FRAMEWORKS:
Leviticus 10 :
Two Priests Get It Wrong
v.1,2
The Death of Nadab and Abihu
v.3-5
Moses gives instructions (1)
v.6,7
Moses gives instructions (2)
v.8-11
The Lord instructs Aaron
v.12-15
Moses gives instructions (3)
v.16-20
The priests only partially obey
v.1,2
The Death of Nadab and Abihu
v.1
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.
v.2
So
fire came out from the presence of the Lord
and consumed
them, and they died before the Lord
.
[Notes:
Bizarrely the sinfulness of mankind is revealed yet
again (as it is throughout Israel's history) as two of Aaron's
sons go burning incense without authority. They are casual about
their holy calling – and are destroyed for it. Again and again
throughout the history of Israel, God has to step in with limited
judgments to preserve this nation in their calling. At this all-important
and significant time in their early history, as God is establishing
them as a holy people, they have to learn that they should listen
to God when again and again He has said He is holy and now they
are to appear holy, and that means they are to demonstrate being
a people in close harmony with God and obedient to all He says.]
v.3-5
Moses gives instructions (1)
v.3
Moses
then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord
spoke of when
he said: “‘Among those who approach me
I will be proved
holy; in the sight of all the people
I will be honored.'”
Aaron remained silent.
v.4
Moses
summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, and
said to them, “Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp,
away from the front of the sanctuary.”
v.5
So
they came and carried them, still in their tunics, outside the
camp, as Moses ordered.
[Notes:
Moses rebukes Aaron (who has already once failed badly
with the golden calf). He reminds him that God is holy and is
to be honoured as such. Aaron has no defence and remains silent.
Moses has the two corpses carried outside the camp (presumably
to be buried) for they are a disgrace.]
v.6,7
Moses gives instructions (2)
v.6
Then
Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar,
“Do not let your hair become unkempt and do not tear your clothes,
or you will die and the Lord
will be angry
with the whole community. But your relatives, all the Israelites,
may mourn for those the Lord
has destroyed
by fire.
v.7
Do
not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or you will die,
because the Lord
's anointing
oil is on you.” So they did as Moses said.
[Notes:
Moses challenges Aaron and his other two sons and reminds
them that they are representatives of God and may not therefore
show any signs of grief for these two foolish sons who have taken
the Lord's name in vain.]
v.8-11
The Lord instructs Aaron
v.8
Then
the Lord
said to Aaron,
v.9
“You
and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever
you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting
ordinance for the generations to come,
v.10 so
that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between
the unclean and the clean,
v.11
and
so you can teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord
has given
them through Moses.”
[Notes:
The Lord then speaks directly to Aaron, clarifying his
calling [his sons have not disqualified him!] that requires he
and his sons to be holy and therefore dare not consume alcohol
lest they lose control and present a bad testimony. They are to
convey the distinction between holy and common, right and wrong,
and are to take the responsibility of teaching the people (future
generations) the Law given to Moses.]
v.12-15
Moses gives instructions (3)
v.12
Moses
said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take
the grain offering left over from the food offerings
prepared without yeast and presented to the Lord
and eat it
beside the altar, for it is most holy.
v.13
Eat
it in the sanctuary area, because it is your share and your sons'
share of the food offerings presented to the Lord;
for so I have been commanded.
v.14
But
you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast that was
waved and the thigh that was presented. Eat them in a ceremonially
clean place; they have been given to you and your children as
your share of the Israelites' fellowship offerings.
v.15
The
thigh that was presented and the breast that was waved must be
brought with the fat portions of the food offerings, to be waved
before the Lord
as a wave
offering. This will be the perpetual share for you and
your children, as the Lord
has commanded.”
[Notes:
Moses instructs Aaron and his sons to eat the remaining
grain offering as required.]
v.16-20
The priests only partially obey
v.16
When
Moses inquired about the goat of the sin offering and found that
it had been burned up, he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar,
Aaron's remaining sons, and asked,
v.17
“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
.
v.18
Since
its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten
the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.”
v.19
Aaron
replied to Moses, “Today they sacrificed their sin offering and
their burnt offering before the Lord , but such things as this
have happened to me. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had
eaten the sin offering today?”
v.20
When
Moses heard this, he was satisfied.
[Notes:
Aaron should have eaten some of the goat but whether
because of his grief over his sons or of contrition, sense of
unworthiness, or of shame, he simply burns it up on the altar.
Moses accepts his explanation.]