After the magnificent revelation of God’s glory at the end of Leviticus 9, we turn to chapter 10 and witness two of Aaron’s sons sinning and facing the consequences.
This pattern is often seen in our lives: after experiencing a spiritual high point with God, we are often tempted by the enemy, whether it’s the devil or our own inner desires, to stray from Him.
Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his censer, put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and they offered unholy fire before the Lord, such as he had not commanded them.
And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord (Leviticus 10:1-2).
What was the nature of the sin that was so enormous as to merit death? One rabbi, who wrote in the 5th century AD, attempts to answer the question. He asked:
- Were Nadab and Abihu drunk?
- Did they enter the sanctuary without washing their hands?
- Were they schemers and opportunists who said, “When will those two old men,” referring to Moses and Aaron, “die so that we can exercise control over the community?”
An author from our era suggests that the sin in their offering was using fire from a source other than the altar for the incense.
Another possibility is that their offering was problematic due to apostasy or idolatrous worship.
The key takeaway is that the priest must follow divine instructions. Disobedience and deviation from God’s revealed way lead to disastrous consequences.
In every instance throughout chapter 8, Moses is depicted as acting precisely as the Lord commanded. This stands in stark contrast to the actions of Aaron’s two sons, who did what the Lord had not commanded them to do.
Why Such Severe Punishment
There are instances in the Old Testament where the punishment appears to be disproportionate to the offense. Why would God execute two young priests, Nadab and Abihu, simply for bringing an unauthorized offering into the Tabernacle? Here’s an explanation that resonates with me.
My wife and I are currently building a small house. This week, the crew laid the foundation. The people responsible for this were incredibly precise because any error in the foundation would cause problems for every other part of the structure.
Similarly, when God was establishing His relationship with the early Hebrews or the church, He was laying a foundation for future generations. He had to be infinitely more exact in His “measurements” than our house builders.
This precision was crucial because everything built upon that foundation needed to be structurally sound and properly aligned with His divine will.
Teach Your Children Well
In the 1970s, Graham Nash of the singing group, Crosby, Stills, and Young wrote about teaching your children. Here are the lyrics to the first verse:
You, who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by
And so, become yourself
Because the past is just a goodbye.
Teach your children well
Their father’s hell did slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they pick’s the one you’ll know by.
Aaron was commanded to teach the Israelites God’s commandments that were revealed to Moses.
You are to distinguish between the holy and the common and between the unclean and the clean, and you are to teach the Israelites all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through Moses” (Leviticus 10:10-11).
Like many clergy, Aaron found it easier to teach his congregation than his children. We’ve already seen what happened to two of his sons. Now, we find two more sons who fail to obey God’s directives concerning their ministry in the Tabernacle.
The divine guidance involved eating unleavened bread in a holy place (Leviticus 10:12-13).
You would think that having witnessed the death of their brothers, Aaron’s two remaining sons would be diligent in obeying God’s commands. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. While they didn’t lose their lives, they received a severe reprimand from Moses.
He was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, and said, “Why did you not eat the purification offering in the sacred area?
For it is most holy, and God has given it to you that you may remove the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement on their behalf before the Lord.
Its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded” (Leviticus 10:16-18).
Reflections
Some people approach Bible reading like taking a daily vitamin, quickly consuming it without much thought or meditation. However, if we take the time to truly consider this passage, we discover that God desires to be worshiped, and how we worship Him significantly impacts our lives.
Therefore, let’s not be careless in our connection with God. Instead, let’s allow our relationship with Him to be reflected in our lives through obedience and service to others.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 