THE SHEPHERDS BUGLE CALLING THE FLOCKS TO ORDER: Strange Fire - Eish Zarah BY JEFF GODSOWN

• Strange Fire - Eish Zarah
• by Jeff Godsown

Lev 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 

Num 3:4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father.
Num 26:61 And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD.

Strange fire in the Hebrew old text refers to an unauthorized act, in the Hebrew new text it refers to a profane or whorish act of self of self will. This however is not the whole truth, in God’s Word, the Lord refers to obedience and sacrifice; 1Sa 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Here we come to a place where God pits the art and act of listening, against the act of sacrifice, the word obey actually means to hear or to listen intently and then act upon what you’ve heard. The word sacrifice in the old Hebrew (zevach) refers to an act of paegan worship, and today’s body of Christ is full of that very act.
I choose at this time to present one more scripture, hopefully as an identifier in yourself examination, to show you the difference between obedience and your strange fire. Mat 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
So often we think that we should be given more, but the odd thing is the thought pattern that follows; God promoted me to this position, now I don’t have to do the little things from where God promoted me. How stupid is this thought pattern, where in the Word of God does it say anything that could even be misconstrued as such an idiotic thought. My Pastor, even though he is relieved by God’s Word from doing anything except being attentive to learn and teach the truth of God’s Word, still cleans the bathrooms when no one is around! He is the only one in the church or body of Christ that is excused, by God’s Word from engaging in the small duties of the church, and yet in continued selfless acts, he still does what needs to be done. Nowhere in the Word of God, is anyone excused from filling or fulfilling a need, any need, in the body. I’m not talking about just your supposed calling; I’m talking about any need. Maybe people in general have a blindsided view or thought pattern that says, only the elect, that would be the very few who respond to the call of God, are suppose to do it all. Newsflash people, if Jesus Himself thought it not belittling to get on His knees and wash the feet of His disciples, what do you think makes you and better, different or greater than Jesus? What makes you think you don’t have to get out of your seats, off your blessed assurance and do something for the Lord? 1Pe 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
When a parent refuses to strongly bring correction to a child’s life that is disruptive, out of control, and or rudely disobedient, this is strange fire. The parent doesn’t want to be a parent to the child but; rather a friend, in so doing; they blow off their responsibility to God and that child. They use terms like, I don’t want to be too hard on them, oh, it’s just a phase their going through, or, they’ll grow out of it, these are mere words of self justification. These are the words of a murderer! Jesus made a strong point when He said, if you say you love your brother; 1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Generally speaking, this parent didn’t like the way they were brought up, so they vowed a vow, swearing they wouldn’t treat their child like they were treated. Whether it was their father or mother or even both parents, they show they hated them for bringing correction into their lives, mother or father is still a brother. By this parent not bringing the strong correction into a child’s life from a vow based on hatred toward the parent(s), they are murdering their own child. They use the term love, as their means of sanctifying and justifying what they do, but God said; Pro 19:18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
2Sa 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
Parents in modern day society have taken on the thought patterns of Dr. Spock, the self proclaimed world’s greatest child psychologist. My question in this thinking is simply this, if Dr. Spock was such a great child psychologist, then why did his son commit suicide, siting his father to blame for never punishing or spanking him when he needed it. There is hope though, God’s Word from the knowledge and wisdom of the almighty says this; Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
If God’s Word says do, then why do we feel the need to disobey, leaning to our own understanding, not only condemning our children, but ourselves as well. When we pick and choose which of the commandments God laid out for us, we offer Him strange fire.
God has called everyone in the church to do their duty, and even more. Mat 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
There is no more excuse for not getting off your blessed assurance and do something for the Lord, God didn’t call the equipped, He called all, that He might equip them to do not only their calling, but also the work of the ministry. 1Co 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

There are some in the body who feel they don’t have to do anything to help out except what they believe their calling is; this is a fallacy and if they continue on in this fashion, they offer strange fire to the Lord. In some churches, there are men who are called to catch people when the minister is praying over them, but they choose to blow this portion of their call off, by saying, I’m not screwing up my back. I feel no pity for you, but rather a sense of anger, you lean unto your own understanding rather than putting your trust in the Lord. I myself have had my back broken twice and my neck broken once, but nowhere in God’s Word does this alleviate me from the responsibility to minister to others. I trust God to keep me safe and not let anything outside of Him rule or encumber me. When someone has the audacity to worry about themselves and not trust God to keep them, they offer up strange fire. The ladies can be doing something as well, some churches use clothes to help maintain the dignity of someone who has fallen out in the Spirit, while God is ministering to them. The woman can place those clothes over the people, while God is doing what God is doing in that person’s life. Some churches use cameras, most use sound systems, some use viewers for the words of the worship songs; these are all areas of service that could use some help. Most churches have nurseries and Sunday schools for the babies, children and teens; these are areas that need teachers and workers to help out, all the time. Some churches have coffee houses and welcome centers, to help visitors and church members to fellowship together, bringing in unity to the body of Christ and making one another feel welcomed and even loved; this ,too is an area that needs help. If you’re not doing something for God and thinking you’re OK, this is strange fire.
There are those in the body that believe, if they give money to the church, they have a right to say what goes on in the church and where the money should go. This is so far from the truth, it is strange fire to the Lord. There are those who show up for a Sunday or a Wednesday service, believing they don’t need to come the rest of the time. They then begin siting some poor excuse, as their means of justifiable excuse for not being there, this is strange fire to the Lord, the Word of God is clear about which choice you should make; Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Keep in mind that God gives no rewards for attendance, either be active, not only in your attendance but also in every Word God laid before you, to do! If you insist on choosing wrong, God’s Word warns us about the outcome of such choices; Deu 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
If you’re of the belief that God doesn’t expect you to serve, then perhaps you can explain away, this next verse; Jos 9:27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose.
God told Joshua, to give everybody a task of helps, this was and is to establish the simple fact that no one is exempt or immune to being called into action by God and expected of God to follow through. Anything less than willingness without griping or complaining is nothing more than strange fire.
Num 32:11 Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:

There it is, in God’s very own Words, if you’re not about being, giving and doing with your whole heart, you will never see the promised land!
Lev 9:8 Aaron therefore went unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.
Lev 9:9 And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him: and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar:
Lev 9:10 But the fat, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver of the sin offering, he burnt upon the altar; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Lev 9:11 And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp.
Lev 9:12 And he slew the burnt offering; and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled round about upon the altar.
Lev 9:13 And they presented the burnt offering unto him, with the pieces thereof, and the head: and he burnt them upon the altar.
Lev 9:14 And he did wash the inwards and the legs, and burnt them upon the burnt offering on the altar.
Lev 9:15 And he brought the people's offering, and took the goat, which was the sin offering for the people, and slew it, and offered it for sin, as the first.
Lev 9:16 And he brought the burnt offering, and offered it according to the manner.
Lev 9:17 And he brought the meat offering, and took an handful thereof, and burnt it upon the altar, beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning.
Lev 9:18 He slew also the bullock and the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people: and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled upon the altar round about,
Lev 9:19 And the fat of the bullock and of the ram, the rump, and that which covereth the inwards, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver:
Lev 9:20 And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar:
Lev 9:21 And the breasts and the right shoulder Aaron waved for a wave offering before the LORD; as Moses commanded.
Lev 9:22 And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings.
Lev 9:23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people.
Lev 9:24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
This is the act of obedience that God demanded, giving glory alone unto Him, it didn’t matter how small or insignificant the job, or even how disgusting the job might seem, as long as God alone got the glory, that His glory might shine out over the people. There were two that thought they could add to God’s glory, when in fact they were seeking their own glory, did God tolerate it? Do you think that God tolerates it today? Remember what took place, when these two young men offered up strange fire; Lev 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
Lev 10:2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
It is time to examine yourself, keeping in mind, how easy it is to be deceived and deceiving yourself.

Will you take a lesson from the Word of God and repent of your ways and your understanding, and serve the Lord with your whole heart and stand up and fill any open place in the ranks that satan can and will take advantage of. Or will you continue to offer strange fire, believing you’re safe from God’s destruction, turning grace to grease and slipping through. Choose this day whom you will serve, will you serve and worship the God of creation with your whole heart, or will you continue in yourself serving acts?