“Then God sent lightning. The fire cremated the 250 men who were offering the incense.” (Numbers 16:35, The Message)
We seem more worried about God's reputation than God does. We try and lessen the shock value of passages like this in which God punishes 250 rebels by sending lightning to consume them. God doesn't at all seem to care that some readers will read this passage with disapprobation. He in essence tells it like it is.
A couple of lessons here. First is that God is very serious about open rebellion. In this instance a small sector of God's people decide that the one whom God appointed to lead them is not worth following, not to mention that they are going to decide who is worthy to appear before God. A bad idea indeed. They will come to regret it.
The second lesson is that we don't need to "protect" God's reputation for him. Sometimes we may struggle at explaining why he does things, but this should not make us deny that he does those things (which is the foundation of the so-called "Open Theology" movement; to explain why God couldn't be the way the Bible says he is).
How well C. S. Lewis captured this fact about God in the dialogue between Mr. Tumnus and Lucy in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Talking about Aslan the Lion:
Lucy: He's not a tame lion, is he?
Mr. Tumnus: No, but he is good.
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