Leviticus 10 — Thoughts

Is Hell in the Old Testament?

You’ll hear a common claim that hell isn’t mentioned in the Old Testament, and that’s why the Jews don’t believe in it. To prove this idea wrong, you only need to turn to Daniel 12:2. But even without this clear description of hell, the concept of sin causing death and separation from God is demonstrated over and over again in the Old Testament.

We see it in this chapter.

The Sacrificial system pointed the Ancient Hebrews to the ultimate sacrifice in Jesus. So obeying the rules of the sacrificial system was how the Ancient Hebrews put their faith in that ultimate sacrifice — even though they didn’t know Jesus’ name yet.

And not obeying those rules was how they refused to put their faith in Jesus.

Of course we are saved by faith and not by works. But as James points out, true faith will lead to obedience. Because when you really have your faith in someone, you trust what they tell you to do.

When Nadab and Abide decided to ignore God’s rules for the sacrificial system, they were essentially saying that they didn’t trust Him. They were putting their faith in themselves and their own understanding instead of in God. And by rejecting the rules of the sacrificial system, they were also rejecting the ultimate sacrifice those rules pointed to.

They were rejecting the salvation from sin that Jesus would offer.

In an instant, death came upon the brothers.

Sin cannot survive the precense of a holy God. In the previous chapter, we saw fire come from the presence of God to light the altar and consume the animal sacrifices. Thankfully, the sins of God’s people had already been transferred to those sacrifices.

But that transfer didn’t happen for Nabad and Abide. They were still in their sin as they approached God’s pretense in the Tabernacle. And so, the fire of His presence consumed them instead of the sacrifices.

One way or another, God is going to judge sin and make it die. Either we trust Jesus with our sin and let it die with Him on the cross, or we trust ourselves and die with our sin still on us — like Nabad and Abide did.