In order to maintain the tabernacle, the priesthood, and the army, besides individualism we must be exceedingly careful to avoid the following things; they will do great damage. The first is strange fire. We must never offer strange fire to God. What is strange fire? It is our natural enthusiasm; it is the fervency of our natural emotions, our natural zeal of heart. This inevitably brings in death. It kills our spiritual life and spoils the priesthood. The two sons of Aaron—Nadab and Abihu—offered strange fire, not out of ill will, but with a good intention. Yet it was strange fire. The Lord commanded that the fire to burn the incense be taken from the offering altar that the incense may be acceptable to Him. But they did not use the fire from the altar; they used strange fire. This means that their natural zeal, their natural enthusiasm, was not dealt with by the cross. This is an extremely vital matter. We must be dealt with by the cross. Our natural zeal must be put to death by the cross.
The second thing which we must avoid is rebellion against authority. Miriam and Aaron, the elder sister and elder brother of Moses, rebelled against Moses, who at that time was the authority. Yes, Moses did something which was not good—he married a Gentile woman. Undoubtedly he was wrong. That was his shortcoming, and Miriam and Aaron took it as the ground to oppose him. Nevertheless, regardless of what he had done, Miriam and Aaron must recognize authority, and Moses was that authority. Regardless of everything, they must not rebel against authority. It is this very thing that spoils the oneness, the priesthood, and the formation of the army. Of course, as a leader we should be careful; we should not do anything typified by Moses’ marrying of a Gentile woman. But on the other hand, and more important, you and I must learn never to be rebellious.
Perhaps in your city there is a local church, an expression of the Lord’s Body, and in that church there are three or four leading brothers. You must realize that not one of us is one hundred percent perfect. Everyone has at least one shortcoming. Your eyes should not be so opened toward the elders; rather, they should be opened to the Lord. Do not set your eyes upon the elders to search them out. If you do, you are a rebellious one. You will spoil yourself.
Consider Miriam and Aaron. Were they right or wrong in what they said against Moses? Unquestionably, they were right, and Moses was wrong. Moses, as a servant of the Lord, gave the ground for their accusation. Yet when Miriam and Aaron took this ground and rebelled against authority, they brought upon themselves the judgment of God. Miriam was immediately gripped with leprosy, and although she was subsequently healed, Aaron and Miriam both died later in the wilderness.
In the past years I have seen many people who have become “leprous” as a result of their rebellion against the Lord’s servants. Were the Lord’s servants right? I would not say this. I admit that with each one there is at least one shortcoming. But the shortcomings of the Lord’s servants are a test to us. They test where we are and what we have in our heart. What about your heart? It will be tested, not by the goodness of the Lord’s servants but by their shortcomings.
Brothers and sisters, may you keep this word in your heart. This is a warning. I am well aware that the time will come when you will not be so happy with those who take the lead among you in the Lord. You will say, “What is this? Look what the leading brothers in the church have done!” It is a test to you. If you accuse them and rebel, you will become leprous.
The dirtiest one will not be them, but you. You will later fall, as Miriam and Aaron, by the wayside in the wilderness; you can never go on to share the all-inclusive, good land.
Later in the journey of the children of Israel, there was another rebellion, this time on a larger scale. Korah rose up with more than two hundred princes of the congregation to rebel against Moses and Aaron and brought death not only upon themselves but almost upon the whole congregation. Thousands of people died as a result of that rebellion. The unity was spoiled, the priesthood was spoiled, and the army of the Lord’s people was spoiled. We need such a warning.
I believe many of you have a sincere heart toward the Lord for His testimony today. But we must remember that there is a rebellious nature within us. Some day, sooner or later, it will be tested. If we rebel, we will be spiritually cut off, and to a certain extent we will kill the testimony, the priesthood, and the army.