The Lord gave Noah specific instructions concerning the material of which he was to build the ark. “Make thee an ark of gopher wood”, the Almighty enjoined (Gen. 6:14). In specifying gopher wood, the Lord automatically excluded every other kind of wood. If there were varieties of gopher, as there are of oak, for example, he could have used any or all of these that were suitable for his purpose. But Noah could not use, without bringing the condemnation of God upon himself, any wood other than gopher. A modern “intellectual” among us has ridiculed the idea of God's condemning Noah if he had used a “little cedar” in the ark. Such ridicule betrays a woeful lack of knowledge of the Bible, or of respect for the Bible, or both.
Nadab and Abihu, when they came to burn incense before Jehovah, “used strange” fire which he had not commanded; that is, they did not use fire from off the altar (Num. 16:46). We do not know where they obtained the fire they used. We know at least one place where they did not get it - from off the altar. They may well have rationalized: “Really, what difference does it make where we get the fire; fire is fire; it will burn regardless of where we get it. Why be tradition-bound and narrow? Why not be broad and scholarly? The main object is to burn the incense; and fire from any place will do that”. Yes, they tried “strange fire; and fire from Jehovah devoured them” (Lev. 10:2). This example does not suggest that God would have done nothing to Noah by way of punishment if he had used some other kind of wood than gopher in building the ark. It is recorded of Noah that “According to all that God commanded him, so did he” (Gen. 6:22). Evidently, Noah had a better idea of what is obedience to God than some moderns. The same principle in Noah's obedience to God's command is involved in our relation to God's will now.
For example, we are commanded to “sing” in the worship of God (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:10; Rom. 15:9; 1 Cor. 14:15). God did not say, “Make music”. If He had, then instrumental music would have been acceptable. He specified singing. He did not say, “Make vocal music”. If He had, then there would have been some ground for “whistling” and “humming” in the worship of the Lord. But since inspiration has specified “singing”, “whistling” and “humming” have no more place in the worship than cedar wood in the ark; or “strange fire” in the burning of incense.
We should be satisfied with what God has commanded. It is true that the nations around us whistle and hum; but that is no reason why we should. Israel wanted a king to be like her neighbors; but that desire brought disaster.
“Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition” (1 Cor. 10:11). “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through patience and comfort of the scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). Will we profit by what was written aforetime?