1Yahweh called to Moses, and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying, 2“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When anyone of you offers an offering to Yahweh, you shall offer your offering of the livestock, from the herd and from the flock.
3“‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without defect. He shall offer it at the door of the Tent of Meeting, that he may be accepted before Yahweh. 4He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5He shall kill the bull before Yahweh. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 6He shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. 7The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay wood in order on the fire; 8and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar; 9but he shall wash its innards and its legs with water. The priest shall burn all of it on the altar, for a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
10“‘If his offering is from the flock, from the sheep or from the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer a male without defect. 11He shall kill it on the north side of the altar before Yahweh. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 12He shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat. The priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar, 13but the innards and the legs he shall wash with water. The priest shall offer the whole, and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
14“‘If his offering to Yahweh is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall offer his offering from turtledoves or of young pigeons. 15The priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; and its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar; 16and he shall take away its crop and its feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes. 17He shall tear it by its wings, but shall not divide it apart. The priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
This passage illustrates how God expects detailed obedience. The sons of Aaron the high priest offered strange fire before the LORD. The fire was called “strange,” because God had not commanded them to offer such fire. According to Leviticus 16:11-14 (see also Exodus 30:9), the fire for the firepans ought to have been taken from the altar before the LORD. Since they took fire from another source, they were instantly consumed by fire that came out from the presence of the LORD. Despite prior instruction (Leviticus 1-9) and warnings about the consequences of disobedience, they chose to disobey (Leviticus 8:35; 9:7, 10, 16, 21).
Many more examples of God’s desire for comprehensive obedience can be cited. Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others (Matthew 23:23).” Zacharias was struck with muteness right away when he “did not believe” Gabriel’s announcement that Elizabeth would miraculously conceive John the Baptist (Luke 1:18-25). Ananias and Sapphira died immediately when Satan filled their heart “to lie to the Holy Spirit” about the price of the sale of their land (Acts 5:1-11). Herod was straight away killed by the angel of the Lord “because he did not give God the glory” when the people shouted, “The voice of a god and not of a man (Acts 12:20-23)!” Elymas the magician was smitten with blindness for a time because he was “seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith (Acts 13:4-12).” A “so-called brother” was delivered “to Satan for the destruction of his flesh,” was supposed to be removed from the local church, and Christians were “not even to eat with such a one” since he was committing adultery with “his father’s wife (1 Corinthians 5).” Some of the Corinthians were “weak and sick,” and a number had died because they partook of communion unworthily (1 Corinthians 11:20-34).