Leviticus 10:1-11 - Honoring God appropriately

It was a happy day. This was the first time the service to the Lord was conducted after the consecration of the Tabernacle as well as the priests. In the middle of the ceremony, Aaron’s two older sons, Nadab and Abihu were struck dead by the Lord. Verse  1 said, “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.”  They did not follow proper protocol and offered strange fire to the Lord, something God had not instructed. We are told that “Fire from the presence came and consumed them.” They died instantly. Why did the two of them do what they did? We are not specifically told. Perhaps the instruction God gave to Aaron in verses 9-10 that provides the hint. God told Aaron saying, “Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die—it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations— and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean, and so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.” They were told that they must remain sober for two reasons: firstly so that they would be able to distinguish between what’s holy and what’s profane. This would be something one could not do under the influence of strong drink. Secondly, so that they would be in a proper frame of mind to instruct the children of Israel. Again, if they were under the influence of strong drink, this would be impossible to do.

Moses next instructed Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, to remove the dead bodies. Aaron and his remaining sons who were alive were told not to do it, Why? They were serving the Lord and to touch the dead would render them unholy. God would not allow that. So, we read that Aaron did not utter a word.  God was the priority no matter what had happened. In serving the Lord, respect for God must be shown at all times. Strict adherence to what is instructed must be observed. To deviate from His instruction renders one liable to discipline. There is no substitute for obedience when it comes to showing honour to God. The privilege of coming before the Lord demands that we act in accordance with His instruction. This passage leads us to what Peter called the believers to do: to remain sober-minded for the purpose of prayer. We must not allow our mind to be needlessly intoxicated by our problems till we are not able to rightly appraise the holiness of God. Let us have a full possession of our mental faculty when we come before God. Anything less would be dishonoring.