NADAB AND ABIHU, LEVITICUS 10
After giving the law, the office of priest was restricted to one family, that of Aaron.
QUALIFICATIONS OF PRIEST
The circumstances relating to the events of this day make it a very special day. The day of Leviticus 10 was no ordinary day in Hebrew history. On this day, all the materials had been accumlated, & the Tabernacle had been errected and inspected by Moses.
Moses had received the detailed instructions on the "pattern" of the Tabernacle when he was at Mt. Sinai.
The word for "patten" in Hebrews 8:5 is from the Greek word "tupos." Tupos means "mold, pattern, mark." It carries with it the idea of a woman's pattern that she makes dresses from. (Also, take a look at Romans 6:17,18 and you will see that those spoken to by Paul "...obeyed a form (tupos) of doctrine.... they were made free from sin and servants of righteousness." This whole chapter deals with baptism. See Rom 6:3-5.)
God told Moses in Heb 8:5 "...see to it that you make everything according to the PATTERN shown you on the mountain."
Moses inspected the Tabernacle and he saw that it was good.
Chronologically, this day dies in with Exodus 40:34-38. "Then the CLOUD COVERED TENT OF MEETING, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses COULD NOT enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they could set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out -- until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.
We see from Exodus 40 that the "cloud covered the tabernacle and God's Glory filled the tabernacle. This indicated that God had taken up His symbolic residence in the presence of Israel.
IT WAS INAUGURATION DAY!!
It was the day that Moses would inaugurate the use of the Tabernacle as the place where atonement & worship sacrifices to be conducted.
ALL OF ISRAEL IS PRESENT & SACIFICES & CELEBRATION BEGINS.
This was a specific moment in which Nadab & Abihu took their censers, placed fire in them, added the incense & then offered it before Jehovah. (Lev 10:1-2)
JUST AS THE FIRES HAD COME OUT FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD & HAD CONSUMED THE SACRIFICE OF THE BURNT OFFERING & THE FAT FIRE CAME DOWN FROM BEFORE JEHOVAH & CONSUMED THE TWO SONS OF AARON!!
Nadab & Abihu were wrong to offer incense with fires that God did not authorize. This was the beginning of their sins. It is said, "...they offered fire BEFORE THE LORD." The terminology "before teh Lord" is used in Lev 9:24; 16:1-2 and is clear in its description of what Moses meant when he used this term. SUCH LANGUAGE IMPLIES "BEFORE THE LORD" REFERS TO JEHOVAH'S RESIDENCE IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES!
Heb 9:1 affirms this, "Now the first covenant had regulations for WORSHIP AND ALSO AN EARTHLY SANCTUARY."
The word for "regualtions" in the Greek suggests that God's Word carried the force of Law and ordinance relating to legal and judicial decisiions.l Such terminology simply affirms that it was God who established the norms and rituals of worship under the Old Testament system. From this episode in Leviticus 10, it is clear tht he does not well countenance His servants trifling with His ordiances!
YOM KIPPUR -- HIGH PRIEST ONLY ALLOWED IN MOST HOLY PLACE.
As I've already said, on the Day of Atonement the High Priest entered alone into the Holy of Holies.
In Leviticus 16:2 Moses instructed Aaron: "The Lord said to Moses: 'tell your brother Aaron NOT to come whenever he choose into the Most HolyPlace behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover."
The sins of Nadab and Abihu caused God to warn Aaron (Lev 16:2). Aaron could not think that he could jump up and run in the Holy of Holies anytime he chose.
If he were to enter other than at the specified time, HE WOULD DIE, as a fact Nadab & Abihu did. Leviticus 16:17 demanded: "No one is to be in the Tent of Meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel.
God was to appear in the cloud on the mercy seat. That was the place that the Hebrews referred to as the "Shikenah Glory"... the place of glory of devine presence.
Even Aaron was not to enter anytime he chose. These restrictions were built into the strong redemptive typology that will later be amply explained in the Book of Hebrews.
The functions that the High Priest carried out ALONE on the Day of Atonement (described in Leviticus 16) were SYMBOLIC o the fact that Jesus Christ Himself would later accomplish the redemptive processes ALONE!! Jesus accomplished it by Himself.
Tragically, Nadab & Abihu had gone into the Holy of Holies as a committee. Jesus did not have a committee to help Him when He accomplished the fulfillemnt of the typology that was inauguratged for the Day of Atonement.
NADAB & ABIHU WERE QUITE POSSIBLE DRUNK!!
In Leviticus 10:8-9, after they had been buried, Aaron is told by God: "Then the Lord said to Aaron, you and your sons AE NOT TO DRINK WINE OR FERMENTED DRINK whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die."
This is a strong indication that seems to explain why the two sons dided. God didn not want Aaron to commit the same sin that Nadab & Abihu committed. Why woud God interrupt the ceremonies of the day of inauguration jsut to give warnings about drinking wine -- unless it had a relationship to the sins of Nadab & Abihu. There must have been some connection.
Another fact that needs to be looked at, did they drink the drink offering? (wine) Leviticus 10:10 says, "you must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and teh clean..." THE HOLY BELONGS TO GOD.
When the Hebrews brought their "nasik" (the drink offering) it was never intended for a priestly consumption. The Hebrew word "nasik" simply means "that which is poured out at the altar or burnt offering to God."
It is clear that Nadab & Abihu were the WRONG PEOPLE doing the WRONG THING on the WRONG DAY with the WRONG CONDITION OF BEING DRUNK and for the WRONG PUPOSE.
GOD EXPLAINS HIS MOTIVES.
Aaron was not allowed to mourn the death of his two sons. God told him, "do not let your hair become unkept, and do not ter your clothes, or you will die..." (Lev 10:6)
God's representatives must stand in perfect and total agreement with His actions. Aaron could not take off his turban and cast it down in disgust over God's punishment of his two sons. NO TEMPER TANTRUMS were allowed on Aaron's part.
ONE OTHER RITUAL PERSION PERFORMED THAT DAY BY AARON.
One other ritual violation that took place that day. In Leviticus 10:6 Moes began looking for the body of tghe sin offering. The blook of that sacrifice HAD NOT been taken into the Holy Place for atonement.
It's body therefore, was to be eaten by the priests in the courtyard of the Tabernacle as a festive celebration hosted by God. Th sacrificial animal COULD NOT be found! It had been taken outside the camp and burned! This was a violation of the ritual command giverning the sacrifice. This was against the instructions of God.
MOSES DEMANDS AND EXPLANATION!!
Moses was angry and perhaps afraid. He came to Aaron and said, "why didn't you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord. Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded." (Lev 10:17-18)
AARON'S EXPLANATION.
Aaron explained these words, "today they sancificed their si offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, but such things happened to me. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?" (Lev 10:19)
Aaron felt personally responsible for the sins of his sons, and he fel that God had punished him for his oversight. Aaron seem to feel that God had so recently poured out agains Aaron's house, and it might have been presumptuous for Aaron to assumbe that God would so readily host a celebration meal in Aaron's honor in the Tabernacle.
Aaron seemed to be saying, "maybe tomorrow, yes, maybe next week."
AFTER THE DEATHS OF NADAB AND ABIHU.
Your servant in Messiah, Jesus the Christ,
charlesj
After giving the law, the office of priest was restricted to one family, that of Aaron.
QUALIFICATIONS OF PRIEST
- Proof of decent from Aaron.
- Free from bodily defect or blemish.
- No flat nose, no broken-footed, broken-handed, crook-back, married to a profane woman, etc.
- Lev 21:23 yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary, I am the Lord that makes them holy.
- DUTIES OF PRIEST.
- Chief duty -- to offer or present offerings & sacrifices to God.
- Sometimes to kill the victims (lev 16:11)
- Always to sprinkle & pour out their blood.
- Burn their carcasses, or part of them on the altar.
- In charge of altar & sanctuary.
- Had to see tht the fire was ever burning on the altar.
- Made loves of shewbread.
- trim & lite the lamps of the golden candlestick.
- Evening & Morning burned inense on the golden altar.
- Conducted the sacred services of tabernacle worship.
- Priests (with the Levites) were entrusted with the religious instruction of the nation.
- Deut 33:10 "He teaches your precepts to Jacob and your law to Israel. he offers incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar."
- LEVITES HELP PRIESTS
- Priests duties connected with the tabernacle worship where far to numerous for Aaron and his sons.
- Duties such as preparing of the sacrifices for the altar involved an amount of physical labor greatly beyond their strength.
- The priests needed assistance.
- God gave the priests the whole tribe of Levi (Num 3:12)
- Tribe of Levi numbered 22,000 (Num 3:39)
- Of the 22,000, 8580 were qualified by age to enter on the duties of their office (Num 4:17, 48)
- Levites set apart by Aaron, shaved their heads, washed their flesh & clothes.
- After Levites were transferred to the Lord, the Levites offered two bullocks as sacrifices, one for the sin offering & the other of the burnt offering (Num 8:5-23)
- Whatever assistance the priest might require, the Levites were at hand to help.
- The Levite could not offer up a sacrifice, sprinkle the blood, burn incense, or perform other priestly acts, except in emergencies. (2 Chron 29:34)
- Levites took down & put up tabernacle.
- Transported tabernacle from one place to another. (Num 4)
- At one time the Levites could be seen busy in the tabernacle courtyard, waiting on priests & helping them in their work.
- At another time takeing down the sacred structure.
- Duties not always the same, with the priests, they were to instruct the people in the law. (Deut 33:10)
- When in the promised land, the tabernacle became fixed for long periods of time and the Levites were relieved of transporting the tabernacle.
- They wre formed into divisions and helped the priests.
- Some resided in the Levitical cities which were situated in all the tribal territories.
- In the tribal cities, the Levite would read and explain the law, assist the eldedrs in different towns in the administration of justice, took charge of the cities of refuge.
- They were everywhere dwelling in the midst of the nation to explain the law, instruct the ignorant, comfort the afflicted, shield the innocent, punish the guilty & guide the people in the way in which they should live. (Deut 17:8-12; 32:10)
The circumstances relating to the events of this day make it a very special day. The day of Leviticus 10 was no ordinary day in Hebrew history. On this day, all the materials had been accumlated, & the Tabernacle had been errected and inspected by Moses.
Moses had received the detailed instructions on the "pattern" of the Tabernacle when he was at Mt. Sinai.
The word for "patten" in Hebrews 8:5 is from the Greek word "tupos." Tupos means "mold, pattern, mark." It carries with it the idea of a woman's pattern that she makes dresses from. (Also, take a look at Romans 6:17,18 and you will see that those spoken to by Paul "...obeyed a form (tupos) of doctrine.... they were made free from sin and servants of righteousness." This whole chapter deals with baptism. See Rom 6:3-5.)
God told Moses in Heb 8:5 "...see to it that you make everything according to the PATTERN shown you on the mountain."
Moses inspected the Tabernacle and he saw that it was good.
Chronologically, this day dies in with Exodus 40:34-38. "Then the CLOUD COVERED TENT OF MEETING, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses COULD NOT enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they could set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out -- until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.
We see from Exodus 40 that the "cloud covered the tabernacle and God's Glory filled the tabernacle. This indicated that God had taken up His symbolic residence in the presence of Israel.
IT WAS INAUGURATION DAY!!
It was the day that Moses would inaugurate the use of the Tabernacle as the place where atonement & worship sacrifices to be conducted.
- The priests, Aaronic & Levitical, had been ordained & they were ready to begin their functions.
- The sacrifices had been explained.
- The whole series of offerings had been prepared.
- They were ready for the celebrations of that day.
- Aaron & his sons were dressed in the garments that had been specifically prepared for them. "have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor. (Exodus 28:1-2)
- These sacred garments had been prepared by men & women especially endowed by God with the skills to make their special clothing.
- They were to function as representatives of heaven to earth.
- Their garments reflected their sacred roles
- Moses was ready to finish the ceremonies of consecration of Aaron & his sons into their priestly office.
- Officially installing Aaron & his sons into their priestly office required considerable ceremony.
- Leviticus 8 & 9 describes the first part of the ceremony.
- Moses poured the oils of consecration on the head of Aaron & his sons.
- Anointing oils were placed on their righ ear lobes, then on the thumbs of their right hands & finally on the big toes of their right foot.
- The use of oils of consecration was to sanctify their head, ears, hands & feet.
- The head represented their thinking toward God.
- The hands to serve before God.
- The feet to walk in God's Holy Presence.
- Moses then prepared teh ram of the sin offering for Aaron & his sons.
- He took the blood of the ram & did with the blood exactly what he ahd done with the oil.
- He placed the blood on the ear, the thumb, & the big toe of the right foot.
- Their entire bodies were cleansed of sin so as to qualify them for service before Jehovah.
- Hebrews 7:27 affirms that the priests first had to offer atonement sacrifices for themselves & then for the people.
ALL OF ISRAEL IS PRESENT & SACIFICES & CELEBRATION BEGINS.
- The whole assembly of Israel was assembled outside the courtyard of the Tabernacle.
- Aaron & his sons began offering the total series of the Levitical sacrifies.
- They took the burnt offering and laid it on the altar.
- They offered the sacrifice of the Peace Offering, the sin offering & the trespass offering.
- They removed the fat and placed it on the altar.
- God had symbolically taken up residence in the Tabernacle, speciafically the Holy of Holies.
- The external signs of His presence were the pillar of fire by night and the column of smoke by day, both ascending into the heavens. (Lev 40:36)
- Immediately, tying in with the context of Ex 40:36-38 fire consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on th altar. And when all the poeple saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.
- This was the very moment that Nadab & Abihu began their ill-fated actions.
- When God took up His residence in the Tabernacle, it was an evident sign that He accepted its structure as faithfully adhering to the patter He had given Moses.
- When God Himself lit the fires on the altar, it was an evident sign that He ahd accepted the Aaronic priesthood & the sacrifices they offered.
- All the people fell facedown in evident revence & praise for God's presence with them.
This was a specific moment in which Nadab & Abihu took their censers, placed fire in them, added the incense & then offered it before Jehovah. (Lev 10:1-2)
JUST AS THE FIRES HAD COME OUT FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD & HAD CONSUMED THE SACRIFICE OF THE BURNT OFFERING & THE FAT FIRE CAME DOWN FROM BEFORE JEHOVAH & CONSUMED THE TWO SONS OF AARON!!
- They died "before" the Lord.
- The fires did not consume their clothing, for a little bit later came their cousisn into he Tabernacle & carried them outside the camp, the text says (Lev 10:4-5).
- the sins of Nadab & Abihu may appear to us as "trivial," maybe a mistake in judgment?
- the actions of God may appear to have been harsh, arbitrary & even excessively heavy.
- could God not have used a little bit of tolerance, shown a little more mercy on this day?
- The sins of Nadab & Abihu were much more grievous than they appar on the surface.
- Their sins were many, and therefore God had to intevene.
- This was the day the Tabernacle, the priests and their sacrifices were all inaugurted.
- No abuse of the orders regulating those three aspects of Hebrew worship & atonement could be tolerated.
- NO CHANGE IN CEREMONIES COULD BE ALLOWED!!
- No one could justify personalized and totally UNAUTHORIZED revisions in God's ordinances.
- If God allowed such arbitrary innovations on that most significant day, then it would have been difficult for Him to govern the proceedings of the people from that generation forward.
- The whole congregation was bowed i reverence before God at this time.
- Nab & Abihu, it appears, GLIBLY, WITHOUT ANY CAUTION WHATSOVER, RUSHED INTO TH HOLY OF HOLIES.
- You can say, "They rushed into a place where angels fear to tread!!"
- There was a precedent that should have taught proper respect for God. (read) Exodus 19:24.
- At this time, (Ex 19:24) God was ready to appear on Mt Sinai to give the Law to Moses.
- Jehovah instructed Moses to put boundaries around the mountain & to charge teh people that they not come up to the moutain. God told Moses (Exodus 19:21-22)
- God's appearence on the mountain was not an occasion for gawking at His presence!
- Exodus 19:12-13) even tells us that if an animal were to touch the mountain he was to be stoned to death.(also see Heb 12:20)
- The all-Holy God was coming down into the presence of the children of Israel, a sinful nation. (This reminds me of Exodus 25:8 where God had just told Israel to bring Him offerings, gold silver, etc WHY, "...so I can "dwell" (tent, skenoo) among them." The Greek word here in the Septuagint for tent or tabernacle is "skenoo" which means "tent or tabernacle." It is something temporary. Guess what Greek word is used in John 1:14 for "dwell"? (SKENOO) Jesus was made flesh and SKENOO'D among us.) For the bible students, the tabernacle was a "type" where God symbolically tented, and the "antitype" of this is the body of Jesus where God tented.. (Heb 10:5)
- God instructed Moses to go down & tell the people not to come up.
- Moses replied "I have already done that."
- God said, "DO IT AGAIN!"
- He did not want any sinful man to walk brazenly into His presence for the purposed of curiosity or for any giddy reason.
- It appearsthat such "forced" presence before God by Nadab & Abihu well defines the resons God "broke out against them."
- Not only were they "UNAUTHORIZED" by their actions, but they also engaged in ceremonies "contrary to His command." (Lev 10:1)
- They offered "strange fire" before the Lord and also in a place where they should NOT HAVE BEEN. (Lev 10:1)
- The Hebrew word for strange comes from the word "zar."
- "Zar" is consistenly used in teh Hebrew language and always means "UNAUTHORZED."
- Normally, the fires thar were to be placed in the censer for the offering of incense, a symbol of prayer, were to be taken from the altar of the burnt offering in the courtyard.
- Also, remember, those fires were lit by Jehovah.
- Those fires were the ONLY fires that were to be used.
- Nadab & Ahihu had obviously gotten fire from some other source.
- In Lev 16:12 it is clear that on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) Aaron was to take the fires from the altar of burnt offering for the purpose of burning incense.
- In Numbers 16:46 during the up\rising of Korah & his company, God opened the earth & swallowed them alive & they went down to death because they dared to go against Aaron, God's anointed priest. There were a number of people who began to die around the Tabenacle. God instructed Moses to separate himself from Korah lest he die.
- Moses commanded Aaron to take fires from the altar fo burnt offering with which to burn incense before Jehovah so that His wrath may be abated.
- In Exodus 30:9 insists that the altar of incense and the fires God demanded be respected. "You shall not offer any strange (ZAR) incense on this altar, or burn offering or meal offering; and yu shall not pour out a libation on it."
- Exodus 30;33 is quite clear: Anyone who blends scented oil lke it or puts any of it on someone who is not a priest will be cut off from the community."
- NO STRANGE INCENCE!! NO STANGE PRIEST! AND NO STRANGE FIRES! Were to be allowed by God.
- God had lit those fires that He intedn\ded as the source of the coals used for burning incense...
- Also, remember THESE ARE THOSE FIRES THAT WERE TO "NEVER GO OUT!" (Lev 6:10-13) (Christian, is your fire burning?)
Nadab & Abihu were wrong to offer incense with fires that God did not authorize. This was the beginning of their sins. It is said, "...they offered fire BEFORE THE LORD." The terminology "before teh Lord" is used in Lev 9:24; 16:1-2 and is clear in its description of what Moses meant when he used this term. SUCH LANGUAGE IMPLIES "BEFORE THE LORD" REFERS TO JEHOVAH'S RESIDENCE IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES!
- Nadab & Abihu must have walked into the Holy of Holies, teh immediate, symbolic presence of God.
- Numbers 3:4 indicates that they had gone into the holy of holies and that they died "..before the Lord."
- The warnings given in Leviticus 16 seem to be based on the tragedy surrounding the case of Nadab & Abihu. Lev 16:1-2 Moses was told to tell Aaron NOT to come whenever he co\hooses into the Most Holy Place... or else he will die.
- Aaron's sons had died for doing that very same thing!
- The wrong time! (Not the Day of Atonement)
- The wrong fire!
- The wrong place!
- The wrong priests!
- The wrong censers (they did not use the anointed censer for the priest)
- They acted on the WRONG AUTHORITY! (they didn't consult Moses or their father, nor did they seek to follow the Word of God, which Moses had received.)
- They acted on the wrong "motive!" (they didn't seek to glorify God)
- They acted with the wrong "energy." (Instead of acting by the Spirit of God, they acted under the influence of wine.) (Eph 5:18)
- The events of Leviticus 10 WERE NOT ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT.
- There ws a veil of separation between the outer court and the Holy Place and another veil of separation betwen the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.
- Those veils were there to keep unauthorized personnel from drawing near to God -- those veils were NOT to be ignored!!
- Those veils were not to be penetrated by anyone who had not been chosen and strictly informed by God about the services they were to render.
- IT IS CLEAR FROM LEVITICUS & HEBREWS THAT THOSE VEILS OF SEPARATION REPRESENTED THE SIN PROBLEM!
- Until the sin had been removed at the cross of Calvary, those veils stood to interdict the entrance of sinful man into the presence of the sinless God.
- When Christ paid the penalty for sin in His death, the veil of separation between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place om tje Jebrew te,[;e was torn in two by Christ.
- When tearing of the veil signaled that He had fully solved the sin problem. PRAISE GOD!!
- However in the case of Nadab & Abihu, the sin problem had NOT been soled yet.
- Their actions seem to completely ignore the reason for which God had designed the veils in the structure of the Tabernacle. There wee two cherubim's woven in the fabric of each curtain of the Tabernacle. The cherubim's were the heavenly avengers of God, those who were the appointed guardians of God's holiness.
- Nadab & Abihu ignored the instruction of God.
- They made up their "own" pattern (tupos?) and began to do as they wanted. (Isn't this what a lot of church groups do today?)
Heb 9:1 affirms this, "Now the first covenant had regulations for WORSHIP AND ALSO AN EARTHLY SANCTUARY."
The word for "regualtions" in the Greek suggests that God's Word carried the force of Law and ordinance relating to legal and judicial decisiions.l Such terminology simply affirms that it was God who established the norms and rituals of worship under the Old Testament system. From this episode in Leviticus 10, it is clear tht he does not well countenance His servants trifling with His ordiances!
YOM KIPPUR -- HIGH PRIEST ONLY ALLOWED IN MOST HOLY PLACE.
As I've already said, on the Day of Atonement the High Priest entered alone into the Holy of Holies.
In Leviticus 16:2 Moses instructed Aaron: "The Lord said to Moses: 'tell your brother Aaron NOT to come whenever he choose into the Most HolyPlace behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover."
The sins of Nadab and Abihu caused God to warn Aaron (Lev 16:2). Aaron could not think that he could jump up and run in the Holy of Holies anytime he chose.
If he were to enter other than at the specified time, HE WOULD DIE, as a fact Nadab & Abihu did. Leviticus 16:17 demanded: "No one is to be in the Tent of Meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel.
God was to appear in the cloud on the mercy seat. That was the place that the Hebrews referred to as the "Shikenah Glory"... the place of glory of devine presence.
Even Aaron was not to enter anytime he chose. These restrictions were built into the strong redemptive typology that will later be amply explained in the Book of Hebrews.
The functions that the High Priest carried out ALONE on the Day of Atonement (described in Leviticus 16) were SYMBOLIC o the fact that Jesus Christ Himself would later accomplish the redemptive processes ALONE!! Jesus accomplished it by Himself.
Tragically, Nadab & Abihu had gone into the Holy of Holies as a committee. Jesus did not have a committee to help Him when He accomplished the fulfillemnt of the typology that was inauguratged for the Day of Atonement.
NADAB & ABIHU WERE QUITE POSSIBLE DRUNK!!
In Leviticus 10:8-9, after they had been buried, Aaron is told by God: "Then the Lord said to Aaron, you and your sons AE NOT TO DRINK WINE OR FERMENTED DRINK whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die."
This is a strong indication that seems to explain why the two sons dided. God didn not want Aaron to commit the same sin that Nadab & Abihu committed. Why woud God interrupt the ceremonies of the day of inauguration jsut to give warnings about drinking wine -- unless it had a relationship to the sins of Nadab & Abihu. There must have been some connection.
Another fact that needs to be looked at, did they drink the drink offering? (wine) Leviticus 10:10 says, "you must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and teh clean..." THE HOLY BELONGS TO GOD.
When the Hebrews brought their "nasik" (the drink offering) it was never intended for a priestly consumption. The Hebrew word "nasik" simply means "that which is poured out at the altar or burnt offering to God."
It is clear that Nadab & Abihu were the WRONG PEOPLE doing the WRONG THING on the WRONG DAY with the WRONG CONDITION OF BEING DRUNK and for the WRONG PUPOSE.
GOD EXPLAINS HIS MOTIVES.
- Certainly God wanted everyone to understand why He intervened in such a dramatic, definite way against the two priests.
- In Leviticus 10:3 God imperatively insisted: "...among those who approach me I will show myself holy..." In other words, those who serve God as priests must treat Him with the respect He deserves. HE IS GOD! He seems to be saying, "I am the Holy God, and I will be treated with tht utmost reverence by those who come near to serve me." MAN DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHAGE THE PATTERNS THAT GOD AHS INAUGURATED!
Aaron was not allowed to mourn the death of his two sons. God told him, "do not let your hair become unkept, and do not ter your clothes, or you will die..." (Lev 10:6)
God's representatives must stand in perfect and total agreement with His actions. Aaron could not take off his turban and cast it down in disgust over God's punishment of his two sons. NO TEMPER TANTRUMS were allowed on Aaron's part.
ONE OTHER RITUAL PERSION PERFORMED THAT DAY BY AARON.
One other ritual violation that took place that day. In Leviticus 10:6 Moes began looking for the body of tghe sin offering. The blook of that sacrifice HAD NOT been taken into the Holy Place for atonement.
It's body therefore, was to be eaten by the priests in the courtyard of the Tabernacle as a festive celebration hosted by God. Th sacrificial animal COULD NOT be found! It had been taken outside the camp and burned! This was a violation of the ritual command giverning the sacrifice. This was against the instructions of God.
MOSES DEMANDS AND EXPLANATION!!
Moses was angry and perhaps afraid. He came to Aaron and said, "why didn't you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord. Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded." (Lev 10:17-18)
AARON'S EXPLANATION.
Aaron explained these words, "today they sancificed their si offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, but such things happened to me. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?" (Lev 10:19)
Aaron felt personally responsible for the sins of his sons, and he fel that God had punished him for his oversight. Aaron seem to feel that God had so recently poured out agains Aaron's house, and it might have been presumptuous for Aaron to assumbe that God would so readily host a celebration meal in Aaron's honor in the Tabernacle.
Aaron seemed to be saying, "maybe tomorrow, yes, maybe next week."
AFTER THE DEATHS OF NADAB AND ABIHU.
- After their deaths, the priesthood continued under Eleazar and Ithamar.
- After the death of Aaron, Moses appointed Eleazar as the new high priest.
- Eleazar served as a close assistant to Moses and later t Joshua (Joshua 14:1-5)
- Ithamr served as a priest under his brother Eleazar. (Num 3:4)
- Eleazar was a high priest for the rest of his life.
- He died and was buried in the land of Israel.
- The High Priesthood continued in Eleazar's line until Eli.
- The line of Ithamar continued serving as priests until the High Priesthood was assumed by Eli. (Eli was descendent of Ithamar)
- The Lord later removed the High Priesthood from Eli's family (due to the sins of his two sons)
- These sons were not removed until King Solomon's time.
- The priesthood was restored to the line of Eleazar. (1 Kings 2:26-27, 35)
Your servant in Messiah, Jesus the Christ,
charlesj
