ON THIS PAGE
Emphasis Mine In Bible Verses
Aaron, Israel's First High Priest
Eleazar and Ithamar - Aaron's Youngest Sons
Nadab and Abihu - Aaron's Oldest Two Sons
And Their Rise and Fall
Law of Silence
Three Other Common Theories
Fire is Fire
Wrong Incense?
Entering The Holy of Holies
The Holiness of God
The Kindness of God
The Letter of the Law Vs. The Spirit of The Law
Aaron, Israel's First High Priest
The Book of Exodus tells us that Aaron - Moses' brother and Israel's first High Priest - was born to Amram (Levi's grandson) and Jochebed whom the English version says was his father's sister (Note: In regard to this relationship there are two factors to consider - the true meaning of the word sister may be uncertain and the prohibition against certain sexual relations was only given later in Leviticus 18:12). Regardless, Jochebed bore three children - Miriam, Aaron, then Moses - about three years later. The Bible tells us that Aaron married Elisheba, who bore him four sons - Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. (Exodus 6:23)
Acting in tandem with his brother Moses, Aaron played a crucial part in the freeing of the nation from slavery in Egypt. Although Moses was the one chosen to confront the Pharaoh and lead the nation out of slavery, Moses was slow of speech so God sent his elder brother Aaron with him to do the talking for Moses. He was, as it were, Moses' 'mouth' convincing the elders of Israel that the Lord had seen the affliction of the people and was going to do something about it (Exodus 4:27-31).
After three chapters detailing the construction of the Tabernacles, Exodus 28:1 has the Lord telling Moses to bring his brother Aaron and his sons near to him so they could minister as priests to Him which was when the Aaronic Priesthood was officially instituted. The importance of the office of High Priest is exemplified by the fact that the garments were (with the exception of gold) made of the same materials as the the veil of the tabernacle and the curtain that covered the entrance of the tent. See Exodus 25:4, Exodus 26:1,31, 36, etc.
Additionally, when in Exodus 19:22-24 the nation was camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai God called Moses to the summit. Although the Lord warned that although neither the people nor the priests were allowed up on the mountain Aaron could accompany Moses.
Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.” But Moses said to the LORD, "The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, for You solemnly warned us, ‘Put a boundary around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’” And the LORD replied, "Go down and bring Aaron with you. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the LORD, or He will break out against them.” (Exodus 19:22-24 BSB)
Exodus 29 records the ceremony by which Aaron and his sons were consecrated as priests to the Lord. After the sacrifices were made and the men anointed, Aaron and his sons were commanded to stay at "the doorway of the tent of meeting for seven days" because their ordination would take that long. At the end of the week Moses' brother and nephews became the go-between between God and the people - an unimaginably great responsibility.
(Unfortunately, in spite of his large role in the events leading up to the Exodus and the fact that he and his sons were chosen to be priests to the Lord, when Moses was again summoned up to the mountain to be given the tablets of stone, with the law and commandments. During Moses' prolonged absence of forty days and forty nights on Mount Sinai, Aaron yielded to the pressure of the people and used their jewelry to make a golden calf that he told them was the god who had delivered them from Egypt. The fact that Aaron didn't appear to suffer any punishment for his role in the making of the golden calf has quite a few people confused. See Footnote I)
Sadly, it didn't take long for things to go terribly wrong in this privileged family. While it is was a tragedy of huge proportions we need to understand why the older sons Nadab and Abihu were struck dead by God Himself. Also why the two younger brothers, Eleazar and Ithamar (and possibly Aaron as well) who knowingly did not comply with one of God's commandments were not even seen as guilty, much less struck down. Much to the contrary, God blessed their lives and the lives of their descendants.
Two perished, two prospered!
This inconsistency has deeply troubled theologians for a very long time.
Eleazar and Ithamar - Aaron's Youngest Sons
Since neither Nadab and Abihu Aaron's two eldest sone had any children (Numbers 3:4) the priestly line continued through Eleazar and Ithamar. Eleazar in particular boasted some illustrious descendants.
Eleazar:
Eleazar was Aaron's third son. As the oldest surviving son, he was "the chief of the leaders of Levi", who oversaw those who carried out the duties of the sanctuary, (Numbers 3:32). Additionally he was responsible for "...the oil for the light and the fragrant incense and the continual grain offering and the anointing oil - the responsibility of all the tabernacle and of all that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings." (Numbers 4:16 NASB)
Eleazar also became High Priest after Aaron's death. (Numbers 20:23-29; Deuteronomy 10:6), and it was in his presence that Moses commissioned Joshua as the new leader of the nation (Numbers 27:18-23). After entering the promised land, it was Eleazar, Joshua, and the heads of the households who apportioned the land to the tribes as their inheritance (Joshua 14:1 NASB).
Eleazar's son Phinehas (Exodus 6:25) eventually took over as High Priest (Joshua 24:33). Phinehas had a long and distinguished career. As it would take a dedicated page to list all his achievements.. It is well worthwhile to look up his name in a good Bible dictionary..
The scribe Ezra was also one of Aaron's descendant via Eleazar and Phinehas (Ezra 7:1-5). His importance cannot be overstated. Ezra led a second wave of exiles back from Babylon a year after the completion of the Second Temple by Jews who had returned to Israel after their exile in Babylon. More about Ezra in Footnote II
Ithamar:
We do not know much about Ithamar Aaron’s youngest son, besides the fact that he was the treasurer of the offerings for the tabernacle (Exodus 38:21). He was also the father of the priestly line to which Eli, a Jewish priest in the days of the judges belonged. While Eli Himself seemed to be a righteous man, he did not take steps to stop his two sons from desecrating the temple. As a result God told Eli in 1 Samuel 2, that the priesthood would depart from his house. This happened about a century later when king Solomon dismissed Eli's descendant Abiathar from being priest (1 Kings 2:26-27). However, Ithamar's lineage continued through a man named Daniel who was one of the many who returned from the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 8:2)
Nadab and Abihu - Aaron's Eldest Two Sons
Their Rise...
Not only were Nadab and Abihu from 'good stock' as it were, but they seemed to have been in an especially privileged position with benefits and experiences that few in the history of mankind can ever imagine. They were witnesses to all the miracles God used to bring about the Exodus They felt the mountain quake and saw thunder, lightning, and smoke ascend as from a furnace when the Lord descended on Mt. Sinai. And, to top it all, they literally heard the voice of God.
And that is far from all.
At one point in time when the nation of Israel was encamped at the foot of Mt. Sinai, the Lord told Moses to
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD - you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders - and you are to worship at a distance. (Exodus 24:1 BSB)
Nadab and Abihu were not only singled out by name to go up on the mountain, but they were listed as being among "the nobles of the sons of Israel" who saw the God of Israel and ate and drank in His presence.
Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. But God did not lay His hand on the nobles of Israel; they saw Him, and they ate and drank. (Exodus 24:9-11 BSB)
For much more about this ‘pavement of sapphire'
See Part VI (No More Sea?) of What and Where is Heaven?
Additionally, one of them most certainly would been High Priest after Aaron..
Note: Many will go to great lengths to explain how 'seeing God' doesn't really mean seeing God. However, in the Old Testament a rather long list of people claimed that they had 'seen' God including Abraham, Jacob, Moses, the afore mentioned 74 Elders, and the prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Even the little known prophet Micaiah gave his seeing the Lord as his credentials for being a true prophet. The problem actually has a very simple solution. See Has Anyone Ever Seen God?
And Their Fall
Unfortunately, neither of these two men lived up to their position or potential. Nadab and Abihu came to a rather a sudden and grisly death at the hands of the Father. Leviticus 9:24 describes how fire from the Lord consumed the burnt offering, but the very next verse describes fire from heaven consuming the two priests. Leviticus 10:1 offers us a very brief account of what happened
Now Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and 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 in the presence of the LORD. (Leviticus 10:1-2 BSB)
It seems reasonable to assume that the "strange fire" the brothers offered was on the altar of incense. This altar two cubits high made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold, stood outside the veil in the holy place (not in the Holy of Holies). As its name suggests the altar was reserved for fragrant incense that Aaron was to burn on this altar twice every day when he trimmed the lamps - thus there was to be perpetual incense before the Lord.
Since both Nadab and Abihu were put to death for the same offense, there obviously had to have been some sort of collusion between them. The swift extermination of two men who were not only priests, but Aaron's sons, must have sent shock waves through the entire camp, convincing the Israelis that the priesthood had to be one of the most dangerous jobs on earth.
But what exactly did they do wrong? Leviticus 10 says they "offered strange fire before the Lord". Although no one can possibly know what exactly the "strange fire" was, theories abound.
"Law of Silence"
Many believers hold that the fate that befell these two men to be a strict warning against any kind of innovation during worship. Just as God did not tolerate the two men doing something that He had not specifically commanded, He would take an equally dim view of us introducing some kind of "strange fire" that He has not specifically commanded.
People click their tongues when, according to them, someone does something that supposedly falls under the very broad heading of "strange fire" including not keeping the Sabbath, using certain (or all) musical instruments, coming late to service (you read that right) etc. etc. etc. As said by the late Al Maxey,
If I had a dollar for every time those who promote patternism have resurrected Nadab and Abihu to bear witness to the deadly consequences of "innovations" in worship, I could have retired years ago. "Remember Nadab and Abihu!" has been the mantra of rigid religiosity for generations. Those who oppose eating a meal in the church building will quickly cry out, "Remember Nadab and Abihu!"
If the teens clap during a song in the "worship assembly" they will need to be reminded of two sons of Aaron "on fire for the Lord." If we support an orphan out of the "treasury," or use more than one cup in the Lord's Supper, or employ four part harmony in our singing, or any one of a thousand other "insidious innovations," we are quickly warned that we tread the same path as Abihu and his brother Nadab. [01]
Remember that God was never even remotely hesitant on matters relating to the Temple and its rituals. In fact, He was so clear about how, when, where, why, and by whom the rituals were to be carried out that if the priests made any substitutions at all they were actually violating very clearly expressed directions.
However, none of the conditions that existed when Nadab and Abihu were put to death are ever going to be repeated. There aren't nor will there ever be altars devoted to different purposes, specially made incense, coals of fire etc. Specific instructions regarding New Testament church meetings were never given us. What we have to go on is the pattern of the meetings that the first century apostles undoubtably designed for churches to follow.
Nonetheless virtually everything connected with our method of 'doing church' does not adhere to the New Testament pattern in the slightest. In the first place the meeting were non-liturgical which means they did not follow a prescribed format, but were flexible to allow the Spirit of God to move through the meeting, stirring different members to participate in various ways.
The specially built, often very fancy and extremely expensive brick and mortar buildings
The non-participatory and completely passive 'services' is a modern innovation that would have had 1st century Christians scratching their heads.
The 'clergy' as a body of ordained religious practitioners did not exist in the New Testament, neither did priests.
In fact, by first century standards, modern entire church services would be very strange fire indeed.
See The Church ...Then And Now
The church has drifted so far from the original blueprint that there is little resemblance between modern and first century practices. What happened to the pattern that the apostles designed for churches to follow?
Leviticus 10:1-2 does tell us that Nadab and Abihu "offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. Something Nadab and Abihu did was in direct violation of very specific instruction issued by the Lord doing - something He had explicitly told them not to do.
What was it?
Apart from the "Law of Silence" hypothesis there are ...
Three Other Common Theories.
1) Fire is Fire
Nadab and Abihu, possibly thinking that all fire is the same did not fill their fire pans with coals from the altar of burnt offering (on which the fire was always burning) then added the incense.
However, the only time filling one's fire pan with coals from this altar is mentioned is when Aaron was instructed to follow this procedure on Yom Kippur in chapter 16. These instructions were only issued after Nadab and Abihu met their fate recorded in chapter 10. Nothing is said about taking coals of fire from this altar at any other time.
Then he must take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense, and take them inside the veil. (Leviticus 16:12 BSB)
However, if Nadab and Abihu wished to fill their fire pans with live coals, there couldn't have been any source closer that the perpetually burning fire on the altar of burnt offerings. Why would they leave the Temple premises to go find coals somewhere else when there were some so close at hand.
It simply doesn't make sense.
2) Wrong Incense?
One possibility is that Nadab and Abihu did not use the incense that was especially made for the Lord. This incense was considered holy and, at the risk of being cut off from the people, no one could make it in the same proportions (equal parts of specific spices) for other uses. (Exodus 30:34-38)
Again I have to wonder about this. Since a special incense was kept perpetually burning before the Lord, there had to be a large supply close at hand. Did Nadab and Abihu bring their own incense with them or...?
3) Entering The Holy of Holies
The account in Leviticus 10 states that Nadab and Abihu "took their respective fire pans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them".
The words "before the Lord" is sometimes taken to mean that the brothers entered, or attempted to enter, the Holy of Holies with their fire pans of incense - something that was strictly forbidden. The Lord had made it abundantly clear that only Aaron as High Priest could enter into the Most Holy Place of the temple into His presence - and that only once a year on Yom Kippur to atone for the sins of the nation.
See The The Seven Feasts of Israel
Leviticus 16 is a description of what Aaron was required to do on the Day of Atonement (You Kippur). The most complete description of the Jewish feasts is found in Leviticus 23. Verses 26-32 outlines all the Feasts of Israel and how the people were to keep them.
Each of the feasts had both a historic and prophetic significance inasmuch as they celebrated a historical event in Israel's past, but also prophesied future events - four of which have already come to pass. It is important to note that the Feasts were given by God in a set chronological order, therefore the events that they symbolize will take place in the same exact order.
I have read way too many interpretations of the Feasts that jump backwards and forwards between them in an effort to make them fit into pre-conceived end time scenarios. What we need to do is make the order of the Feasts our guideline to coming events, instead of scrambling them to fit our ideas.
However, I see no evidence for this restriction until Leviticus 16 - that is six chapters after Nadab and Abihu were killed.
Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of two of Aaron’s sons when they approached the presence of the LORD. And the LORD said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron not to enter freely into the Most Holy Place behind the veil in front of the mercy seat on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat. (Leviticus 16:1-2 BSB)
Unless I have completely overlooked some crucial detail, I doubt we can be sure of what it was that the two brothers actually did or precisely what the Bible meant when it said "strange fire"
The Holiness of God
Although one cannot positively rule out and or even all three of the above theories, at least one does not seem to fit into the time line and the first two seem to defy common sense.
The question then arises as to whether God overreacted - as some claim. But since that would contradict everything we know of our God perhaps we should examine one other possibility - the brothers infraction was just a little more complicated than disobeying a single command. What is certain is that Nadab and Abihu showed an astounding lack of reverence and respect for the Lord - the holy Creator of the universe.
Therefore the far more pertinent question is why did these two men, born into such a privileged position, do whatever it was they did? Having witnessed the miracles in Egypt and the amazing display of God's presence on Mt. Sinai, both brothers had first hand knowledge of the might and grandeur of the Lord. Additionally, they had to have been thoroughly familiar with all His laws, and well acquainted with everything the Lord had instructed regarding the do's and don't of Temple ritual and worship.
Why did they pay the ultimate price?
A very strong clue is to be found in what the Lord told Aaron immediately after Nadab and Abihu's bodies were carried to the outside of the camp (by Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel) away from the front of the sanctuary. (Leviticus 10:4-5)
You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink when you enter the Tent of Meeting, or else you will die; this is a permanent statute for the generations to come. You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean, so that you may teach the Israelites all the statutes that the LORD has given them through Moses.” (Leviticus 10:8-11 BSB)
Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not let your hair become disheveled and do not tear your garments, or else you will die, and the LORD will be angry with the whole congregation. But your brothers, the whole house of Israel, may mourn on account of the fire that the LORD has ignited. You shall not go outside the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, or you will die, for the LORD's anointing oil is on you.” So they did as Moses instructed.
There is absolutely no question that the Lord was issuing a dire warning to Aaron and his other two sons that the consumption of any form of alcohol prior to entering into the Tent of meeting would not be tolerated. He made it very clear that any priest who entered the tabernacle under the influence would die.
Which makes it entirely possible (probably even) that the brothers, perhaps having partaken just a bit too freely of the drink offering, were under the influence of strong drink at the time. To put it bluntly - it is very likely that they were drunk! - their judgment impaired enough that they failed to make the "distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean".
One should however note that the Lord never once forbade the drinking of wine, but warned against over imbibing. Aaron and his sons were not banned from ever consuming alcohol, but rather were told not to drink when coming into the tent of meeting!
See The Bible and Alcohol
Christians, it seems, have an incredible ability to invent rules and regulations.
It's endemic to human nature - a modern, unvarnished form of Pharisaism.
The injunction to not be "addicted" to wine was repeated several times in the New Testament..
An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. (1 Timothy 3:2-3 NASB)
Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, (1 Timothy 3:8 NASB)
For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, (Titus 1:7 NASB)
The Kindness of God
But let's return for a moment to Eleazar and Ithamar - Aaron's two younger sons.
While what happened to Nadab and Abihu was a lesson on not disrespecting nor disobeying God, what happened to Eleazar and Ithamar was an example of God's understanding. After Nadab and Abihu died Moses' next instruction to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar must have been particularly hard to take.
Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not let your hair become disheveled and do not tear your garments, or else you will die, and the LORD will be angry with the whole congregation. But your brothers, the whole house of Israel, may mourn on account of the fire that the LORD has ignited. You shall not go outside the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, or you will die, for the LORD’s anointing oil is on you.” So they did as Moses instructed. (Leviticus 10:6-7 BSB)
In other words, they were not to display any visible signs of mourning over what had just happened. The people could mourn the transgression of their priests which had resulted in such a terrifying and intimidating display of God's wrath, but God's representatives, the high priest and priests, were NOT to show any sign of disapproval of God's action (mourning might have been interpreted as criticism).
Indeed, Moses informed them that they are not even to go out of the doorway of the tent of meeting. In other words, they were to carry on with their duties within the tabernacle, finishing the offerings unto God that had been initiated, but which had been interrupted by the incident that had just occurred." [02]
The Grain and Wave Offering
In Leviticus 9:7 Moses told Aaron to approach the altar and sacrifice his sin offering and his burnt offering to make atonement for himself and for the people. Then to sacrifice the people's offering to make atonement for them as the Lord had commanded which Aaron did.
He presented the burnt offering and offered it according to the ordinance. Next he presented the grain offering some of which was to be offer up in smoke on the altar beside the burnt offering of the morning. (Leviticus 9:16-17)
They were then told what to do with the offering of the ox and ram. Some parts of the animals were offered in smoke (the burnt offering) but...
"... the breasts and the right thigh Aaron presented as a wave offering before the Lord, just as Moses had commanded." (Vs. 21)..
As Leviticus 2:10 says, the grain offering left over from being burned was the priest's share and was to be eaten without leaven beside the altar.
But the remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the LORD.
The breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering were also the priest's portions of the sacrifice that could be eaten in any clean place.
After Nadab and Abihu's bodies were removed from the sanctuary in Leviticus 10, Moses reiterated his instructions probably because, in view of their terrible loss, it was not improbable that Aaron and the other two sons would have overlooked something.
However, there was a problem. They were told to...
... eat it in a holy place, because it is your share and your son's share of the offerings made by fire to the LORD; for this is what I have been commanded. (Leviticus 10:13)
For some reason, Moses looked for the meat left over from the sin offering and found it - not in the remnants of a meal eaten by the priests (which it should have been) but in the ashes on the altar. In clear violation of a specific instruction, Eleazar and Ithamar did not eat the meat, but burned it on the altar. Moses furiously confronted his nephews as to why they also had disobeyed God's instructions.
Why didn't you eat the sin offering in the holy place? For it is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the congregation by making atonement for them before the LORD. Since its blood was not brought inside the holy place, you should have eaten it in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.” (Leviticus 10:17-18 BSB)
One can very well imagine the tension of the moment when it seemed all too possible that Aaron's two surviving sons and, possibly, Aaron himself might also be struck down. Not only had they declined to exercise the privileges of the priest hood, but had intentionally violated specific instructions. It would not be much of an exaggeration to say that the very future of the Aaronic priesthood hung in the balance.
Aaron's reply to Moses was brief and obviously heartfelt. He asked whether, in view of the tragedy that had befallen his family, could it could be good in the sight of the Lord for him to eat the sin offering as the Lord had commanded.
But Aaron replied to Moses, “Behold, this very day they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD. Since these things have happened to me, if I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been acceptable in the sight of the LORD?” (Leviticus 10:19 BSB)
Certainly, their actions were not normal, but then again it was no normal day.
Aaron's explanation "seemed good" in Moses' sight (Vs. 20 NASB) - he certainly seeming to sympathize with his deeply afflicted brother and was "satisfied". Even the Lord who knew the situation, took no notice of the irregularity and did not seem to be at all upset.
Why not?
The difference lay in the attitude of the heart between the two sets of brothers.
In spite of the shock of Nadab and Abihu's sudden and horrific deaths, Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar continued to fulfill their responsibilities. Although it must have been horribly difficult to not display any visible sign of grief (which could have been understood as displeasure at God's actions), they had to have been heart broken. That they managed to continue with all their other duties showed great dedication to and great reverence for God, but who can eat when heart sick?
The Letter of the Law Vs. The Spirit of The Law
There was a different dynamic at work that day - The letter of the law took second place to the spirit of the law. In fact, there is more than one instance in Scripture when the legitimate needs of God's people superseded rules.
When the hungry disciples began to pick and eat the heads of grain as they were walking through the fields one Sabbath, the Pharisees accused them of being unlawful. Jesus' reply?
Jesus replied, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for them to eat, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are innocent? But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. (Matthew 12:3-6 BSB)
When people's hearts were right the Lord did not even condemn an imperfect observation of the Passover. In 2 Chronicles 30 we are told of the time when king Hezekiah invited all Israel and Judah to come to Jerusalem and hold a Passover to the Lord. The letter urged the people not to be so stubborn (stiff-necked) but to return to the Lord who would not turn His face away from them if they did so.
Written invitations went out, passing from city to city through the coasts of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Zebulun. However, although the gesture was largely mocked in Israel, "some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem."
The people of Judah, removed the altars in Jerusalem and cast them into a brook, consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the Lord. However, there were many in the crowd from from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, that had not purified themselves,
... yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah interceded for them, saying, "May the LORD, who is good, provide atonement for everyone who sets his heart on seeking God - the LORD, the God of his fathers - even if he is not cleansed according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.” And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people. The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy, and the Levites and priests praised the LORD day after day, accompanied by loud instruments of praise to the LORD. (2 Chronicles 30:18-21 BSB)
Leviticus 10 is a clear example of God judging men by their hearts, rather than their strict adherence to every detail of the ritual. And, when He did so, two were punished but the transgression of the other two was overlooked.
The ultimate lesson is I believe that no one can come into the Father's presence on their own terms. But just as Nadab and Abihu's brazenness (or sheer stupidity) cost them their lives, so too will it cost the lives of those that do not think they have to treat the Creator of this universe with not only the honor and respect that is due him, but are obedient to His commands regardless of how many rituals they participate in.
Footnote I
Aaron was used mightily of God in so many ways. He was Moses' right hand in the events leading up to the Exodus (Exodus 4:27-31) and was the first High Priest of Israel. Along with Moses he interceded for the people in Numbers 16:22 but, at the same time, he was involved in the golden calf disaster and, along with their sister Miriam, challenged Moses' sole authority (Numbers 12:1-16).
The fact that Aaron didn't appear to suffer any punishment for his role in the making of the golden calf is quite confusing. Some believe that God was playing favorites - others that the high priests were above the law.
Neither is true. There are several factors to take into consideration.
When Moses descended from the mountain and saw what was going on, he stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. (Exodus 32:26 NASB).
As one of the sons of Levi, Aaron must has been among those who repented.
However, the primary reason that Aaron was not destroyed was because of Moses' quite literally saved his skin. When, many years later, Moses reminded the Israelites of the incident, he said,
Then I fell down before the LORD for forty days and forty nights, as I had done the first time. I did not eat bread or drink water because of all the sin you had committed in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD and provoking Him to anger. For I was afraid of the anger and wrath that the LORD had directed against you, enough to destroy you. But the LORD listened to me this time as well. The LORD was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him, but at that time I also prayed for Aaron. (Deuteronomy 9:18-20 BSB)
While the Lord may not have destroyed Aaron at that time, I believe he paid in many ways including seeing two of his sons struck dead by the Lord. Additionally, like Moses, he never did see the promised land. He might have been the first High Priest, but he was not exempt from the decree that his generation would perish in the wilderness.
And at Mount Hor, near the border of the land of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land that I have given the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah. Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor. Remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and will die there.” (Numbers 20:23-26 BSB)
God used many flawed humans in very important roles. Rahab was a harlot, Jacob swindled his brother, Moses waffled at the burning bush, David's lust led to murder. Mary Magdalene was once a demon-possessed woman but became the first to see the resurrected Christ. And let us not forget that the disciples squabbled amongst themselves and fell asleep in the garden of Gethsemane.
What what all of them had in common was an enormous faith and trust in the Lord of the universe as result of which they went from being nobodies and sinners to the giants of the Bible. [PLACE IN TEXT]
Footnote II - Ezra
The first wave of returnees, including Zerubbabel and Nehemiah (Ezra 2:1-2) built the altar on its original foundation and offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord. They also laid the foundation of the temple itself (Ezra 3). The problem was that they had apparently forgotten (or were ignoring) the Lord's repeated commands not to intermarry with the pagan nations around them and thus fall into unacceptable ways. Because the people were taking spouses from a laundry list of nations, including the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites (Ezra 9) they were no longer separate from the abominations of these nations.
When Ezra discovered this he was so shocked and appalled that he tore his garments and pulled the hair out of his head and beard and fell on his knees in a long and agonized prayer (Read Ezra 9). But as "a scribe skilled in the law of Moses" (Ezra 7:6), it fell to him to teach the Lord's "statutes and ordinances in Israel" (Ezra 7:10). Finally the people confessed that they had transgressed greatly and covenanted with God to do as Ezra instructed, i.e. separate themselves from the peoples of the land and their foreign wives - which they did over a period of time (Read Ezra 9-10).
Without a return to all the laws of Moses, the rebuilt temple would have been just another building, and Jerusalem just another walled city. Additionally, Daniel's prophecy that specified EXACTLY when the Messiah would appear is connected with Ezra's return to Jerusalem. See THIS page (Scroll Down)
End Notes
[01] Al Maxey. Eleazar and Ithamar - An In-Depth Reflective Analysis. Reflections - Issue #270 - October 18, 2006. http://www.zianet.com/maxey/reflx270.htm
[02] ibid.
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