Strange Fire - Counterfeit Religion

In offering the fire of their own making, Nadab and Abihu displayed an abhorrence of the gift of God. The fire that burned on the altar was God's gift, God's provision, God's work (Leviticus 16:12). As such, it was a picture and type of Christ (Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 9:15; John 3:16).
God required the fire he provided (Leviticus 16:12). Nadab and Abihu thought their own fire was good enough. God requires Christ, only Christ; but they despised Christ and said, "Who needs a Substitute? Who needs blood atonement? Who needs an Intercessor? Who needs forgiveness, justification, pardon, reconciliation, and imputed righteousness? Like the Jews of Paul's day and the vast majority of men and women in every age, like some of you, Nadab and Abihu followed after righteousness, but did not obtain righteousness, because they went about to establish their own righteousness, and refused to submit themselves to the righteousness of God in Christ (Romans 9:31-10:4).