May 4

Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: ‘To those who come near Me I will show My holiness, and in the sight of all the people I will reveal My glory.’” But Aaron remained silent. — Lev 10:3 BSB

The priests who failed to honor the Lord by doing what He commanded fell at the door of the tabernacle, struck down by their own sin.

God’s law always has two sides. On one side, it’s bright and full of promise and blessing; on the other side, it’s dark and full of warnings and danger. It’s like the pillar of cloud that led the Israelites out of Egypt. On the side facing the Israelites, it was light, but on the side facing the Egyptians, it was dark.

Obeying God’s law brings protection, blessing, and peace. Disobeying it brings fear, suffering, and death. This is true even of the gospel of Christ. For those who accept it, the gospel brings eternal life; for those who reject it, it becomes a curse, because rejecting it adds to their guilt.

Every blessing we receive comes with this dual aspect—it will either bring more of God’s light into our lives, or leave us in deeper darkness.