The lesson being taught in
the fate of Aaron’s two sons is that the only worship God will accept is
what is impelled by the Holy Spirit, and presented according to divine
order. Everything else is an abomination to Him, and will merit His curse
rather than His blessing. “... according to divine order” includes, not
only the content of what we offer, but also the time of presentation. For
example, what the Holy Spirit may reveal to a brother during the Lord’s
Supper, may be very suitable as an expression of worship, but not
necessarily at that particular time. It is therefore incumbent upon every
brother at the Lord’s table to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy
Spirit, both as to the content of what he feels led to say, and the time
when he says it.
It is scarcely necessary
to say that what passes in Christendom for worship is a travesty lacking
scriptural authority for either content or mode of presentation.
10:1. “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.”
Nadab, Aaron’s firstborn,
means the willing one; and Abihu, his brother, means my father is
he. A principle that runs through scripture is that the firstborn is
always rejected in favor of the secondborn, e.g., Cain was rejected in favor
of Abel; Esau in favor of Jacob; Reuben in favor of Joseph; Manasseh in
favor of Ephraim ... Saul, Israel’s first king was rejected in favor of
David; and the first man Adam was rejected in favor of Christ, the last
Adam. The lesson God would teach us in this is that the firstborn
represents what we are by natural birth; the second what we become by being
born again spiritually, and apart from which we cannot enter the kingdom of
heaven, as it is written, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see (enter)
the kingdom of God,” John 3:3.
The meaning of Nadab’s
name the willing one suggests what experience shows to be also true
of the natural man, i.e., the man who hasn’t been born again: he is willing
to do almost anything to fit himself for heaven, except confess himself a
sinner, and trust in Christ as his Savior.
His brother Abihu meaning
my father is he, points to yet another characteristic of the natural
man. He will claim that God is his spiritual Father because he thinks that
religion, good works, etc., establish that relationship, not knowing that
that bond is forged only by the new spiritual birth.
Each of these men took his
censer (a vessel in which incense is burned), and filled it with burning
coals, on top of which he placed incense, this ritual being symbolic of
worship in the OT age. But God calls the fire “strange,” because it came
from a source other than the altar on which He Himself had kindled the fire
by sending it down from heaven, see 9:24, and commanding that it never be
allowed to go out, see 6:12-13, that fire being a symbol of the Holy Spirit,
its continuous burning being symbolic of His eternal existence, He alone
being the One who is to indite our worship, everything else being simply
what is impelled by the energy of the flesh, and which is therefore an
abomination to God.
“... which he commanded
them not,” means not that He had distinctly forbidden them to do this, but
that He had not commanded them to do it. There is a salutary lesson in
this. The fact that God hasn’t forbidden us to do something, should never
be construed as His tacit permission to do it. We should be very careful
about doing anything without having a clear “Thus saith the Lord” as our
authority for acting.
What these two men did is
typological of what some do today at the Lord’s supper: they pray audibly,
read Scripture aloud, or request the company to join in singing a hymn, when
it is obvious to spiritual believers that they are simply acting in the
energy of the flesh, their participation marring rather than enriching the
worship. And while God doesn’t strike them dead, He will judge their
conduct at the Bema or at the Great White Throne depending on whether they
are genuine believers or mere professors.
10:2. “And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured
them, and they died before the Lord.”
“... devoured” here means,
not that their bodies were destroyed, but that they were killed, possibly by
the equivalent of a stroke of lightning.
In that distant day God’s
response to sin was often dramatically swift and deadly; and because it
isn’t so today we may not assume that He is indifferent: He isn’t. It is
simply that in consonance with the character of this age of grace, He has
chosen to extend the period of probation, but judgment is no less certain
than in those earlier ages: He will just as surely judge sin.
There is solemn warning
connected with the fact that these two who were slain were of the priestly
order, both of them being Aaron’s sons. Whether they were believers is open
to question, but only the naive will believe that everyone today who
professes to be a Christian is one, hence the need of care in receiving into
the fellowship of the local church all who seek reception. Elders should be
satisfied that the applicant’s profession of faith has the ring of truth to
it, and that his life confirms his verbal profession.
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 Lord’s being
sanctified in those who approach Him means that by their reverential posture
His sacredness and glory will be declared. He is unique: He is above and
distinct from all others. The disobedience of Nadab and Abihu in taking the
fire from a source other than the altar, declared symbolically that they
considered their own method of worship to be just as good as that ordained
by God, and thus they denigrated Him.
A fact frequently
forgotten is that God will eventually be glorified just as much by His
destruction of the unbeliever as by His salvation of the saint.
Even though his heart was
broken by the terrible consequences of his sons’ rebellion, Aaron “held his
peace,” i.e., he voiced no complaint, for he recognized that God was
justified in slaying them. His silence rebukes the tendency in many of us
to complain sometimes, verbally or in our hearts, against some aspect of
God’s will for our lives, instead of resting on the assurance that, “All
things [even seeming adversity] work together for good to those who love
God,” Romans 8:28.
10:4. “And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of
Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your
brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.”
Mishael means who is
what God is?; Elzaphan my God is hider; and Uzziel my strength
is God, the meanings of their names indicating that all three were godly
men, whose privilege it was to remove from the sanctuary and from the camp
these dead bodies which were defiling both places. The NT counterpart of
this is recorded in 1 Corinthians 5:13 relative to the expulsion from the
local church of those whose conduct defiles it, “Therefore put away from
among yourselves that wicked person.”
10:5. “So they went near, and carried them in their coats
out of the camp; as Moses had said.”
“... coats” is literally
tunics or priestly linen robes, which had marked them as men
separated unto the service of God, but which now, defiled by the sin of the
wearers, must also be removed from the camp of Israel.
Keeping in mind that
garments are types of our lives as seen by men, it behooves us, as royal
priests, to “... walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming
the time, because the days are evil,” Ephesians 5:15-16, being careful to
preserve our “coats” from being stained by sin, which would interrupt our
communion with God, and mar our testimony to men.
10:6. “And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto
Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest
ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the
whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord hath kindled.”
The uncovering of the
head, dishevelling of the hair, tearing of their garments, were all
demonstrations of grief or mourning. Aaron and his sons Eleazar, meaning
God is helper; and Ithamar, palm-coast, brothers of those whom
God had just slain, were forbidden to exhibit any sign of sorrow, for to
have done so would have been to imply disapproval of God’s act, and would
have incited His further judgment upon them and upon the whole congregation.
All the people however,
were to bewail the deaths of the two offenders, their mourning being not
only an expression of grief
at these two deaths, but
also the demonstration of their repentant sorrow for the sin that had
provoked God’s anger.
10:7. “And ye shall not go out from the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the
Lord is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.”
Their period of ministry
had not yet been completed, hence God’s forbidding them to leave the
tabernacle precincts. They had been anointed with the holy oil for the
prescribed period of their service, and to have left before the completion
of that time would have been rebellion against God, for it would have
implied that His work was of secondary importance. His forbidding them to
leave the tabernacle before their tour of duty was complete is the OT
foreshadowing of the truth declared in Luke 9:62, “No man, having put his
hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Scripture offers no hint
that God has ever called anyone to anything less than lifelong service; nor
does it furnish any authority for what is becoming increasingly popular:
short term stints of so-called missionary work by young people during summer
vacation time. They could be doing exactly the same work in their hometowns
without incurring substantial travel expenses in going to a foreign country
where they don’t even speak the language. I would suggest that their time
would be better spent in distributing tracts in their own neighborhoods; but
I find that many of these same young people have never spoken a word in the
Gospel, or handed a tract, to their own family members or neighbors.
Of further very
questionable character is the fact that some of the organizers of these
schemes and teams draw very substantial salaries. One such organization, in
fact, is reported to have assests in excess of six million dollars!
10:8. “And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying,”
10:9. “Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy
sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye
die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:”
Some have understood this
command to indicate that Nadab and Abihu may have been drunk when they
violated God’s command relative to the fire to be used in connection with
the offerings.
Concerning wine it is
written that it, “makes glad the heart of man,” Psalm 104:15, but experience
teaches that it induces a fleshly, rather than a spiritual joy, which is
frequently the product of impaired thinking. The spiritual counterpart of
this proscription relates to our conduct at the Lord’s Supper. Everything
said and done at that meeting is to be at the impulse of the Holy Spirit,
the activity of the flesh having absolutely no place there. Our service
likewise is to be under His control, for the intrusion of the flesh into
that realm will hinder rather than help.
10:10. “And that ye may put difference between holy and
unholy, and between unclean and clean;”
“... unholy” is also
rendered profane, secular, and doesn’t necessarily imply that it is
inherently bad, but that its legitimacy in everyday affairs doesn’t
automatically make it suitable in relation to spiritual things. How much
this warning is needed today is evidenced by the extent to which the methods
of the business world have been adapted to the spiritual realm, with
disastrous results, e.g., gospel campaigns employing entertainment
strategies that appeal to the emotions, rather than the consciences of the
audience, with the result that there are many professions of conversion
which prove in a very short time to have been false.
“... between unclean and
clean” goes further than does the need to distinguish between what is holy
and what is unholy, for to be unclean, in the present context, is
literally to be morally contaminated, foul.
10:11. “And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the
statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.”
As Aaron was to teach the
children of Israel all that the Lord revealed to him, so are we responsible
to share with others, believers and unbelievers alike, what God reveals to
us from Scripture.
10:12. “And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and
unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat (meal) offering that
remaineth of the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and eat it without
leaven beside the altar: for it is most holy:”
This translates into
instruction to believers (spiritual priests) to nourish our souls on the
written Word, represented here by the meal; and its being associated with
the fire, symbol of the Holy Spirit, reminds us that that same Word can be
our spiritual food only as an unquenched and ungrieved Holy Spirit
enlightens our understanding as we read.
Their being commanded to
eat it without leaven, symbol of sin, warns of the need to walk in holiness
before God; while the command to eat it beside the altar which speaks of
sacrifice, and in the present context of service, teaches the further lesson
that if we would be acceptable to God as instruments of service, we must
nourish our souls with His Word. This is the OT foreshadowing of what is
written in Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable
unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
10:13. “And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is
thy due, and thy sons’ due, of the sacrifices of the Lord made by fire: for
so I am commanded.”
Their being required to
eat it in the holy place translates into the truth that if the written Word
is to be our spiritual food we must read, study, and meditate upon it in a
quiet place, with the distractions of the world shut out.
10:14. “And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat
in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they
be thy due, and thy sons’ due, which are given out of the sacrifices of
peace offerings of the children of Israel.”
Its being their due, i.e.,
their divinely appointed portion, assures us that He has made the same
provision for us: the written Word is our spiritual food, without which we
will lack the ability to walk obediently, or to render any acceptable
service. Nor should we fail to note that this is not an option: it is a
command. To neglect the daily reading of Scripture is more than careless
neglect: it is disobedience.
“... out of the ... peace
offerings” reminds us that obedience and peace are inseparable, as it is
written, “Be careful for nothing ... And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,”
Philippians 4:6-7.
To wave an offering was to
extend it horizontally towards the altar; and to heave it was to lift it up
vertically towards heaven; but since the breast is scripturally synonymous
with love; and the shoulder with power and strength, the lesson being taught
here is that we need God’s love on our own human level in order to enjoy His
peace; but His power and strength in order to render acceptable service.
“... shall ye eat in a
clean place” continues to emphasize the need of having a quiet place where
we can read and study His Word, without the distractions of the defiling
world.
Since the male speaks of
activity of the will; and the female, of passivity, the mention of sons and
daughters teaches the truth that there is need for both the activity and the
submissivness of our wills to be exercised in submission to His will.
“... out of the sacrifices
of peace offerings” teaches the further truth that obedience is the
foundation of our peace with God.
10:15. “The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they
bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave
offering before the Lord; and it shall be thine, and thy sons’ with thee, by
a statute for ever; as the Lord hath commanded.”
The linking together of
the shoulder and the breast as a wave offering, with the fire of the burning
fat which speaks of the worth of the Lord’s sacrifice to the Father, teaches
the truth that our work, of which the shoulder speaks, and our worship, of
which the breast speaks, have eternal value in God’s sight, His appreciation
of both being demonstrated by His reward that will be given to each believer
at the Bema. Their being burnt on the burning fat tells us that apart from
the Lord’s sacrifice of Himself to redeem our souls, we could neither
worship nor serve God.
10:16. “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,”
10:17. “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?”
10:18. “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.”
God had commanded in 6:30
that if the blood of the sin offering was brought into the holy place, the
carcase was to be burned; otherwise it was to be eaten, 6:26. Since in this
instance the blood had not been brought into the holy place, the animal
should have been eaten.
Eating is the symbolic
expression of every believer’s satisfaction with the sacrifice of Christ
which has made complete atonement for all our sins. Aaron and his sons
however, instead of eating it, had presented it as a burnt offering, their
disobedience kindling Moses’ anger and impelling his demand for an
explanation, because what they had done was typologically to present worship
without having first presented the blood for the expiation of their sins. It
was the spiritual equivalent of an unbeliever’s attempting to worship.
10:19. “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?”
The only explanation Aaron
could offer for this breach of the proper order was that he had been so
overcome with sorrow at the death of his two sons, that to have eaten the
sin offering would have been hypocritical, for while, as high priest he must
approve
God’s having slain them,
as their father he could not help being overcome with grief at their deaths.
10:20. “And when Moses heard that, he was content.”
Moses’ acceptance of the
explanation was the equivalent of God’s also having accepted it, for Moses
was His representative; and in his (Moses’) willingness to pardon the breach
of proper order in this instance, we see the heart of God revealed, as it is
written, “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted (tested,
tried) above that ye are able ....” 1 Corinthians 10:13; “For we have not
an high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,
but was in all points tempted (tested, tried) like as we are, yet without
sin,” Hebrews 4:15.