1. Aaron, High Priest in Israel Class #6 Nadab and Abihu

2. So Where are we… From our Last Class. –We looked at the incident of the Golden Calf that Aaron made for the Children of Israel. –Aaron showed a weakness in his character, bowing to the will of the people. –He seems to be easily move from the true and correct path when confronted with pressure. –He seems to have sought to politic his way through the problem with disastrous out come. –But in all of this Aaron and the Levites are spared by the Grace and Mercy of Yahweh. –These events I believed served to carve Aaron’s character into the High Priest in Israel that he was to become.

3. Punon Jericho Aaron’s Timeline

4. Setting the Stage Lev.1 – 7 The main altar offerings detailed. Lev.8 – 9 The consecration of the Priesthood. Lev.10 The very first day of the operation of the Priesthood – Nadab and Abihu are killed by God for offering strange fire. This was a sad day for Israel and I would suggest to you that this was Aaron’s ‘Road to Damascus’ It was a pivotal event in Aaron walk to the Kingdom of God!

5. Setting the Stage The question that I think we need to ask ourselves before we look at Lev.10 in much detail, is why did they offer strange fire? In Vs.9 – Aaron and his sons are told not to drink wine or strong drink. We will come back to this but I think that there might be more to this or perhaps added to intoxicating drink…

6. Setting the Stage You will remember the events that have lead up to this point that Aaron and his sons were witnesses to. Let’s just review some of these manifestation of glory that Nadab and Abihu had in their recent past, that they had witnessed.

7. Setting the Stage Nadab and Abihu would surely have heard of the account where Moses discovers the bush that burned and was not consumed. I believe this happen in the valley between Mount Horeb and Mount Sinai. Virtually the same place that these next events are to unfold. Moses witnesses the manifestation of glory characterized by fire and wonder.

8. Setting the Stage Exo.19, 20 the Verbal giving of the Law of Moses. The Covenant is given to Moses The people accept the terms of the Covenant The people are instructed to sanctify themselves. The People tremble and are awe-inspired by the glory of Yahweh.

9. Setting the Stage Exo.19:16,17 –“16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. –17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.”

10. Setting the Stage Exo.20:1 –“And God spake all these words, saying…” –Moses and Aaron as instructed had moved to base of Mount Horeb still on the plan with the cliff rising some 1,500 ft. nearly straight up. –Next to them were the rest of the Priests and then the People. –This event also was characterized with lighting, smoke and thunder.

11. Setting the Stage Exo.24 – Confirmation of the Covenant In Vs.1, note who is here and part of the proceedure. –Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and 70 Elders of Israel. In Vs.9-11 again these people are enumerated as being there and part of the event. Nadab and Abihu had broken Bread and drank Wine in fellowship with God.

12. Setting the Stage The event is characterized by the glory of Yahweh. Exo.24:10,11 –“And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.” Visions of wonder and majesty of God and they were not harmed in any way.

13. Setting the Stage Exo.28:1,2 –“And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.” The rest of the chapter details Aaron’s garments or the High Priest garments. But his sons including Nadab and Abihu were to minister before Yahweh as Priests.

14. Setting the Stage Lev.9:22-24 –22 And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings. –23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. –24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. Here again we see fire coming down to consume the sacrifice at the inauguration of the Priesthood.

15. Setting the Stage So now if we come back to Lev.10:8-11 This prohibition against wine and strong drink seems to come out of the blue. No where in the record are we told that Nadab and Abihu had be drinking prior to offering the strange fire. Contextually it follows that they had consumed the drink. At any rate the prohibition is recorded here and I would suggest to you that they had been drinking.

16. Setting the Stage Alcohol will impair our normal judgement. It will allow us to do and say things that we would never allow to happen. It allows our inner thoughts to come to the surface when those same thoughts should be kept to ourselves. It dulls the senses to our environment around us.

17. Setting the Stage Nadab and Abihu in all likelihood were in the forties yet they were not married. There is a rabbinical teaching that says Nadab and Abihu never married because they could not find a woman in Israel, worthy of marriage to them! So perhaps Nadab and Abihu, were thinking that they had seen Moses go before God and now their father Aaron – Why shouldn’t they also come before God and be prominent in the worship and draw near to God. I think they walked towards the tabernacle with every intention of entering in to offer incense to God personally! If Moses can do it, and Aaron can do it, why cannot we be involved as well? Pride I think was the motivating principle in action here – Nadab and Abihu wanted some of the glory of the priesthood and took it upon themselves to do something about it.

18. Setting the Stage I would suggest that in the case of Nadab and Abihu the drink awakened or brought to the surface their true characters. It fired their desire to be as Moses and Aaron. They sought for glory but not to show glory to the Father. They died because of it. So with these thoughts we come to the story…

19. The Transgression… Lev.10:1 Begins with “And…” “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.”

20. Setting the Stage Lev.10:1 Begins with “And…” “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.” Our intention in these classes is to see and understand Aaron a little better. By realizing the trials and pressures that Aaron went through, we can learn from his mistakes and follow his correct decisions. So here we have the two eldest sons of Aaron acting on their own direction.

21. The Transgression… Lev.10:1 Begins with “And…” “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.” We are not told where Aaron is at this point but he does not seem to be far away because immediately after the death of his sons Moses is talking to Aaron in Vs.3 – “Then Moses said unto Aaron…”

22. The Transgression… Lev.10:1 Begins with “And…” “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.” Four things happen very quickly: 1.Each took their own censer. 2.Each put fire in the censer. 3.Each put incense in the censer. 4.Their intention was to offering before the LORD.

23. The Transgression… Alfred Edersheim writes in ‘Bible History Old Testament’ –‘But Nadab and Abihu were not allowed to accomplish their purpose. The same fire, which a little ago had consumed the accepted sacrifice, (Lev.9:24) now struck them, "and they died before Jehovah," that is, in front of His dwelling-place, most probably in the court (cp. Lev.1:5), just as they were about to enter the Holy Place. –Thus, on the very day of their consecration to the priesthood, did the oldest sons of Aaron perish, because they had not sanctified the Lord in their hearts, but had offered Him a worship of their own devising, instead of that holy incense consumed by fire from off the altar, which symbolized prayer, offered up on the ground of accepted sacrifice.’

24. The Judgement… Lev.10:2 “And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.”

25. The Judgement… Lev.10:2 “And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” The same fire that consumed the sacrifices on the altar, now destroyed those two rebellious sons of Aaron. Yahweh is a Destroyer or a Protector – He re-acts to our actions towards Him.

26. “And they died before Yahweh” They perished at the very door of the Tabernacle, as rejected worshippers. The Judgement…

27. HP writes in the Expositor… “When that Fire consumes a sacrifice, it converts it into sweet smelling savour; but other wise, it consumes to destroy. All saints will be affected by that Fire one way or the other. How better to give oneself unto Yahweh as did Aaron’s younger sons; than to be destroyed of Him, as were his older sons. The fact that the latter were destroyed to make way for the former, perhaps typed the truth that a new order of priests was to supplant that of the Aaronic order.” The Judgement…

28. Yahweh will be Sanctified Lev.10:3 “Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.”

29. Yahweh will be Sanctified Lev.10:3 “Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.” In the hush and horror that followed the tragedy. It should have showed to any thinking man or woman the limitations of the Aaronic priests. Heb.8:6 “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises”

30. Yahweh will be Sanctified Lev.10:3 “Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.” Roth. “…The very thing, that Yahweh spake, saying…” Moses had previously been given warning of what would happen is such a case – Exo.19:22

31. Yahweh will be Sanctified Lev.10:3 “Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.” Yahweh will be sanctified either by obedience or punishment. Where greater privileges are granted, there is greater responsibility to carry out His requirements.

32. Yahweh will be Sanctified Lev.10:3 “Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.” He is sanctified when, in the example of the priests, they observed meticulous obedience to His details. He is sanctified by the punishment that is meted out for disobedience.

33. Yahweh will be Sanctified Lev.10:3 “Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.” Aaron though deeply effected, he recognised the justice of the divine punishment. As a faithful man, Aaron accepted God’s action as right.

34. Yahweh will be Sanctified Lev.10:3 “Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.” The Hebrew word for held his peace means dumb. As Roth. “And Aaron, was dumb.” John Gill wrote: “Aaron was pricked in his heart, as the Septuagint, quite amazed, thunderstruck, as we say; he was silent, said not one word against what was done; murmured not at the providence, nor complained of any severity, but was patient under the hand of God, and resigned to his will; and since God was sanctified and glorified, he was contented.”

35. Yahweh will be Sanctified Lev.10:4, 5 Moses has the charred bodies of Nadab and Abihu removed from before the Tabernacle. Their brothers were not able to do this because they were ministering priests, therefore their cousins did. Interesting that it says that they were carried out in their coats as if the fire had not touched their clothes.

36. Yahweh will be Sanctified Lev.10:6-7 “Then said Moses unto Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons––Your heads, ye may not bare and, your garments, ye shall not rend, so shall ye not die, neither, against all the assembly, will he be wroth,––but let, your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the consuming fire wherewith Yahweh hath consumed. But, from the entrance of the tent of meeting, shall ye not go forth, lest ye die, for, the anointing oil of Yahweh, is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.”

37. Yahweh will be Sanctified Lev.10:6-7 “Then said Moses unto Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons––Your heads, ye may not bare and, your garments, ye shall not rend, so shall ye not die, neither, against all the assembly, will he be wroth,––but let, your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the consuming fire wherewith Yahweh hath consumed. But, from the entrance of the tent of meeting, shall ye not go forth, lest ye die, for, the anointing oil of Yahweh, is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.” So Aaron, Eleazer and Ithamar were not to mourn in any way the deaths of Nadab and Abihu. Because they had already been anointed for a service, that service had to be completed first. ‘And the did according to the word of Moses.’

38. Life goes on… In Lev.10:8-11 we have recorded the prohibition against the priests drinking wine or strong drink. Vs.10 points out that drinking clouds the mind, the priest needed to be able to tell the difference from holy and unholy, between clean and unclean. Our belief and faith must be governed by our intellect, which must be clear to discern the good from the bad.

39. Life goes on… In Lev.10:12-15 they seem to just go on with the proceedings. Aaron and his two sons were to eat their portions of the offerings that had thus far been offered. The blood also was to be taken into the holy place. Moses instructs them of these procedures.

40. Life goes on… In Lev.10:16-20 The ideal is that the work of the priesthood shall proceed in spite of circumstances. Aaron’s loss of his two eldest sons made it impossible for him to complete his duties. Through the weakness of flesh, God extends his mercy and grace to Aaron and his two remaining sons and overlooks their failure.

41. Aaron Fails… Lev.10:16-17 “16 And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying, 17 Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? 18 Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.”

42. Aaron Fails… Lev.10:16-17 “16 And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying, 17 Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? 18 Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.” The Goat of the Sin Offering was the portion that was to be eaten by the priests, Lev.6:26.

43. Aaron Fails… Lev.10:16-17 “16 And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying, 17 Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? 18 Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.” The Hebrew for ‘burnt’ means to utterly consume. Aaron’s sons had put all the sacrifice on the altar. This incident shows the weakness of the Aaronic priesthood. It also looks forward to need for the perfect sacrifice of the Lord.

44. Aaron Fails… Lev.10:16-17 “16 And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying, 17 Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? 18 Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.” Moses is angry with the remaining two sons of Aaron because they had not done as they were commanded. It is interesting that the record points out that these two sons ‘were left alive’ Punishment could also have been death.

45. Aaron Fails… Lev.10:16-17 “16 And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying, 17 Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? 18 Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.” In Vs.17, 18 Moses is deeply concerned that the priests duties had not be completed. The priests work was like Christ’s to act as a mediator between God and man. So if their role in the sacrifices were not done as prescribe then the people were not atoned for.

46. Aaron Fails… Lev.10:16-17 “16 And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying, 17 Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? 18 Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.” The weakness of the Law was demonstrated by the Law itself. It was as if there was no contingency plan. What if the priest’s didn’t do their job?

47. Aaron Fails… Lev.10:19, 20 “19 And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD? 20 And when Moses heard that, he was content.”

48. Aaron Fails… Lev.10:19, 20 “19 And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD? 20 And when Moses heard that, he was content.” This seems to be a new Aaron that now speaks. He assumes responsibility for the actions of his sons.

49. Aaron Fails… Lev.10:19, 20 “19 And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD? 20 And when Moses heard that, he was content.” Aaron points out to Moses that his sons had not ignored the requirements of God. They had indeed offered the Sin and the Burnt Offerings.

50. Aaron Fails… Lev.10:19, 20 “19 And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD? 20 And when Moses heard that, he was content.” Aaron also reminds Moses of the terrible tragedy in his family that had only just occurred.

51. Aaron Fails… Lev.10:19, 20 “19 And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD? 20 And when Moses heard that, he was content.” Aaron says to Moses in light of all that had just happened to him. He asks a rhetorical question of Moses – If he had eaten the sacrifice with his mind overcome with grief and confusion – Would the offering be accepted. The letter of the Law had been broken, but God Who knew the situation and His own feelings would overlook it. He suggests that because God is also a Father he would understand his point, Psa.103:13, 14.

52. Aaron Fails… Lev.10:19, 20 “19 And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD? 20 And when Moses heard that, he was content.” Moses knew that what Aaron had just pointed out was reasonable. Moses understood the limitations of the Law and he looked forward to a High Priest that would not fail. Meanwhile, the failure of the priests that day illustrated the truth of Paul’s words: in Rom.8:3 Therefore the Law acted as a schoolmaster leading us to Christ in Gal.3:24.

53. In Summary As we build the details of Aaron’s character event by event and bit by bit, be begin to understand the failures and responsibilities fulfilled. Aaron’s character changes from this point on – he becomes more assertive, he takes on the role of the High Priest in Israel. Aaron from now on has his sights set on the Kingdom and looking to the High Priest to come.