“Then the LORD said to Aaron, ‘You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given them.’” (Lev 10:8-10).
Just moments after God struck down Abihu and Nadab for using the wrong fire in the ceremonial services, God gave Aaron and his remaining sons this warning: You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting. Alcohol perverts the mind, making it impossible to hear God speaking to us. In other words, God and alcohol don’t mix!
But we don’t have a temple! What does this mean for us? Can we then say that we are not to enter into our churches or other places of worship after having consumed alcohol? Or does this text have an even deeper meaning?
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul says: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” 1 Cor 6:19-20. Our bodies are temples—temples of the Holy Spirit! The sanctuary of God is continually with us! His Holy Spirit dwells within each of us!
The next time you are tempted use chemical substances, remember God’s warning to Aaron and his sons. Remember what the effects of wine were on Abihu and Nadab, and finally, remember God’s swift punishment of their disobedience. Then ask yourselves this question: Do I wish to bring this into my “Tent of Meeting”? Into my “Temple of the Holy Spirit”?
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Moderator, The Nugget, Scriptural Nuggets ( www.scripturalnuggets.org ), Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org