Sincerity in worship is important, but it is not the only or most important thing in worship. It is common for religious people today to think that as long as they are sincere, and enjoy or find meaningful what they are doing, they can do almost anything in worship. This has led to many innovations into worship, as people seek newer and more exciting worship. Modern man’s fascination with new things is not necessarily in accord with God’s will, however. Worship is of utmost importance to God. He demonstrated how serious it is many times, but perhaps no clearer than in the story of Nadab and Abihu.

Nadab and Abihu were the two elder sons of Aaron, the first high priest of the Israelites as they made their way to the Promised Land. As sons of Aaron, they served as priests, and went into the very presence of God. “Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:  And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness” (Exodus 24:9-10). They were leaders of the Israelite worship, and were in line to become the high priest upon Aaron’s death, but they lost their lives because they trifled with the worship of God (Numbers 3:4).

Moses described the death of Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1-2: “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. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” Nadab and Abihu died because they “offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.” They were priests, so they were the right people to lead the worship. They each had their censers used in worship, so they had the right implements to offer worship. They burned incense, which was a proper thing to do in worship. They were there at the tabernacle, the right place for worship. They were the right people, with the right implements of worship, doing the right thing, in the right place, but doing all of this in the wrong way, so God destroyed them! Even their father Aaron realized they had disobeyed God. “Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace” (Leviticus 10:3). 

Nadab and Abihu received instant punishment from God for disobeying Him by doing what He had not commanded. They were probably very sincere, but they displeased God. Jesus called the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites because they cared more about what they wanted in worship than what God wanted. He condemned them, saying, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:7-9). If we add anything to our worship that God has not commanded, then we are offering the vain worship of disobedience.