Leviticus 10:16–20
The Bible4Jesus.com Podcast
About this episode
We come now to the smoldering aftermath of a terrible event. The tabernacle, God's newly-commissioned house, has just been inaugurated. Nadab and Abihu, the two eldest sons of Aaron, in a fit of what was likely wine-fueled presumption, offer unauthorized fire before the Lord. And fire comes out from the Lord and consumes them. His holiness is not a metaphor; it is a consuming fire. And when men forget this, when they treat worship as a platform for their own clever innovations or casual whims, the results are catastrophic. Aaron is commanded to be silent in his grief. It is in this context of shock, grief, and holy terror that our text unfolds. A dispute breaks out between Moses and Aaron over a point of liturgical procedure. On any other day, this might seem like a minor detail of the sacrificial code.