While it is important to share that God loves sinners it is also equally important to let sinners know that unless they have entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ they will one day have to face the full fury of God’s wrath for their sinful lifestyle.
In the book of Leviticus not only did animal sacrifices have to be made to atone for the sins of the people but they had to be made in the correct manner specified by God. Failure to sacrifice in the correct manner often meant that God’s wrath would go forth in devastating fashion. In one of the most amazing passages in all of Scripture we see an incredible parallel of what happens when sacrifice is made in the proper manner and when it is not.
For we read in (Leviticus 9:24 – 10:2): “and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So, fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.” In both cases fire came out from the Lord. In the first case God was pleased with the sacrifice and consumed the burn offering while in the second case God was displeased with the inappropriate sacrifice and consumed, not the offering, but the offerors – Nadab and Abihu.
Apparently Nadab and Abihu were irreverent and as a result were killed on the spot. I believe in this specific case God wanted to let the people of Israel know that sin is serious and will bring forth the wrath of God. Fortunately for us today God rarely strikes us dead when we are irreverent as he did with Nadab and Abihu, with Uzzah, when he touched the ark of God, and with Ananias and Sapphira, when they lied to the Holy Spirit.
In the case of Ananias and Sapphira, the church of Christ was just starting out and I believe God again wanted to let the people of God, as well as us, know that sin is serious business. Thankfully in the Old Testament sacrifices, done in the correct manner, were able to stay the wrath of God and cover over the sins of the people of God. And we know that in the New Testament the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of Calvary was the ultimate perfect sacrifice for sin. Under both Testaments appropriate sacrifice was the antidote for the natural response of God to sin – His wrath! Atonement for sin must be made or else the wrath of God is inevitable. God’s justice demands payment for sin, which is ultimately eternal death, but fortunately his mercy through Jesus Christ offers us pardon and eternal life.