What other scriptures highlight the importance of respecting God's sacred commands? Exodus 30:38 – God’s command is sacred “Whoever makes a perfume like it to enjoy its fragrance shall be cut off from his people.” God’s warning over the holy incense sets a pattern: what He declares sacred must never be treated as common or manipulated for personal taste. Respecting the holy things in the Law • Leviticus 10:1-3 — Nadab and Abihu offer “unauthorized fire,” and “fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them.” God’s holiness tolerates no tampering. • Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32 — “Do not add to or subtract from the word I command you.” The boundaries around His commands are part of the commands themselves. • Numbers 16:30-33 — Korah’s rebellion ends with the earth opening beneath the rebels: “Then you will know that these men despised the LORD.” Disrespect for God-given order invites judgment. Lessons from Israel’s history • 2 Samuel 6:6-7 — Uzzah touches the ark and dies because of “his irreverence.” Even good intentions cannot excuse ignoring God’s stated procedure. • 1 Chronicles 15:13 — David admits, “The LORD our God burst forth in wrath upon us, because we did not inquire of Him about the proper order.” Reverence demands careful obedience. • Malachi 1:6-8 — Priests who bring blemished offerings hear God ask, “Where is My honor? … where is your fear of Me?” Treating holy worship as ordinary insults the Giver. Teachings of Jesus and the apostles • Matthew 5:17-19 — Jesus affirms, “Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments … will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.” Respect for every command remains vital. • John 14:15 — “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” Love shows itself in obedient loyalty. • Acts 5:1-11 — Ananias and Sapphira lie to the Holy Spirit; both fall dead. The newborn church learns that deceit in sacred matters is lethal. • 1 Corinthians 11:27-30 — Partaking of the Lord’s Supper “unworthily” makes one “guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord,” and “many are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.” • Hebrews 12:28-29 — “Let us worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” New-covenant grace heightens, not lowers, holy fear. Eternal warnings in Revelation • Revelation 22:18-19 — Adding to or subtracting from God’s prophetic word brings plagues and the loss of one’s share in the tree of life. From Sinai to the New Jerusalem, the principle stands: God’s word is untouchable. Big picture takeaways • God guards His holiness; He expects His people to guard it too. • Obedience is an act of love and worship, never mere rule-keeping. • Treating sacred commands lightly endangers fellowship, witness, and even life itself. • Honoring God’s boundaries invites His nearness and blessing; crossing them invites His discipline. By tracing these passages, we see Exodus 30:38 is no isolated warning. Scripture consistently calls God’s people to reverent, wholehearted respect for every word He has declared holy. |
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