I remember when I first heard this story either in Sunday school or seminary and I thought their punishment was crazy. But then when I read more closely I realized that at that time the saints were living the law of consecration. I’ve heard a certain tv preacher say, “They died because they lied to the Lord.” Well if they died because they lied wouldn’t we all be dead by now?
Under the law of consecration we consecrate everything to the Lord, we recognize that everything we have comes from the Lord, we willingly give all we have and use all we have to further His work. We are not sacrificing or giving up things for the Lord but rather we are giving back to the Lord what was always His. It is a higher law that requires a higher level of spiritual enlightenment, let’s call it. Isn’t it true that if one sins against a greater light one suffers a greater consequence? And that’s why they dropped dead. Auwe!