Shall we bow our
heads for prayer?
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Our Father in heaven,
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what a joy it is
to be in Your presence
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and we ask that as we open
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the awesome
pages of Your holy word
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that Your spirit will
hover over this place.
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Give us clarity of thought
and give us tender hearts
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to receive Your message
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and we thank you
Father for hearing our prayer
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for we asked in
Jesus name, amen.
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We like to begin our study today
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by turning to the
Book of Genesis 2:15-17.
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Genesis 2:15-17.
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It reads like this,
"Then the Lord God took the man
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and put him in
the Garden of Eden
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to tend and keep it.
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And the Lord God
commanded the man, saying,
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'Of every tree of the
garden you made freely eat,
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but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil
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you shall not
eat, for in the day
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that you eat of it
you shall surely die.'"
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There's a very important
principle in this passage
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and that is that
God made a distinction
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between the trees of the garden
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and a special
tree that He set aside.
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We could say that
the trees of the garden
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were like for the common
everyday use of Adam and Eve,
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but they were to
respect God's tree
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because God had set it apart.
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In other words
there was a difference
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between the common
trees and the set apart tree.
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Now the Book of Genesis does not
use the words holy and common
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but it's very
clear from the passage
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that this tree
was separated by God
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and reserved for Himself,
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it was not for the common
everyday use of Adam and Eve.
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And of course God told
them in this explicit command
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that if they disobey Him
and they partook of the tree
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which had been set apart
and they ate from that tree
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they would surely die.
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In a very real sense
that sin of Adam and Eve
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was to take that which was Holy
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and treat it as
if it were common.
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They took God's tree,
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the tree that
have been separated
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and they treated it
like the everyday trees
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which God gave them
permission to eat from.
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The same
principle of the distinction
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between the holy and the common
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can be seen in the story
of the Conquest of Jericho.
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You see, Jericho
was the first city
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that Israel conquered
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when they enter
the Promised Land
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and therefore God said
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when you overcome this
city the gold and the silver
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will be consecrated to Me,
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it will be set apart for
the use in the sanctuary.
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It is not for your common use,
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it is sacred, so to speak.
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You may take the
other things in the city
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but the gold and
the silver is sacred
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it is set apart for
me; it is consecrated
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that's the word that
is used in Joshua 6:19.
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But there was a
man called Achan,
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and what Achan did was
take God's holy gold and silver
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and take it for himself.
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In other words, he took
that which God had set apart
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as sacred as holy as consecrated
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and he took it for
his own personal use.
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In other words Achan
disrespected the holy.
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He treated the holy
as if it were common.
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We might say that he desecrated
the gold and the silver.
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Now in ancient
Israel it was the role
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of the religious
leaders to teach the people
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the distinction between
the holy and the common,
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between that
which was consecrated
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and that which
was for everyday use
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that which was secular.
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Especially the high
priest was to teach the people
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this distinction as
the spiritual leader,
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the difference between
the holy and the common.
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The high priest
was to teach the people
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to respect that, which was holy.
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And this can be
seen by the miter
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that he had on his head.
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We're told in Exodus
28:36 about this miter
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that the high
priest had on his forehead.
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It says there, "You show
also make a plate of pure gold
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and engraver on it, like
the engraving up a signet,
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holiness to the Lord."
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Everything
connected with the sanctuary
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and the priesthood was Holy
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and God
commanded the high priest
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to teach the
people the distinction
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or the difference
between the holy and the common
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between that which was sacred
and that which was secular.
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The priests were to meticulously
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teach the people
this distinction.
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In fact were told this
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in the Book of
Ezekiel 44:23, 24.
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Speaking about the priest's
not only the high priest
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but the priests
we find these words,
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"And they shall teach My people
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the difference between
the holy and the unholy,"
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by the way unholy
in our English language
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means something negative
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but in the Bible
unholy in this sense means
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something that is common
or secular for everyday use.
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In other words, it's
not consecrated to the Lord.
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It's what says, "And
they shall teach my people
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the difference between
the holy and the unholy,"
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that is a holy and the common
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"and cause them to discern
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between the
unclean and the clean."
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Once again the distinction
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between that which
has been separated for God
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and that which is for their
common everyday secular use.
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The priests were
to be very careful
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in teaching the
people this distinction.
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You see, in Israel
there was common money
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and there was holy money.
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Common money was the
money that the people could use
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for their own necessities,
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the holy money were the
tithes and the offerings.
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There was a distinction
between holy and common money.
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There was a distinction
between holy and common dress.
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When people came to worship
the Lord in the sanctuary
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there was special
dress that was required.
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They could not
come in common garb
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particularly the priesthood.
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You see, there were
holy days and common days
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there were also holy
places and common places,
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there was holy music
and common everyday music,
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there were holy
occasions and common occasions
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and there were holy vocations
and they were common vocations.
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Now by vocations I
mean that God established
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that only certain individuals
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could be ordained
to the priesthood.
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Not just any old person
any common everyday person
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could be ordained
to the priesthood.
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God established that
there were individuals
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that were qualified to serve
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in the vocation
of the priesthood
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and there were those
who were disqualified
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from serving in the priesthood.
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Not that they were bad
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but they could not
serve in this sacred endeavor.
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Now we're gonna study
today a very interesting story,
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it's a sobering story.
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It's found in the
Leviticus Chapter 10.
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It's the story of
the two sons of Aaron
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that died in the
presence of the Lord.
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In order to
understand chapter 10
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that we need to return to
chapter 9 verses 23 and 24
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where we have the
context for this story.
00:10:05.12\00:10:08.76
You see, we're told
in Leviticus 9:23, 24
00:10:08.79\00:10:15.47
that sacrifices were
placed up on the altar
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and then when the
sacrifices were on the altar
00:10:20.39\00:10:23.82
we're told that God reigned fire
from heaven up on the sacrifices
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and the fire
consumed those sacrifices.
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Let's read about
it Leviticus 9:23, 24
00:10:32.40\00:10:37.38
it says, "And Moses and Aaron
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went into the
tabernacle of meeting,
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and came out and
blessed the people.
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Then the glory of the
Lord appeared to all the people
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and fire came out
from before the Lord
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and consumed the burnt offering
and the fat on the altar.
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When all the people saw it,
00:11:01.19\00:11:03.00
they shouted and
fell on their faces."
00:11:03.03\00:11:07.09
So, God reigned up on
the sacrifices holy fire.
00:11:07.12\00:11:12.56
It was not common, ordinary,
everyday fire it was holy fire
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because God had
reigned it up on the altar.
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In fact God clearly
instructed the priests
00:11:21.83\00:11:25.51
He said, whenever you
bring incense into the sanctuary
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you make sure that
the fire that you use
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is the fire from the
altar that I reigned from heaven
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because that is holy fire.
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He said don't you
bring in common fire
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only the fire that I
reign from heaven is holy fire
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and God also told them
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that they had to bring in
a special type of incense.
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Holy fire and holy incense,
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you see there was common fire
and there was common incense
00:11:54.91\00:11:58.41
but they could not offer these.
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Let's read about the
incense in Exodus 30:7-9.
00:12:00.65\00:12:06.50
Exodus 30:7-9.
00:12:06.53\00:12:10.08
It says there
"Aaron shall burn on it"
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that is on the
altar, the golden altar,
00:12:13.55\00:12:16.25
"sweet incense every morning,
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when he tends the lamps,
he shall burn incense on it.
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And when Aaron lights
the lamps at twilight,
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he shall burn incense on it,
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a perpetual
incense before the Lord
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throughout your generations."
00:12:35.59\00:12:37.49
And then verse 9 the first
part is critically important.
00:12:37.52\00:12:41.32
"You shall not offer
strange incense on it."
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By strange it
means common incense.
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The type of incense that
you would burn in your home
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it's not bad
incense, its good incense
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but it is incense to be
used for secular purposes
00:12:58.51\00:13:02.15
not for sacred purposes.
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They could not use any old fire
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they could not
use any old incense.
00:13:06.55\00:13:10.22
It had to be holy fire blended
or mixed with the holy incense.
00:13:10.25\00:13:17.71
Now we need to understand
what the incense represented.
00:13:17.74\00:13:21.64
You see, the
incense was a symbol
00:13:21.67\00:13:23.98
it represented
something beyond the literal.
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This will help us
understand a little bit better
00:13:28.63\00:13:31.52
the reason why
God was so offended
00:13:31.55\00:13:34.35
when Nadab and Abihu
offered strange incense
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or common
incense before the Lord.
00:13:38.43\00:13:41.27
You see in scripture
incense represents prayer.
00:13:41.30\00:13:48.18
Notice Psalm 141:2.
00:13:48.21\00:13:51.76
Psalm 141:2.
00:13:51.79\00:13:55.90
It says there listen to this,
00:13:55.93\00:13:59.16
"Let my prayer be
set before You" as what?
00:13:59.19\00:14:05.44
"As incense, the
lifting up of my hands
00:14:05.47\00:14:10.18
as the evening sacrifice."
00:14:10.21\00:14:13.41
So we're clearly
told in this text
00:14:13.44\00:14:16.14
that the prayer is
represented by what?
00:14:16.17\00:14:20.01
Is represented by
incense, by the way
00:14:20.04\00:14:24.11
by holy incense the incense
which God has prescribed.
00:14:24.14\00:14:30.49
Notice also
Revelation 8:3 on the incense.
00:14:30.52\00:14:35.24
Revelation 8:3.
00:14:35.27\00:14:37.92
It says there,
"Then another angel,
00:14:37.95\00:14:41.09
having a golden censer,
came and stood at the altar."
00:14:41.12\00:14:46.17
This is the same altar
that Aaron offered incense on.
00:14:46.20\00:14:50.33
"And it says there and
he was given much incense,
00:14:50.36\00:14:54.43
that he should offer it
00:14:54.46\00:14:55.68
with the prayers
of all the saints."
00:14:55.71\00:14:57.76
See here now, we can
catch an interesting nuance.
00:14:57.79\00:15:00.28
The prayers of the saints
is represented by the incense
00:15:00.31\00:15:03.76
but there's
something else, it says here
00:15:03.79\00:15:06.32
that the incense is offered
with the prayers of the saints.
00:15:06.35\00:15:09.83
In a moment we're gonna
see what this represents.
00:15:09.86\00:15:11.76
And so it says, "And
he was given much incense,
00:15:11.79\00:15:14.95
that he should offer it
00:15:14.98\00:15:16.08
with for prayers
of all the saints
00:15:16.11\00:15:18.29
upon the golden altar
which was before the throne."
00:15:18.32\00:15:22.87
One more passage on the incense
00:15:22.90\00:15:24.92
so that we clearly understand
00:15:24.95\00:15:26.33
that the incense
is related to prayer,
00:15:26.36\00:15:29.35
this holy incense is
related to the prayers
00:15:29.38\00:15:32.46
that we rise up
into the presence of God.
00:15:32.49\00:15:35.07
Luke 1:8-10.
00:15:35.10\00:15:38.75
It's speaking
here about Zechariah's
00:15:38.78\00:15:41.45
the father of John the Baptist.
00:15:41.48\00:15:43.36
He was serving in the temple
00:15:43.39\00:15:45.41
and in fact he
was offering incense
00:15:45.44\00:15:47.72
and let's notice what
the people were doing outside
00:15:47.75\00:15:50.48
while he was
offering the incense.
00:15:50.51\00:15:52.68
It says in verse 8,
00:15:52.71\00:15:54.79
"So it was that
while he was serving
00:15:54.82\00:15:58.25
as priest before God in
the order of his division,
00:15:58.28\00:16:02.74
according to the
custom of the priesthood,
00:16:02.77\00:16:05.96
his lot fell to burn incense
00:16:05.99\00:16:09.77
when he went into
the temple of the Lord."
00:16:09.80\00:16:12.62
So notice Zechariah
is going to burn incense.
00:16:12.65\00:16:15.59
Verse 10, "And the
whole multitude of the people
00:16:15.62\00:16:20.08
was praying outside
at the hour of incense."
00:16:20.11\00:16:25.38
So as the incense is
being placed upon the altar,
00:16:25.41\00:16:29.43
the golden altar the
people are outside praying
00:16:29.46\00:16:32.87
because the incense is
symbolic of their prayers.
00:16:32.90\00:16:37.73
Now if their prayers
but blended with something
00:16:37.76\00:16:41.37
as we already
noticed mixed with something.
00:16:41.40\00:16:45.08
Selected Messages
volume one page 329
00:16:45.11\00:16:48.84
we find this very significant
statement from Ellen White.
00:16:48.87\00:16:54.74
She says this,
"With the confession
00:16:54.77\00:16:59.43
of the repenting
believing sinner,"
00:16:59.46\00:17:04.78
did you notice that?
00:17:04.81\00:17:06.45
With the confession of
the what type of sinner?
00:17:06.48\00:17:09.34
Of the repenting
believing sinner,
00:17:09.37\00:17:12.47
not any sinner,
not any old sinner
00:17:12.50\00:17:15.69
but a sinner who
confesses repents and believes.
00:17:15.72\00:17:19.33
She continues saying,
00:17:19.36\00:17:20.86
"Christ mingles
His own righteousness,
00:17:20.89\00:17:25.53
that the prayer of
fallen man may go up
00:17:25.56\00:17:29.86
as fragrant
incense before the Father,
00:17:29.89\00:17:33.29
and the grace of God be imparted
to every believing soul."
00:17:33.32\00:17:38.76
So our prayers are mixed
00:17:38.79\00:17:40.79
with the righteousness
of Christ according to this
00:17:40.82\00:17:43.85
or else our prayers
would not be acceptable.
00:17:43.88\00:17:46.58
But notice that the
prayers, this is very important,
00:17:46.61\00:17:49.50
the prayers had to go
up there from a sinner
00:17:49.53\00:17:53.20
who was confessing, repenting
and believing in Jesus.
00:17:53.23\00:17:59.00
In other words,
there were conditions
00:17:59.03\00:18:01.03
for God receiving the prayer
00:18:01.06\00:18:03.63
or receiving the
incense which was offered.
00:18:03.66\00:18:09.56
You see, one of the big
problems with Nadab and Abihu
00:18:09.59\00:18:15.05
is that they
offered common fire to God
00:18:15.08\00:18:20.81
as if it were holy.
00:18:20.84\00:18:23.44
And we're gonna find
that they knew very well
00:18:23.47\00:18:26.58
that they were not
supposed to do that.
00:18:26.61\00:18:29.81
God have
instructed them very clearly
00:18:29.84\00:18:32.37
that they needed not
only to offer holy incense
00:18:32.40\00:18:35.34
but with the incense it needed
to be consumed by holy fire,
00:18:35.37\00:18:41.54
holy fire
burning the Holy incense
00:18:41.57\00:18:44.94
which represented the prayers
00:18:44.97\00:18:47.13
that go into
the presence of God.
00:18:47.16\00:18:50.88
And so we're told in
the story of Nadab and Abihu
00:18:50.91\00:18:54.68
in Leviticus
10:1, the following.
00:18:54.71\00:19:00.92
"Then Nadab and
Abihu the sons of Aaron,
00:19:00.95\00:19:05.63
each took his
censer and put fire in it,
00:19:05.66\00:19:10.77
put incense on it,
00:19:10.80\00:19:13.85
and offered profane
fire before the Lord."
00:19:13.88\00:19:17.76
Profane doesn't
mean the same word
00:19:17.79\00:19:19.48
as the same as
profane for us today.
00:19:19.51\00:19:22.14
Profane means bad.
00:19:22.17\00:19:23.35
Profane simply means
ordinary, common everyday fire.
00:19:23.38\00:19:31.35
And so it says "and offered
profane fire before the Lord
00:19:31.38\00:19:34.95
which He had
not commanded them."
00:19:34.98\00:19:38.18
Let me ask you did
they know very clearly
00:19:38.21\00:19:40.37
that there was a
certain kind of incense
00:19:40.40\00:19:42.07
that God expected them to offer?
00:19:42.10\00:19:44.41
Did they know very clearly
00:19:44.44\00:19:45.66
that there was a
certain kind of fire
00:19:45.69\00:19:47.12
that they should offer?
00:19:47.15\00:19:48.27
Yes, because it said here
that they offered strange fire
00:19:48.30\00:19:52.04
which is a fire that
God commanded them not,
00:19:52.07\00:19:54.67
which means that
God had commanded them
00:19:54.70\00:19:56.57
which fire and
which incense to offer.
00:19:56.60\00:19:59.67
So they are doing
this what? Knowingly.
00:19:59.70\00:20:03.84
They are not ignorant.
00:20:03.87\00:20:05.40
This is not a sin of ignorance,
00:20:05.43\00:20:07.34
this is a sin with a high hand
00:20:07.37\00:20:09.66
it is willful
disobedience to God.
00:20:09.69\00:20:12.79
It is taking
that which is common
00:20:12.82\00:20:15.54
and offering it to
God as if it were holy.
00:20:15.57\00:20:20.91
That is a very important
point taking the common
00:20:20.94\00:20:24.84
and offering it to
God as if it were holy.
00:20:24.87\00:20:29.30
And something terrible happened.
00:20:29.33\00:20:31.38
Notice Leviticus 10:2.
00:20:31.41\00:20:35.41
"So fire went out from
the Lord and devoured them,
00:20:35.44\00:20:41.83
and they'd tied
before the Lord."
00:20:41.86\00:20:46.66
You know this is a side of God
that people don't like to hear.
00:20:46.69\00:20:50.45
They like to hear about God,
00:20:50.48\00:20:52.32
you know, being Santa Claus,
00:20:52.35\00:20:55.02
like Santa Claus
giving gifts to people
00:20:55.05\00:20:57.97
who are naughty or nice.
00:20:58.00\00:20:59.74
You know, that God
doesn't really care
00:20:59.77\00:21:02.56
you know, the way that we dress
00:21:02.59\00:21:03.91
or the way that we use our money
00:21:03.94\00:21:05.68
or the way in which we
come into His presence.
00:21:05.71\00:21:07.99
God doesn't really mind
00:21:08.02\00:21:09.09
you know, He just
accepts any old thing.
00:21:09.12\00:21:12.68
Well, the fact is
that this story teaches us
00:21:12.71\00:21:15.99
that God when
He reveals His will
00:21:16.02\00:21:18.56
as to how He
supposed to be worshipped
00:21:18.59\00:21:21.03
He expects people to worship Him
00:21:21.06\00:21:23.50
in the way in
which He has established.
00:21:23.53\00:21:27.60
These young men were explicitly
disobedient to the will of God.
00:21:27.63\00:21:32.40
In fact, what they did was
commit abomination against God.
00:21:32.43\00:21:37.51
They were actually
practicing false worship
00:21:37.54\00:21:41.88
because they were offering God
00:21:41.91\00:21:43.88
that which was
common as if it were holy.
00:21:43.91\00:21:48.52
Now let's go back to
the idea of the incense
00:21:48.55\00:21:51.66
which is mingled with the fire
and goes to the presence of God.
00:21:51.69\00:21:55.26
We've already noticed
that this represents prayer
00:21:55.29\00:22:00.66
but we notice
that Nadab and Abihu
00:22:00.69\00:22:02.83
offered God strange fire.
00:22:02.86\00:22:06.13
What happens when people
offer up their prayers to God
00:22:06.16\00:22:11.22
and they are willfully
disobedient to the will of God?
00:22:11.25\00:22:16.39
I want you to notice
that the Bible tells us
00:22:16.42\00:22:18.74
very clearly what happens.
00:22:18.77\00:22:21.04
Notice Proverbs 28: 9.
00:22:21.07\00:22:25.05
Proverbs 28:9.
00:22:25.08\00:22:29.24
It says here, "One
who turns away his ear
00:22:29.27\00:22:33.92
from hearing the law,
00:22:33.95\00:22:36.52
even his prayer
is an abomination."
00:22:36.55\00:22:41.47
What happens when
we don't obey clearly
00:22:41.50\00:22:44.59
the prescriptions
of the law of God?
00:22:44.62\00:22:47.21
Our prayer is what?
00:22:47.24\00:22:49.13
An abomination because
it is a strange prayer,
00:22:49.16\00:22:53.27
it is a strange incense
00:22:53.30\00:22:55.42
because we are offering
it in disobedience to God.
00:22:55.45\00:22:58.64
Let me ask you
were Nadab and Abihu
00:22:58.67\00:23:01.49
offering incense burnt with fire
00:23:01.52\00:23:04.76
contrary to what God
had told them to offer?
00:23:04.79\00:23:07.64
Yes, and so this
symbolize the fact
00:23:07.67\00:23:10.81
that the prayers
were ascending to God
00:23:10.84\00:23:14.54
but in disobedience to
the explicit will of God.
00:23:14.57\00:23:18.14
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:23:18.17\00:23:19.93
Now let's notice
also Psalm 66:18- 20.
00:23:19.96\00:23:25.06
Psalm 66:18-20.
00:23:25.09\00:23:29.09
Here the Psalmist says this,
00:23:29.12\00:23:31.47
"If I regard
iniquity in my heart
00:23:31.50\00:23:36.38
the Lord will not," what?
00:23:36.41\00:23:39.08
"The Lord will not hear.
00:23:39.11\00:23:42.50
But certainly God has heard me,
00:23:42.53\00:23:45.56
He has attended to
the voice of my prayer
00:23:45.59\00:23:48.87
because blessed be God
00:23:48.90\00:23:51.11
who has not
turned away my prayer
00:23:51.14\00:23:54.12
nor His mercy from me."
00:23:54.15\00:23:56.89
What happens when we
regard iniquity in our hearts
00:23:56.92\00:24:00.22
and we raise a prayer to God?
00:24:00.25\00:24:03.25
We're told very clearly
here that the prayer is what?
00:24:03.28\00:24:06.55
Rejected.
00:24:06.58\00:24:07.69
And so Nadab and
Abihu take this common fire,
00:24:07.72\00:24:11.50
they mingle it with incense
00:24:11.53\00:24:13.35
in disobedience to
the direct will of God.
00:24:13.38\00:24:16.58
They take the common and
they offer as if it's holy.
00:24:16.61\00:24:21.17
Could God accept
that offering of incense
00:24:21.20\00:24:25.29
mingled with common fire?
00:24:25.32\00:24:27.95
Absolutely not.
00:24:27.98\00:24:30.34
Now I want you to
notice Leviticus 10:3.
00:24:30.37\00:24:34.95
Leviticus 10:3.
00:24:34.98\00:24:37.24
After Nadab and
Abihu are consumed
00:24:37.27\00:24:41.65
God has some
very interesting words
00:24:41.68\00:24:44.43
to speak to Moses and to Aaron.
00:24:44.46\00:24:49.06
It says there in verse 3,
"And Moses said to Aaron,"
00:24:49.09\00:24:54.61
by the way this is
what the Lord spoke, notice,
00:24:54.64\00:24:56.83
"This is what the
Lord spoke, saying,
00:24:56.86\00:25:00.23
'By those who come near Me
00:25:00.26\00:25:03.49
I must be regarded as holy
00:25:03.52\00:25:09.06
and before all the
people I must be glorified.'
00:25:09.09\00:25:13.32
So Aaron held his peace."
00:25:13.35\00:25:17.64
Did Nadab and Abihu
recognize God as holy?
00:25:17.67\00:25:23.08
No, they did not
because they took common fire
00:25:23.11\00:25:26.06
and they offered this
profane everyday common fire
00:25:26.09\00:25:30.24
to God as if it were holy.
00:25:30.27\00:25:32.38
And God says I
cannot accept that,
00:25:32.41\00:25:34.44
I cannot accept this incense
00:25:34.47\00:25:36.58
which is burnt
with strange fire,
00:25:36.61\00:25:38.58
with common fire
because this is something
00:25:38.61\00:25:41.64
which is done in disobedience.
00:25:41.67\00:25:44.60
And then God says I
must be regarded as what?
00:25:44.63\00:25:48.84
I must be regarded
by the people as holy.
00:25:48.87\00:25:53.73
In other words Nadab and Abuhu
00:25:53.76\00:25:56.07
had disregarded
the holiness of God.
00:25:56.10\00:25:59.51
They had trampled
on the holiness of God
00:25:59.54\00:26:02.13
by offering the
common as if it were holy.
00:26:02.16\00:26:06.38
They did not even
regard God as holy.
00:26:06.41\00:26:10.64
You see, God
cannot be played with,
00:26:10.67\00:26:13.66
God cannot be trifled with,
00:26:13.69\00:26:16.69
we must not think that we
can approach Him in any old way.
00:26:16.72\00:26:21.53
We cannot
approach God on our terms.
00:26:21.56\00:26:25.06
We're not to think of
God as our good old buddy
00:26:25.09\00:26:27.83
or as the man upstairs.
00:26:27.86\00:26:30.57
He's the high and
lofty one whose name is holy
00:26:30.60\00:26:35.64
but who also inhabits with Him
00:26:35.67\00:26:38.35
who is his humble
and contrary of heart
00:26:38.38\00:26:42.51
which Nadab and Abihu were not.
00:26:42.54\00:26:46.73
They brought common fire
00:26:46.76\00:26:48.64
and they offered it
ask if it were holy.
00:26:48.67\00:26:52.96
Now you would think
that the people of Israel
00:26:52.99\00:26:54.99
would mourn the death
of these two young men
00:26:55.02\00:26:57.69
that Aaron would mourn
the death of his own children.
00:26:57.72\00:27:01.73
But I want you to
notice the God says
00:27:01.76\00:27:04.08
don't you dare mourn them.
00:27:04.11\00:27:07.28
That's drastic
council on the part of God.
00:27:07.31\00:27:10.89
In other words, don't sympathize
with the transgressors
00:27:10.92\00:27:13.97
is what God is saying.
00:27:14.00\00:27:15.26
With those who
trample on My holiness
00:27:15.29\00:27:17.38
don't sympathize with them
00:27:17.41\00:27:19.10
and say, oh, look
what God has done.
00:27:19.13\00:27:21.44
How could God do
something like this?
00:27:21.47\00:27:23.67
Because if you
blame God for that
00:27:23.70\00:27:26.55
your further disrespecting
the holiness of God.
00:27:26.58\00:27:30.20
Notice Leviticus 10:4-7.
00:27:30.23\00:27:34.52
"And Moses called
Mishael and Elzaphan,
00:27:34.55\00:27:39.50
the sons of
Uzzziel the uncle of Aaron,
00:27:39.53\00:27:42.80
and said to them, 'Come near,
00:27:42.83\00:27:45.87
carry your brethren from before
the sanctuary out of the camp.'"
00:27:45.90\00:27:50.06
That's
important they're consumed
00:27:50.09\00:27:52.40
by the glory of the Lord
00:27:52.43\00:27:53.46
and they are
taken outside the camp.
00:27:53.49\00:27:55.90
It says "So they
went near and carried them
00:27:55.93\00:27:59.14
by their tunics
out of the camp,"
00:27:59.17\00:28:01.33
because they could
touch a dead carcass.
00:28:01.36\00:28:03.98
"As Moses had said.
00:28:04.01\00:28:05.90
And Moses said to Aaron,
00:28:05.93\00:28:08.27
and to Eleazar and
to Ithamar, his sons,
00:28:08.30\00:28:12.26
'Do not uncover your
heads nor tear your clothes,"
00:28:12.29\00:28:16.53
by the way these are signs
of affliction and mourning,
00:28:16.56\00:28:19.86
"lest you die and wrath
come upon all the people."
00:28:19.89\00:28:24.62
What would have happened
00:28:24.65\00:28:25.68
if they'd mourn
these transgressors
00:28:25.71\00:28:27.42
who trampled on holiness of God?
00:28:27.45\00:28:30.09
They would be saying
00:28:30.12\00:28:31.30
that these individuals
were right and God was what?
00:28:31.33\00:28:35.07
And God was wrong.
00:28:35.10\00:28:37.35
It continue saying,
"But let your brethren,
00:28:37.38\00:28:39.99
the whole house of Israel,
00:28:40.02\00:28:41.20
bewail the burning
which the Lord has kindled.
00:28:41.23\00:28:44.92
You shall not go out
00:28:44.95\00:28:46.20
from the door of the tabernacle
of meeting, lest you die,"
00:28:46.23\00:28:49.26
in otherwise you can't
even go to the funeral.
00:28:49.29\00:28:51.52
"For the anointing oil
of the Lord is upon you.
00:28:51.55\00:28:54.15
And they did
according to the word of Moses."
00:28:54.18\00:28:59.68
Folks, this is the same
God of the New Testament.
00:28:59.71\00:29:05.30
God does not change.
00:29:07.40\00:29:11.37
You know some people
say in the Old Testament
00:29:11.40\00:29:13.15
God was strict
but now God is lacks.
00:29:13.18\00:29:16.50
God doesn't change.
00:29:16.53\00:29:18.78
There is no shadow of turning.
00:29:18.81\00:29:20.72
There's no variableness in
God according to scripture.
00:29:20.75\00:29:24.45
God still expects
people to respect the holy
00:29:24.48\00:29:29.27
and never to treat the
common as if it were holy.
00:29:29.30\00:29:33.93
He never asked us to
sympathize with people
00:29:33.96\00:29:39.30
who trample on
that which is holy.
00:29:39.33\00:29:43.00
Now we must ask a question,
00:29:43.03\00:29:45.80
why did Nadab and Abihu offered
common fire in the first place?
00:29:45.83\00:29:51.29
The Bible has an explicit
answer to this question.
00:29:51.32\00:29:55.70
Notice Leviticus 10:8,
9, this is after they died,
00:29:55.73\00:30:01.54
do you know that
they were actually drunk
00:30:01.57\00:30:06.55
and they couldn't think straight
00:30:06.58\00:30:09.08
and that's why
they use common fire
00:30:09.11\00:30:11.42
and presented it
as if it was holy?
00:30:11.45\00:30:14.39
Notice Leviticus 10:8, 9.
00:30:14.42\00:30:16.93
"Then the Lord
spoke to Aaron, saying,
00:30:16.96\00:30:20.03
'Do not drink wine
or intoxicating drink,
00:30:20.06\00:30:25.00
you, nor your sons with you,
00:30:25.03\00:30:27.51
when you go into the tabernacle
of meeting, lest you die.
00:30:27.54\00:30:32.42
It shall be a statute forever
throughout your generations.'"
00:30:32.45\00:30:35.90
Why couldn't they distinguish
00:30:35.93\00:30:37.45
between the holy and the common
00:30:37.48\00:30:39.23
because they were what?
00:30:39.26\00:30:41.15
Because they
were drunk with wine
00:30:41.18\00:30:44.00
according to the scripture.
00:30:44.03\00:30:45.77
The wine did not allow them
00:30:45.80\00:30:47.16
to distinguish between
the holy and the common
00:30:47.19\00:30:49.58
but there's more the
wine did not allow them
00:30:49.61\00:30:52.82
to teach the
people the distinction
00:30:52.85\00:30:55.82
between the holy and the common.
00:30:55.85\00:30:57.79
Notice what we find
In Leviticus 10:10, 11
00:30:57.82\00:31:02.18
after saying that
you're not supposed to drink
00:31:02.21\00:31:05.71
any wine or intoxicating drink,
00:31:05.74\00:31:09.63
it says there, "that you may
00:31:09.66\00:31:12.21
distinguish
between holy and unholy,
00:31:12.24\00:31:15.51
and between clean and unclean,"
00:31:15.54\00:31:17.69
and notice "and
that you make teach
00:31:17.72\00:31:20.24
that children of
Israel all the statutes
00:31:20.27\00:31:23.69
which the Lord
has spoken to them
00:31:23.72\00:31:25.82
by the hand of Moses."
00:31:25.85\00:31:29.34
Did you notice that God says,
00:31:29.37\00:31:32.47
that the reason why Nadab
and Abihu did what they did
00:31:32.50\00:31:36.73
is because they were
intoxicated with wine
00:31:36.76\00:31:40.09
which did not allow
them to teach the people
00:31:40.12\00:31:43.54
the distinction between
the holy and the common.
00:31:43.57\00:31:48.69
And we're told that
Nadab and Abihu were destroyed,
00:31:48.72\00:31:51.98
were consumed
by the glory of God
00:31:52.01\00:31:55.32
and they were taken
outside the camp of the saints.
00:31:55.35\00:31:59.31
In other words,
they were no longer
00:31:59.34\00:32:00.64
members of the encampment.
00:32:00.67\00:32:02.40
By the way a
little later on will come
00:32:02.43\00:32:04.37
to the fulfillment of
this story in the end time,
00:32:04.40\00:32:07.72
and we're gonna find it
in the Book of Revelation
00:32:07.75\00:32:09.76
were told that the wicked
those drink the wine of Babylon
00:32:09.79\00:32:15.07
will also be consumed
00:32:15.10\00:32:17.05
by the fire that
comes from the Lord.
00:32:17.08\00:32:19.27
Those who drink the
wine of the end time harlot
00:32:19.30\00:32:22.29
representing the apostate church
00:32:22.32\00:32:25.07
and we're told in
Revelation Chapter 20
00:32:25.10\00:32:27.26
that these individuals are
outside the camp of the saints.
00:32:27.29\00:32:32.18
In other words,
they are consumed
00:32:32.21\00:32:33.89
and they're outside
the camp of the saints.
00:32:33.92\00:32:37.73
The great sin of
Nadab and Abihu was the sin
00:32:37.76\00:32:42.95
of taking that which was common
00:32:42.98\00:32:45.65
and presenting it
as if it was holy.
00:32:45.68\00:32:50.03
Now let's digress for a
moment and go to another story.
00:32:50.06\00:32:55.00
We'll look at the
other side of the coin.
00:32:55.03\00:32:57.95
We'll look at how
God considers people
00:32:57.98\00:33:00.93
who take something holy
00:33:00.96\00:33:03.24
and they treat it
as if it was common.
00:33:03.27\00:33:06.92
You see, the sin of
Nadab and Abihu was what,
00:33:06.95\00:33:08.95
was that they took
that which was common
00:33:08.98\00:33:11.43
and they presented it as holy.
00:33:11.46\00:33:13.82
But God looks just as
negatively up on those
00:33:13.85\00:33:16.63
who take something holy and
treat it as if it is common.
00:33:16.66\00:33:21.85
You're saying what
story illustrates that?
00:33:21.88\00:33:24.93
Well, it's the
story of the banquet
00:33:24.96\00:33:28.03
that was planned and implemented
by a king called Belshazzar.
00:33:28.06\00:33:35.72
It was the last night of Babylon
00:33:35.75\00:33:39.90
and this led to
the fall of Babylon.
00:33:39.93\00:33:42.70
It was the straw which broke
the camel's back, if you please.
00:33:42.73\00:33:48.16
You see the big
sin of Belshazzar
00:33:48.19\00:33:51.03
is that he took the
holy and he treated it
00:33:51.06\00:33:55.07
as if it were common.
00:33:55.10\00:33:57.63
Let's read about
it in Daniel 5:1.
00:33:57.66\00:34:01.28
Daniel 5:1, it says
00:34:01.31\00:34:04.14
"Belshazzar the
king made a great feast
00:34:04.17\00:34:06.28
for a thousand of his lords,
00:34:06.31\00:34:08.02
and drank wine in the
presence of the thousand."
00:34:08.05\00:34:11.87
See he's drinking wine
and we're going to notice
00:34:11.90\00:34:15.45
that this does not
allow him to think straight,
00:34:15.48\00:34:17.79
it does not allow
him to make a distinction
00:34:17.82\00:34:20.01
between that which God
has declared to be holy
00:34:20.04\00:34:22.49
and that which God
has declared to be common.
00:34:22.52\00:34:24.57
So he's gonna take what's holy
00:34:24.60\00:34:26.17
and he's gonna treat
it as if it's common.
00:34:26.20\00:34:28.42
Verse 2, "While
he tasted the wine
00:34:28.45\00:34:32.39
Belshazzar gave the command
00:34:32.42\00:34:33.87
to bring the gold
and silver vessels
00:34:33.90\00:34:36.52
which his father Nebuchadnezzar
00:34:36.55\00:34:38.37
had taken from the temple
which had been in Jerusalem,
00:34:38.40\00:34:42.10
that the king and
his lords, his wives
00:34:42.13\00:34:44.17
and his concubines
might drink from them."
00:34:44.20\00:34:48.80
Do you know what
these vessels were?
00:34:48.83\00:34:51.06
They were the holy vessels
00:34:51.09\00:34:52.54
which were used when
in the Hebrew sanctuary.
00:34:52.57\00:34:56.42
He commanded to
bring holy vessels
00:34:56.45\00:34:58.60
to use them for common use.
00:34:58.63\00:35:00.98
The Bible tells us that
when he did this he was drunk.
00:35:01.01\00:35:03.69
He was drinking wine that's
why he could not think straight,
00:35:03.72\00:35:06.87
he could not distinguish
00:35:06.90\00:35:08.16
the holy vessels
from the common vessels.
00:35:08.19\00:35:11.37
In other words he desecrated
the vessels of the sanctuary.
00:35:11.40\00:35:16.36
I don't know if you're aware
00:35:16.39\00:35:17.42
what the word
desecrated means de-secrate,
00:35:17.45\00:35:21.26
secrate comes from sacred,
00:35:21.29\00:35:23.16
desecrate simply
means to remove sacredness.
00:35:23.19\00:35:27.63
To make something unholy.
00:35:27.66\00:35:30.22
In other words, He
desecrated these vessels
00:35:30.25\00:35:33.36
from the
sanctuary by treating them
00:35:33.39\00:35:35.62
in a common way
although they were holy.
00:35:35.65\00:35:39.85
And if you read this
story you'll find that
00:35:39.88\00:35:42.19
Belshazzar knew very well
the story of these vessels.
00:35:42.22\00:35:47.06
Where they came from?
00:35:47.09\00:35:48.90
That they were from
the Hebrew sanctuary
00:35:48.93\00:35:50.75
because later on
Daniel comes and he says,
00:35:50.78\00:35:53.03
you did this even though
you knew all of his story.
00:35:53.06\00:35:56.96
In other words this is
willful, knowledgeable,
00:35:56.99\00:36:00.14
disobedience
against the will of God.
00:36:00.17\00:36:05.00
It says in verse 3
00:36:05.03\00:36:07.71
"Then they
brought the gold vessels
00:36:07.74\00:36:09.74
that have been
taken from the temple
00:36:09.77\00:36:11.39
of the house of God
00:36:11.42\00:36:13.55
which had been in Jerusalem
and the king and his lords,
00:36:13.58\00:36:17.88
his wives and his
concubines drank from them."
00:36:17.91\00:36:22.29
Verse 4, "They drank
wine," and notice what happens
00:36:22.32\00:36:26.43
as a result of
desecrating the holy,
00:36:26.46\00:36:29.55
because he's drunk now
the end result is idolatry.
00:36:29.58\00:36:35.41
It says "They drank wine,
00:36:35.44\00:36:37.02
and praised the
god's of gold and silver,
00:36:37.05\00:36:41.37
bronze and
iron, wood and stone."
00:36:41.40\00:36:46.95
Drinking wine did not allow
00:36:46.98\00:36:50.45
Belshazzar to distinguish
between the holy and the common.
00:36:50.48\00:36:55.06
In fact this, this
incapacity to distinguish
00:36:55.09\00:37:00.63
between the holy and the common
00:37:00.66\00:37:02.27
let him to break
God's commandments
00:37:02.30\00:37:05.42
and to practice false worship.
00:37:05.45\00:37:10.07
So we have two stories
from the Old Testament.
00:37:10.10\00:37:12.81
One of individuals who
knowingly take the common
00:37:12.84\00:37:18.27
and presented as if it was holy.
00:37:18.30\00:37:21.02
And on the other
hand you have those who--
00:37:21.05\00:37:23.74
those in the
banquet of Belshazzar
00:37:23.77\00:37:27.02
who take those
things which are holy
00:37:27.05\00:37:29.57
and they treat them
as if they were common.
00:37:29.60\00:37:32.04
And in both cases the reason why
00:37:32.07\00:37:34.36
is because wine has
intoxicated the mind
00:37:34.39\00:37:38.29
and does not make it
possible to distinguish
00:37:38.32\00:37:41.30
between the holy and the common.
00:37:41.33\00:37:44.45
Now you probably know
where I'm going with this.
00:37:44.48\00:37:47.60
In Revelation Chapter 17,
00:37:47.63\00:37:50.30
I'm not gonna read the verses,
00:37:50.33\00:37:51.70
I'm sure that you
read them many times.
00:37:51.73\00:37:54.41
You have a harlot woman,
00:37:54.44\00:37:57.58
a harlot in Bible prophecy
represents an apostate church.
00:37:57.61\00:38:03.15
A pure woman
represents a pure church.
00:38:03.18\00:38:05.67
A harlot woman
represents a harlot church.
00:38:05.70\00:38:09.07
She's called the mother.
00:38:09.10\00:38:11.05
So this harlot
church must have daughters.
00:38:11.08\00:38:14.46
We're told in verse 5
that she has a cup in her hand
00:38:14.49\00:38:18.35
and in that cup she has wine
00:38:18.38\00:38:21.59
and this wine she gives
to the kings of the earth
00:38:21.62\00:38:25.06
and to the
multitudes of the earth
00:38:25.09\00:38:28.50
and interestingly enough
because they drink this wine
00:38:28.53\00:38:33.12
they are not able to distinguish
00:38:33.15\00:38:35.70
between the holy and the common
00:38:35.73\00:38:38.93
and the result is
that they worship the beast
00:38:38.96\00:38:42.41
instead of worshipping God.
00:38:42.44\00:38:44.07
And they trample upon
the Commandments of God
00:38:44.10\00:38:46.91
because they're
not able to distinguish
00:38:46.94\00:38:48.74
between the holy and the
common for the simple reason
00:38:48.77\00:38:51.78
that they have drunk the
wine of this end time system.
00:38:51.81\00:38:57.77
I'd like to read a statement
in Great Controversy page 389,
00:38:57.80\00:39:03.26
where Ellen
White comments on this,
00:39:03.29\00:39:07.62
on this wine that is given
by this harlot of Revelation 17.
00:39:07.65\00:39:11.80
Says here Great Controversy 389,
00:39:11.83\00:39:15.48
"When faithful teachers
expound the word of God,
00:39:15.51\00:39:19.96
there arise men of learning,"
00:39:19.99\00:39:22.18
listen to this,
"men of learning,
00:39:22.21\00:39:24.75
ministers professing to
understand the Scriptures,
00:39:24.78\00:39:29.12
who denounce sound
doctrine as heresy,
00:39:29.15\00:39:33.24
and thus turn away
inquirers after the truth."
00:39:33.27\00:39:37.30
Who was responsible to
teach people the difference
00:39:37.33\00:39:40.15
between the holy and the common
00:39:40.18\00:39:41.66
and teach the people
the statues of the Lord?
00:39:41.69\00:39:43.85
It was the religious
leaders, it was the ministers.
00:39:43.88\00:39:46.56
Here Ellen White is saying
00:39:46.59\00:39:48.10
that the "ministers who profess
to understand the Scriptures,
00:39:48.13\00:39:51.53
who denounce sound
doctrine as heresy,
00:39:51.56\00:39:56.74
and thus they will turn
away inquirers after the truth."
00:39:56.77\00:39:59.45
She continues saying,
00:39:59.48\00:40:01.04
"Were it not that the
world is hopelessly intoxicated
00:40:01.07\00:40:05.24
with the wine of Babylon,
multitudes would be convicted
00:40:05.27\00:40:10.72
and converted by the plain,
00:40:10.75\00:40:13.05
cutting truths
of the word of God.
00:40:13.08\00:40:16.03
But religious
faith appears so confused
00:40:16.06\00:40:19.71
and discordant
that the people know not
00:40:19.74\00:40:23.00
what to believe as truth.
00:40:23.03\00:40:25.56
The sin of the
world's impenitence
00:40:25.59\00:40:28.50
lies at the door of the church."
00:40:28.53\00:40:32.09
So in the end time ministers
represented by this harlot woman
00:40:32.12\00:40:36.80
will teach people to desecrate
00:40:36.83\00:40:38.99
that which is
holy to treat as common
00:40:39.02\00:40:41.48
that which is holy
and to treat as holy
00:40:41.51\00:40:43.86
that which is common
interestingly enough.
00:40:43.89\00:40:47.16
Notice Revelation 18:1-5,
00:40:47.19\00:40:51.13
it speaks about the fall of
this end time Babylonian system
00:40:51.16\00:40:54.78
and it calls God's faithful
people out of this system.
00:40:54.81\00:40:58.32
It says, "After these things
00:40:58.35\00:41:00.67
I saw another angel
coming down from heaven,
00:41:00.70\00:41:03.84
having great
authority and the earth
00:41:03.87\00:41:06.11
was illuminated with his glory.
00:41:06.14\00:41:09.52
And he cried mightily
with a loud voice, saying,
00:41:09.55\00:41:12.69
'Babylon the great
is fallen, is fallen,"
00:41:12.72\00:41:16.55
now we're gonna
notice why she has fallen.
00:41:16.58\00:41:19.11
"And has become a
dwelling place of demons,
00:41:19.14\00:41:22.25
a prison for every foul spirit,
00:41:22.28\00:41:24.65
and a cage for every
unclean and hated bird!"
00:41:24.68\00:41:28.83
Now did she
fall? Notice verse 3,
00:41:28.86\00:41:31.48
"For all nations
have drunk of the wine
00:41:31.51\00:41:35.39
of the wrath of her fornication,
00:41:35.42\00:41:37.91
the kings of the earth have
committed fornication with her
00:41:37.94\00:41:41.51
and the merchants of the earth
00:41:41.54\00:41:43.27
have become rich through
the abundance of her luxury.'"
00:41:43.30\00:41:47.76
Do you see
what's happening here?
00:41:47.79\00:41:49.90
This harlot,
this end time system
00:41:49.93\00:41:53.30
primarily through
its religious leaders
00:41:53.33\00:41:56.35
is actually giving wine
00:41:56.38\00:41:59.02
to the
multitudes and to the kings
00:41:59.05\00:42:01.93
and what this does
it does not allow people
00:42:01.96\00:42:05.25
to distinguish between
the holy and the common.
00:42:05.28\00:42:09.07
And they treat that
which is common as holy
00:42:09.10\00:42:11.71
and that which
is holy as common.
00:42:11.74\00:42:16.24
And now notice verse 4,
00:42:16.27\00:42:18.67
"And I heard another
voice from Heaven saying,
00:42:18.70\00:42:21.35
'Come out of her, my people.'"
00:42:21.38\00:42:23.50
Does God have
people in this system
00:42:23.53\00:42:25.32
who are intoxicated
that need to get sober? Yes.
00:42:25.35\00:42:28.89
And we have to
help them get sober.
00:42:28.92\00:42:31.54
It says, "Lest
you share in her sins,
00:42:31.57\00:42:33.68
and lest you
receive of her plagues.
00:42:33.71\00:42:36.01
For her sins have
reached to heaven,
00:42:36.04\00:42:37.99
and God has
remembered her iniquities."
00:42:38.02\00:42:41.82
Now you're
probably saying Pastor Bohr,
00:42:41.85\00:42:43.60
how does the religious world
confused all in the common?
00:42:43.63\00:42:47.29
How is it that they
present the holy before God
00:42:47.32\00:42:50.13
as if it was common
and they take the common
00:42:50.16\00:42:52.54
and presented it
as if it were holy?
00:42:52.57\00:42:55.62
There is a huge example
00:42:55.65\00:42:57.91
and that is that
the Christian world
00:42:57.94\00:43:00.30
has taken a common day of work
00:43:00.33\00:43:05.06
which is the
first day of the week
00:43:05.09\00:43:06.47
and the present to
God as if it were holy.
00:43:06.50\00:43:11.65
And they take
God's holy Sabbath day
00:43:11.68\00:43:15.79
and they use it for
their own secular purposes
00:43:15.82\00:43:19.07
as a work day and
the day of recreation.
00:43:19.10\00:43:22.50
Now you tell me in what sense
00:43:22.53\00:43:24.14
is this different than
the story of Nadab and Ahibu
00:43:24.17\00:43:27.54
and the story of Belshazzar.
00:43:27.57\00:43:29.39
There's no
difference whatsoever.
00:43:29.42\00:43:31.85
And we read in
the Book of Revelation
00:43:31.88\00:43:34.04
but it has to do with the
fact that people have drunk wine
00:43:34.07\00:43:37.35
and this has affected
their thinking processes.
00:43:37.38\00:43:42.49
Why are people not
able to distinguish
00:43:42.52\00:43:46.59
between the holy and the common?
00:43:46.62\00:43:48.02
By the way Revelation says,
00:43:48.05\00:43:49.57
that in the end
time the religious world
00:43:49.60\00:43:51.54
is gonna trample on
the Commandments of God.
00:43:51.57\00:43:54.86
We're also told that
they're gonna practice idolatry,
00:43:54.89\00:43:57.39
they are gonna
practice false worship.
00:43:57.42\00:43:59.06
What is the reason for this?
00:43:59.09\00:44:00.44
Very simple, for the same
reason that Belshazzar did.
00:44:00.47\00:44:03.83
Because they're intoxicated
with a false teachings
00:44:03.86\00:44:07.73
and the false
doctrines of Babylon
00:44:07.76\00:44:10.45
which does not allow
them to see the importance
00:44:10.48\00:44:13.33
of distinguishing
between the holy and the common.
00:44:13.36\00:44:17.80
You see the Bible is explicit
00:44:17.83\00:44:20.04
that God made the
first day a common workday.
00:44:20.07\00:44:24.75
Six days you shall
labor and do all your work.
00:44:24.78\00:44:29.07
The Bible is equally explicit
00:44:29.10\00:44:31.14
when it says the
seventh day is the Sabbath
00:44:31.17\00:44:34.14
which God sanctified.
00:44:34.17\00:44:35.82
I mean the Bible is
explicitly clear on this point.
00:44:35.85\00:44:38.54
The seventh day is holy
00:44:38.57\00:44:40.21
and the other six
days are work days.
00:44:40.24\00:44:42.30
You know, it's very similar
00:44:42.33\00:44:44.32
to what we found
at the beginning,
00:44:44.35\00:44:47.01
God had one tree He said
you can eat a lot of trees
00:44:47.04\00:44:50.31
but this tree you can't eat.
00:44:50.34\00:44:52.26
He says, you can use
all days for your work
00:44:52.29\00:44:55.04
but not this day, this
day is reserved for Myself.
00:44:55.07\00:45:01.20
What has the Christian
world done with the Sabbath?
00:45:01.23\00:45:03.91
It has desecrated the Sabbath.
00:45:03.94\00:45:06.67
It has removed from
the Sabbath its holiness.
00:45:06.70\00:45:10.53
And that's what the word
desecrate means incidentally
00:45:10.56\00:45:13.89
and by the way this is
the worst kind of idolatry
00:45:13.92\00:45:18.46
because it is a direct violation
of the fourth commandment
00:45:18.49\00:45:21.54
with has, which
has to do with worship.
00:45:21.57\00:45:24.09
It says in the
First Angels message,
00:45:24.12\00:45:26.12
"Worship him who
created the heavens,
00:45:26.15\00:45:28.09
the earth, the seas and
the fountains of waters."
00:45:28.12\00:45:30.77
You can't talk about worship
without keeping the Sabbath
00:45:30.80\00:45:33.74
because the Sabbath tells us
we're supposed to worship God
00:45:33.77\00:45:36.53
because He is the Creator
and we are His creatures.
00:45:36.56\00:45:39.84
So when the day is trampled
00:45:39.87\00:45:41.70
the immediate
result is idolatry.
00:45:41.73\00:45:45.64
You say, how can
you say Pastor Bohr,
00:45:45.67\00:45:47.62
that those who are observing
the first day of the week
00:45:47.65\00:45:51.02
are practicing idolatry?
00:45:51.05\00:45:53.09
Well, let me ask you a question.
00:45:53.12\00:45:55.82
Who made the Sun? God did.
00:45:55.85\00:45:59.46
Okay, God made the Sun.
00:45:59.49\00:46:01.78
Is that a secular object
or is an object of worship?
00:46:01.81\00:46:06.20
It's a common
everyday object, right?
00:46:06.23\00:46:08.20
And it's a
secular purpose, correct?
00:46:08.23\00:46:10.56
So what happens
if you take the Sun
00:46:10.59\00:46:14.24
and you make it
an object of worship?
00:46:14.27\00:46:17.17
What is that called?
It is called idolatry.
00:46:17.20\00:46:21.54
Now let me ask you,
00:46:21.57\00:46:22.68
who made the
first day of the week?
00:46:22.71\00:46:25.74
God made the
first day of the week.
00:46:25.77\00:46:27.55
Did He make it for worship?
00:46:27.58\00:46:30.11
No, it's a work day.
00:46:30.14\00:46:32.29
It's not a day of worship.
00:46:32.32\00:46:33.83
So let me ask you,
00:46:33.86\00:46:34.89
what happens if you
make it a day of worship
00:46:34.92\00:46:37.18
if it's a common day?
00:46:37.21\00:46:38.96
That's called idolatry.
00:46:38.99\00:46:41.11
You see it doesn't
make any difference
00:46:41.14\00:46:42.80
whether you take an object
00:46:42.83\00:46:44.74
that God did
not make for worship
00:46:44.77\00:46:46.48
and you worship it or
whether you take a day
00:46:46.51\00:46:50.83
which God did not make
holy and you keep it holy.
00:46:50.86\00:46:54.05
It's still idolatry
because you're making something
00:46:54.08\00:46:56.99
for worship which God
did not make for worship.
00:46:57.02\00:47:00.09
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:47:00.12\00:47:02.00
In other words,
what the Christian world
00:47:02.03\00:47:04.13
does is that they take
the first day of the week
00:47:04.16\00:47:08.68
a common working day
and they make it holy.
00:47:08.71\00:47:11.44
And they take the
Sabbath a holy day
00:47:11.47\00:47:14.02
and they make it a
common day to go shopping,
00:47:14.05\00:47:16.62
a day to go out and play golf,
00:47:16.65\00:47:19.52
a day to go to the supermarket,
a day to watch television.
00:47:19.55\00:47:24.00
In other words, they desecrated,
00:47:24.03\00:47:25.93
they take away its holiness
and one of the main reasons
00:47:25.96\00:47:28.93
is because their
preachers tell us,
00:47:28.96\00:47:30.95
tell them that the
Sabbath have been changed.
00:47:30.98\00:47:33.58
In other words, the
leaders instead of pointing them
00:47:33.61\00:47:35.91
to scripture as
they are standard
00:47:35.94\00:47:39.62
they point them to
the traditions of men.
00:47:39.65\00:47:44.62
Now can God accept
the prayers of individuals
00:47:44.65\00:47:48.01
who openly and willfully
disobey the Word of God?
00:47:48.04\00:47:53.51
No, and I know some of
you are saying Pastor Bohr,
00:47:53.54\00:47:55.84
are you saying that God doesn't
accept the prayers of anyone
00:47:55.87\00:47:58.16
who keep Sunday?
00:47:58.19\00:47:59.44
That's not what I'm saying
because most of the people
00:47:59.47\00:48:02.79
who keep Sunday
don't know the issues.
00:48:02.82\00:48:05.45
They don't know
about the command of God.
00:48:05.48\00:48:07.98
God holds people accountable
00:48:08.01\00:48:10.10
only when there's
an explicit command
00:48:10.13\00:48:12.93
which is understood, clearly
understood and disobeyed.
00:48:12.96\00:48:17.17
Then the prayer is
what? Is an abomination.
00:48:17.20\00:48:20.64
And by the way if
and individual knows
00:48:20.67\00:48:24.20
that they are
supposed to observe the Sabbath
00:48:24.23\00:48:26.25
as God's holy day of rest
00:48:26.28\00:48:27.97
and they insist on
trampling on the Sabbath
00:48:28.00\00:48:31.45
their prayers will
not be accepted anymore
00:48:31.48\00:48:34.47
then the prayers
of Nadab and Abihu
00:48:34.50\00:48:36.97
because the incense
that Nadab and Abihu
00:48:37.00\00:48:40.16
offered with the strange fire
was not accepted before God,
00:48:40.19\00:48:43.96
they were destroyed.
00:48:43.99\00:48:45.54
And I know that this
is a drastic thing to say
00:48:45.57\00:48:48.35
but the great guilt comes
upon the religious leaders
00:48:48.38\00:48:52.23
who have not taught the members
00:48:52.26\00:48:54.20
to make a distinction
between the holy and the common.
00:48:54.23\00:48:59.51
I'd like to read
one more statement
00:48:59.54\00:49:02.31
where Ellen
White caught this point
00:49:02.34\00:49:04.39
that I am sharing with you.
00:49:04.42\00:49:06.42
She says, in Signs of the Times,
00:49:06.45\00:49:10.17
March 31, 1898 the following.
00:49:10.20\00:49:13.79
"Those who ignore
the Lord's Sabbath
00:49:13.82\00:49:17.73
to keep holy the
first day of the week,
00:49:17.76\00:49:20.96
offer strange fire to God."
00:49:20.99\00:49:24.13
See how she connects it with
the story of Nadab and Abihu.
00:49:24.16\00:49:26.49
"Those who ignore
the Lord's Sabbath
00:49:26.52\00:49:28.08
to keep holy the
first day of the week,
00:49:28.11\00:49:29.91
offer strange fire to God.
00:49:29.94\00:49:32.23
It is a strange Sabbath,
which He has commanded them not.
00:49:32.26\00:49:37.55
Will He accept
it at their hands?
00:49:37.58\00:49:40.88
Men have sought
out many inventions.
00:49:40.91\00:49:44.63
They have taken a common day,
00:49:44.66\00:49:46.38
upon which god has
placed no sanctity,
00:49:46.41\00:49:49.73
and have clothed it
with sacred prerogatives.
00:49:49.76\00:49:53.78
They have declared
it to be a holy day,
00:49:53.81\00:49:56.27
but this does not give
it a vestige of sanctity.
00:49:56.30\00:50:00.46
They dishonor God by
accepting human institutions
00:50:00.49\00:50:04.99
and presenting to the world
as the Christian Sabbath a day
00:50:05.02\00:50:09.73
which has no
'Thus saith the Lord'
00:50:09.76\00:50:12.77
for its authority.
00:50:12.80\00:50:14.49
As did Nadab and Abihu,
00:50:14.52\00:50:17.22
they offer the common
in place of the sacred."
00:50:17.25\00:50:24.40
You know, if God accepts
Sunday as the day of worship
00:50:24.43\00:50:30.12
when He is not commanded it
like He commanded the Sabbath
00:50:30.15\00:50:33.73
and I knowingly
trample upon the Sabbath
00:50:33.76\00:50:38.25
and God doesn't care
then God is going to do,
00:50:38.28\00:50:42.27
have to do some
apologizing to Nadab and Abuihu.
00:50:42.30\00:50:45.88
Because if God would
not accept the common
00:50:45.91\00:50:48.19
as if it were holy back then,
00:50:48.22\00:50:50.20
what makes us think that God
today will accept a common day
00:50:50.23\00:50:55.19
that the Christian
world keeps as holy
00:50:55.22\00:50:57.52
and they offer to
God as if it was holy,
00:50:57.55\00:51:00.74
when it really isn't.
00:51:00.77\00:51:03.56
I pray to God that as a people
who'll arise the standard,
00:51:03.59\00:51:08.50
that we will respect the holy
00:51:08.53\00:51:10.84
because it is a reflection
of a wonderful holy God.
00:51:10.87\00:51:15.99
That we will be a holy
people separated unto God
00:51:16.02\00:51:20.41
and that we
will respect the holy
00:51:20.44\00:51:23.18
and distinguish
it from the common.
00:51:23.21\00:51:26.09