Skip to main content

Nadab And Abihu


Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.
Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. (Leviticus 9:23 - 10:2)
 
One of the challenges of reading Middle Eastern literature is that time isn’t always documented. We aren’t told how much time passed between chapters nine and ten. Given the fact that the Israelites made the golden calf while Moses was receiving the commandments from God, I can believe that the two events happened at about the same time.
Something else about Nadab and Abihu. God invited them part way up Mount Sinai, along with Aaron and seventy elders. To act as priests, they had to be older than 30. They weren’t adolescents. They were granted that privilege by an omniscient God who knew what their sin would be. It isn’t clear to me precisely what their sin was. It was described as “unauthorized” (“strange” in other translations) fire. Did they use incense with the wrong ingredients? Did they offer it at a time that was not acceptable?
After they died, Aaron refused to eat the sacrifice as instructed. Moses questioned him about it, and was satisfied that Aaron was acting in good conscience. God didn’t punish anyone for Aaron’s behavior. That suggests that Nadab and Abihu didn’t make an honest mistake and weren’t acting in good conscience. In Moses’s instructions to Aaron immediately after his sons died, priests were commanded not to drink wine, so there is at least some justification to the theory that Nadab and Abihu were intoxicated. I doubt they were so when they were consecrated, so perhaps they’d been celebrating and were showing off their new “power.” Perhaps because they’d been celebrating, they were being less than responsible with an assigned task. Whatever the reason, they weren’t giving God the respect He was due. As leaders in Israel, this could not be permitted.  
What are we to make of this? How does it apply to us? We aren’t Jews and aren’t required to make the sacrifices described in Leviticus. But… “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (I Peter 2:9) We do have responsibilities toward God that we need to take seriously. Those called to the priesthood are judged according to a higher standard. Going through the motions isn’t good enough.
Another important consideration is the pattern. Some would say, “power corrupts.” Others, “Pride goes before a fall.” Whatever the aphorism, it seems that failure often follows success. It is wise to be cautious with ourselves after victories; they are not justifications for us to rest on our laurels.
Father, as I fail, grant me wisdom, direction and attitude. Even more as I succeed, grant me wisdom, direction and attitude. Change me, that I might live in accordance with the higher standard You have set for Your children.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saved?

  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23) Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” (Romans 3:4)   What conclusion do you draw when someone who was raised in a Christian family and church, perhaps even playing a significant role in a chur...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Virgin?

           Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)           This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)           But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”            “How will this be,” Mary asked the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Meditations of the Heart

  May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm19:14)           As I started writing this post, I noted that the meditations of my heart are all over the mental landscape, from a hub where eight superhighways come together to a lunar or nuclear landscape. Do you see my error? The moment I read the word meditation , I think about thoughts. But what’s described here is the meditations of our hearts ; our wills.           While the meditations of our minds may be all over the place, the meditations of our wills tend to be a little more stable by the time we are adults. We no longer tend to want to pursue the ten separate careers we did in any given day as children. Part of this is humble acceptance of reality. We come to understand that we can’t do it all. I think another part of it is disappointmen...
Post a Comment
Read more