Content, or Contention?

Based on Leviticus 8-10

God has put so many guidelines in place to be sure that we understand what we need to do & why we need to do it. Just like Aaron & his sons, the priests of the Old Testament, everything was in place to be sure that there was no error. We talked about offering sacrifices & releasing sin, all which were to be holy unto The Lord. God does not make it hard to follow Him. He actually makes it easy by how clear He is in His Word!

Remember, we can follow the same steps of offering, sacrifice & release in the process of our walk with God. When we come to an altar, give up our past & allow God in, all of a sudden the Holy Ghost takes over with a new language & new life ahead when we are baptized...release feels so good! We can be content! We don't want contention between us and God just because of an unwillingness to go with the process!

"And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about." Leviticus 8:24.

As I read this passage, it was hard not to think of the specifics here: why the ear, thumbs & toes on their feet? Maybe it was because they were to have ears content with what God was speaking to them. Maybe they needed thumbs & hands content with doing the work of the tabernacle. Maybe their toes & feet needed to be content with wherever God sent them...? Either way, it was a form of consecration to The Lord. But as we shall see, "content" turned to "contention" when this process was disrupted by a couple of Aaron's sons...

"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. 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. 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." Leviticus 9:22‭-‬24.

God sent fire down for the sacrifices! Aaron & his sons didn't have to start any type of fire! God provides the fire, spark & fresh start in our lives when we bring ourselves as living, willing sacrifices unto Him. But even though this miraculous act of provision took place, 2 of Aaron's sons thought their idea was better. They were not content with God's process & therefore caused contention:

"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. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord." Leviticus 10:1‭-‬2.

It's GOD's fire that we want burning in our lives! It's HIS light which shines through us that is truly going to make a difference in us and in those who see God's pure light & the fire of His Spirit. The sons chose their own fire powered by their own will instead of fueled by God. This fueled contention, and the fires of God took them.

"And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;"
Leviticus 10:10.

How many times do we try to go against God's flow? If we just be content with what He's already given us, we will avoid all sorts of contention & stress! Think about it-wouldn't it just be easier to let God consume our problems in His holy fire than letting ourselves be consumed by our problems? Let God work! Be content, and therefore be at peace!