\/p>\n
A just God encoun\u00adters unjust people \tWhat does this sto\u00adry do to you? What bothers you, may\u00adbe even upsets you? Whe\u00adre do you not under\u00adstand God? Some pas\u00adsa\u00adges in the Bible seem to dis\u00adturb us. They do not fit into our pic\u00adtu\u00adre becau\u00adse they do not cor\u00adre\u00adspond to what we would expect from God. God\u2019s jus\u00adti\u00adce is depen\u00addent on his holi\u00adne\u00adss. Only when we bring this tog\u00ade\u00adther do we under\u00adstand why God acts dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly than we ima\u00adgi\u00adne. In the face of things that do not cor\u00adre\u00adspond to the will\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":7279,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[79],"wpfc_sermon_series":[90],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-cedric-bruegger","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-heilig-heilig-heilig","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7270","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nTime and again I come across pas\u00adsa\u00adges in the Bible that I don\u2019t imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly under\u00adstand at first. If it is still an Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment sto\u00adry, then they are some\u00adti\u00admes even rather dis\u00adtur\u00adbing. This mor\u00adning we want to del\u00adve into just such a sto\u00adry tog\u00ade\u00adther. It is the sto\u00adry of Nad\u00adab and Abihu. They are the two eldest sons of Aaron. He held the hig\u00adhest reli\u00adgious office, that of high priest. His sons also belon\u00adged to the priests by des\u00adcent, but were sub\u00ador\u00addi\u00adna\u00adte to their father. We read that the two brot\u00adhers took their cen\u00adsers, put glo\u00adwing coals in them and then sprink\u00adled incen\u00adse over them. They wan\u00adted to offer incen\u00adse to God in this way. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, they did this wit\u00adhout any ins\u00adtruc\u00adtion from God, so they were imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly met with his wrath. A fire, pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly light\u00adning, came down from hea\u00adven and kil\u00adled them both instant\u00adly. This was no acci\u00addent or coin\u00adci\u00addence. Many have tried to explain this wit\u00adhout a super\u00adna\u00adtu\u00adral refe\u00adrence, but the\u00adse fail. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, we can\u00adnot avo\u00adid see\u00ading the death of the\u00adse two brot\u00adhers as having been brought about by God. God punis\u00adhed them both with death. Imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly after the death of his nephews, Moses, Aaron\u2019s brot\u00adher and lea\u00adder of the peo\u00adp\u00adle, said the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing. \u00abMoses said to Aaron: \u00abNow what the LORD<\/span> has announ\u00adced will hap\u00adpen: I will show mys\u00adelf holy to tho\u00adse who are near me. I will show my glo\u00adry befo\u00adre all the peo\u00adp\u00adle\u00bb. But Aaron remain\u00aded silent\u00bb (Exodus 10:3 NLB<\/span>). What is exci\u00adting about this is the sobrie\u00adty of Moses\u00bb words. He does not con\u00addemn or reproach Aaron, nor does he try to apo\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adse to God. Ins\u00adtead, he sim\u00adply says that God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss is shown in tho\u00adse who are clo\u00adse to him. Just as priests are by vir\u00adtue of their office. Moses then has the two corp\u00adses quick\u00adly remo\u00adved from the sanc\u00adtua\u00adry. He also tells the remai\u00adning priests not to mourn. Ima\u00adgi\u00adne this. Two of your sons have just died and you are not to mourn? The peo\u00adp\u00adle should not rea\u00adli\u00adse that you are sad. After all, Moses still gives per\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adon for the peo\u00adp\u00adle to mourn them. But Aaron and his remai\u00adning two sons are not to mourn. He even threa\u00adtens them with death if they mourn or lea\u00adve the ent\u00adrance to the sanc\u00adtua\u00adry. In this sto\u00adry, which is dif\u00adfi\u00adcult for us to cate\u00adgo\u00adri\u00adse, God\u2019s jus\u00adti\u00adce beco\u00admes visi\u00adble in its fullness.
\nPer\u00adhaps you are asking yours\u00adelf: God\u2019s jus\u00adti\u00adce? How can a God who acts like this be descri\u00adbed as just? Yes, for us this sto\u00adry has very litt\u00adle to do with jus\u00adti\u00adce. But \u00abWe can\u00adnot cate\u00adgo\u00adri\u00adse God\u2019s actions in our per\u00adcep\u00adti\u00adon becau\u00adse we do not under\u00adstand four basic bibli\u00adcal con\u00adcepts that are of cru\u00adcial importance, name\u00adly holi\u00adne\u00adss, jus\u00adti\u00adce, sin and grace. [\u2026] we can\u00adnot begin to under\u00adstand the mer\u00adcy of God unless we have first gras\u00adped some aspects of his jus\u00adti\u00adce\u00bb (R.C. Sproul). For this sto\u00adry of Nad\u00adab and Abihu is not sim\u00adply iso\u00adla\u00adted, but is set in the con\u00adtext of the pre\u00advious sto\u00adry. Tog\u00ade\u00adther we want to del\u00adve deeper into the sto\u00adry and I hope I will suc\u00adceed in making the jus\u00adti\u00adce of God clear.
\nThe tra\u00adgic end of the two brot\u00adhers has its ori\u00adg\u00adins at the very begin\u00adning of human histo\u00adry. At that time, God crea\u00adted human beings to live in clo\u00adse com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adon with them. But the\u00adre was a rift bet\u00adween God and human beings. Ins\u00adtead of put\u00adting their trust in God, peo\u00adp\u00adle loo\u00adked for ano\u00adther way. As a result, they lost their posi\u00adti\u00adon befo\u00adre God \u2013 and what is even worse, the\u00adre was a rift which from now on stands bet\u00adween God and man. But God accor\u00adding to his natu\u00adre still seeks cont\u00adact with his crea\u00adtures. He still seeks the pre\u00adsence of peo\u00adp\u00adle and wants them to put their trust in him. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, he calls the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel as his own, set apart for him. But this can\u00adnot over\u00adco\u00adme the gulf that stands bet\u00adween God and us. For God can\u00adnot lie to hims\u00adelf. He can\u00adnot appro\u00adve of any sel\u00adfi\u00adsh attempt by man. In the Bible, this is cal\u00adled impu\u00adre or even sin\u00adful beha\u00adviour. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, the peo\u00adp\u00adle whom he has cho\u00adsen must offer sacri\u00adfices to him. For the fact that the peo\u00adp\u00adle have sought their own way ins\u00adtead of God Hims\u00adelf is punis\u00adha\u00adble by death. The result of being far from God is death. This gap to God can only be bridged with blood. That is why the\u00adre are dai\u00adly sacri\u00adfices. Sacri\u00adfices for various offen\u00adces and final\u00adly, once a year, a sacri\u00adfice that brings the enti\u00adre peo\u00adp\u00adle back into harm\u00ado\u00adny with God.
\nGod\u2019s all-embra\u00adcing justice
\nMan with his own goals stands in stark con\u00adtrast to God\u2019s all-encom\u00adpas\u00adsing jus\u00adti\u00adce. It is pure grace that peo\u00adp\u00adle can encoun\u00adter God and not die imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly. \u00abFor the wages of sin is death [\u2026]\u00bb (Romans 6:23 NLB<\/span>). God puts the enforce\u00adment of his jus\u00adti\u00adce on hold. Becau\u00adse all peo\u00adp\u00adle deser\u00adve to die. God\u2019s pre\u00addic\u00adtion to the first humans was that they would die if they ate from the tree of the know\u00adledge of good and evil. It was only by grace that God allo\u00adwed peo\u00adp\u00adle to live, but even death was not sus\u00adpen\u00added but post\u00adpo\u00adned. At the latest when we die on earth, the sepa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon from God final\u00adly emer\u00adges. The dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adty with God\u2019s jus\u00adti\u00adce is that it does not cor\u00adre\u00adspond to our sen\u00adse of jus\u00adti\u00adce. We con\u00adsider much of what God does to ful\u00adfil his jus\u00adti\u00adce to be unjust. Or in other words, he acts in a way that cor\u00adre\u00adsponds to his under\u00adstan\u00adding of justice.
\nThis is also the case with the sto\u00adry of Nad\u00adab and Abihu. But befo\u00adre we want to cate\u00adgo\u00adri\u00adse the events, it is important to look at the con\u00adtext. The two brot\u00adhers were priests. The func\u00adtion of a priest is to approach God (Eze\u00adkiel 42:13). They were desti\u00adned for divi\u00adne ser\u00advice and both had alre\u00ada\u00addy expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced and even sur\u00advi\u00adved an encoun\u00adter with God. \u00abAfter\u00adwards, Moses, Aaron, Nad\u00adab, Abihu and 70 of the lea\u00adding men of Isra\u00adel went up the moun\u00adtain. The\u00adre they saw the God of Isra\u00adel. The ground beneath his feet sho\u00adne like sap\u00adphi\u00adre, clear as the sky. And alt\u00adhough the lea\u00adding men of Isra\u00adel saw God, he did not kill them. Yes, they even ate and drank in his pre\u00adsence!\u00bb (Exodus 24:9\u201311 NLB<\/span>). So they alre\u00ada\u00addy had a rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God and saw him personally.
\nShort\u00adly befo\u00adre the death of the two brot\u00adhers, the priests offe\u00adred the first sacri\u00adfice. Aaron offe\u00adred all the sacri\u00adfices and his sons assis\u00adted. At the end of the sacri\u00adfices, God\u2019s joy was evi\u00addent in the insti\u00adtu\u00adti\u00adon of the priestly sacri\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adal ser\u00advice. \u00abFire came out of him and con\u00adsu\u00admed the burnt offe\u00adring and the pie\u00adces of fat on the altar. When the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes saw this, they shou\u00adted for joy and threw them\u00adsel\u00adves to the ground\u00bb (Levi\u00adti\u00adcus 9:24 NLB<\/span>). God hims\u00adelf inau\u00adgu\u00adra\u00adted the sacri\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adal ser\u00advice. He sent his fire.
\nSo Abihu and Nad\u00adab had expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced this and now they deci\u00added to offer incen\u00adse them\u00adsel\u00adves. In doing so, they vio\u00adla\u00adted seve\u00adral things. First\u00adly, they offe\u00adred incen\u00adse wit\u00adhout aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon. Bur\u00adning incen\u00adse is the hig\u00adhest and most solemn of a priest\u2019s duties. Second\u00adly, they offe\u00adred it tog\u00ade\u00adther. An incen\u00adse offe\u00adring should always be per\u00adfor\u00admed alo\u00adne. But in my view, the third worst offence was that they brought stran\u00adge fire befo\u00adre the Lord. In other words, they lit the incen\u00adse offe\u00adring them\u00adsel\u00adves. If the who\u00adle thing had been done out of igno\u00adrance, it would not have been punis\u00adha\u00adble by death, but the\u00adre would have been the pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty of a sin offe\u00adring. But the two of them offe\u00adred the sacri\u00adfice wilful\u00adly, pre\u00adsump\u00adtuous\u00adly and arro\u00adgant\u00adly. They took them\u00adsel\u00adves too serious\u00adly. God desi\u00adres a dif\u00adfe\u00adrent approach. \u00abLet anyo\u00adne who wants to boast boast only about this one thing: that he knows me and under\u00adstands that I am the LORD<\/span>! I act lovin\u00adg\u00adly and ensu\u00adre jus\u00adti\u00adce and righ\u00adteous\u00adness on earth, for this plea\u00adses me. I, the LORD<\/span>, have spo\u00adken!\u00bb (Jere\u00admi\u00adah 9:23 NLB<\/span>). The two died becau\u00adse the reward of man\u2019s sel\u00adfi\u00adsh\u00adness is death. It is an anti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adti\u00adon of what threa\u00adtens all peo\u00adp\u00adle \u2013 death.
\nThat is why Aaron was not allo\u00adwed to mourn. Becau\u00adse as priests, Aaron and his sons stood befo\u00adre God and had to avo\u00adid any\u00adthing that would dis\u00adqua\u00adli\u00adfy them from wor\u00adship. Moreo\u00adver, their mour\u00adning would have sym\u00adbo\u00adli\u00adsed that God\u2019s punish\u00adment was unjust. But God is a holy and righ\u00adteous God. God\u2019s jus\u00adti\u00adce is only reve\u00ada\u00adled in con\u00adtrast to sin. God\u2019s jus\u00adti\u00adce can also mean punish\u00adment. For exam\u00adp\u00adle, if I am guil\u00adty of some\u00adthing in road traf\u00adfic, then I am threa\u00adten\u00aded with punish\u00adment. If I am not held accoun\u00adta\u00adble for an offence I have com\u00admit\u00adted, then jus\u00adti\u00adce has not been ser\u00adved. We too often equa\u00adte God\u2019s jus\u00adti\u00adce with the posi\u00adti\u00adve appr\u00adoval of our own decis\u00adi\u00adons. But God can\u00adnot react indif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly to our wrong decis\u00adi\u00adons. For this would be an indif\u00adfe\u00adrence to the fact that He is God, Holy! In our under\u00adstan\u00adding, the punish\u00adment must not exceed the offence. For an Israe\u00adli\u00adte, it was clear that God is always just in his jud\u00adge\u00adment (Gene\u00adsis 28:25). God can\u00adnot be unjust becau\u00adse his jus\u00adti\u00adce is holy.
\nAck\u00adnow\u00adledge God\u2019s justice!
\nWhat do we humans have to oppo\u00adse God\u2019s jus\u00adti\u00adce? God\u2019s jus\u00adti\u00adce must be satis\u00adfied. That is why blood had to be shed, which rede\u00adems us humans, inde\u00aded the enti\u00adre world, and breaks through the power of death. Jesus Christ had to die so that the path to God could be cle\u00adared again. \u00abFor God was in Christ, recon\u00adci\u00adling the world to hims\u00adelf, no lon\u00adger coun\u00adting their sins against them. This is the glo\u00adrious mes\u00adsa\u00adge of recon\u00adci\u00adlia\u00adti\u00adon [\u2026]\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 5:19 NLB<\/span>). We have been jus\u00adti\u00adfied through Jesus Christ. Jus\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon means that the rela\u00adti\u00adonship bet\u00adween God and peo\u00adp\u00adle has been put right again. If we belie\u00adve in Jesus Christ, then we share in his sub\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtio\u00adna\u00adry death and resur\u00adrec\u00adtion. Faith alo\u00adne can save us. Not unaut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adsed or well-inten\u00adtio\u00adned actions. We are not jus\u00adti\u00adfied out of pri\u00adde in our per\u00adfor\u00admance, becau\u00adse of our abili\u00adty or a spe\u00adcial posi\u00adti\u00adon. But through Jesus Christ alo\u00adne. Theo\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adcal\u00adly spea\u00adking: The ato\u00adn\u00ading death of Jesus Christ was the righ\u00adteous sacri\u00adfice that jus\u00adti\u00adfies us. Nad\u00adab and Abihu did not trust God. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, death, which threa\u00adtens every human being becau\u00adse of the will to do it ones\u00adelf, was preferred.
\nFol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ ack\u00adnow\u00adledge that they owe ever\u00ady\u00adthing to Him. They them\u00adsel\u00adves could not accom\u00adplish the ope\u00adra that God deman\u00added. They reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse that all their own efforts are fruit\u00adless and unsuc\u00adcessful. This is expres\u00adsed at bap\u00adtism. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross and his resur\u00adrec\u00adtion are sym\u00adbo\u00adli\u00adcal\u00adly ree\u00adnac\u00adted through the des\u00adcent and reap\u00adpearance. Fur\u00adther\u00admo\u00adre, a chan\u00adge is wit\u00adnessed. Name\u00adly, the chan\u00adge from trus\u00adting in ones\u00adelf to put\u00adting all one\u2019s trust in God.
\nNad\u00adab and Abihu saw from their father how a pro\u00adper sacri\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adal ser\u00advice should be per\u00adfor\u00admed. They saw how God took plea\u00adsu\u00adre in it. They wan\u00adted to expe\u00adri\u00adence this them\u00adsel\u00adves. They copied, did things the same way, but for sel\u00adfi\u00adsh reasons. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ are also in this dan\u00adger. On the one hand, we may hear about mira\u00adcles, healings etc. and want to act 1:1 in the same way. By copy\u00ading them, we hope to achie\u00adve the same result. But behind this is a magi\u00adcal idea of God. Name\u00adly that I can make God available to me. But God alo\u00adne gives this. On the other hand, this sto\u00adry shows that we humans are quick\u00adly in dan\u00adger of wan\u00adting to misu\u00adse God for our own ends. He has to hold out for our repu\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon, our pro\u00adspe\u00adri\u00adty or our ide\u00adas. But this is con\u00adtra\u00adry to God\u2019s jus\u00adti\u00adce. For God\u2019s righ\u00adteous\u00adness means God\u2019s faithful\u00adness to his pro\u00admi\u00adses, to his peo\u00adp\u00adle. But it also includes the faithful\u00adness of peo\u00adp\u00adle who say that they put all their trust in God. This can be seen in fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ in their inner atti\u00adtu\u00adde, but also in their out\u00adward beha\u00adviour. In this way, the words that Moses said to Aaron also beco\u00adme visi\u00adble in the lives of tho\u00adse who put their trust in Jesus Christ. \u00ab[\u2026] Now what the Lord has announ\u00adced is hap\u00adpe\u00adning: I will pro\u00adve mys\u00adelf holy to tho\u00adse who are clo\u00adse to me. I will show my glo\u00adry befo\u00adre all the peo\u00adp\u00adle. [\u2026]\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 10:3 NLB<\/span>).
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Deu\u00adte\u00adro\u00adno\u00admy 10:1\u20137 (sup\u00adple\u00admen\u00adta\u00adry the who\u00adle chap\u00adter 10)<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat does jus\u00adti\u00adce mean to you? Does your idea dif\u00adfer when you think of jus\u00adti\u00adce in ever\u00ady\u00adday life or the jus\u00adti\u00adce of God?
\n\tHow would you descri\u00adbe the jus\u00adti\u00adce of God?
\n\tHow are grace, righ\u00adteous\u00adness, sin and holi\u00adne\u00adss rela\u00adted? What do you under\u00adstand least? What is the con\u00adnec\u00adtion bet\u00adween God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss and justice?
\n\tDo you under\u00adstand jus\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon by faith alone?
\n\tWhe\u00adre are you in dan\u00adger of try\u00ading to instru\u00admen\u00adta\u00adli\u00adse God? How does God\u2019s jus\u00adti\u00adce show its\u00adelf in your life?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"