THE "UNHOLY FIRE" OF NADAB AND ABIHU. LEV. 10-1-11

 THE STORY OF NADAB AND ABIHU IS INTERESTING BOTH BECAUSE OF ITS BREVITY AND BECAUSE OF THE STERNNESS AND UNIQUENESS OF THE JUDGMENT ON THEM.
 AaRON AND HIS SONS HAD JUST BEEN CONSECRATED TO THE PRIESTHOOD; AFTER COMMANDING THAT THE FIRE BE KEPT BURNING CONTINUALLY, GOD HAD CONFIRMED THEIR SACRIFICIAL OFFERING BY KINDLING IT MIRACULOUSLY.  NADAB AND ABIHU, AaRON'S TWO OLDEST SONS, TOOK "STRANGE FIRE' AND MADE AN INCENSE OFFERING TO THE LORD. IMMEDIATELY THEY WERE STRUCK DEAD BY FIRE FROM GOD. MOSES UTTERED A PROPHECY, AND THEN COMMANDED Aaron's RELATIVES TO TAKE THE DEAD BODIES OF NADAB AND ABIHU FROM THE CAMP. AaRON AND HIS TWO REMAINING SONS, WHO WERE ALSO PRIESTS, WERE COMMANDED NOT TO SHOW THE TRADITIONAL SIGNS OF MOURNING (LETTING THEIR HAIR HANG LOOSE AND TEARING THEIR CLOTHES), ALTHOUGH THEIR RELATIVES WERE ALLOWED TO DO SO. GOD THEN GAVE AaRON THREE COMMANDS.
1) NEITHER HE NOR ANY OF HIS PRIESTLY DESCENDANTS WERE TO USE FERMENTED BEVERAGES BEFORE ENTERING THEIR SACRED DUTIES; 2) THEY WERE TO DISTINGUISH  BETWEEN HOLY AND THE COMMON, THE CLEAN AND UNCLEAN; 3) THEY WERE TO TEACH THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE LORD'S STATUTES. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THESE ACTIONS?  ISRAEL HAD JUST COME OUT OF, AND CONTINUED TO BE SURROUNDED BY IDOLATROUS WORSHIP. THERE WAS AN EVER-PRESENT DANGER OF COMBINING THE WORSHIP OF THE TRUE GOD WITH THE PRACTICES OF PAGAN WORSHIP. THIS WAS INAUGURATION  DAY OF Aaron AND HIS SONS AS INITIATORS OF THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD. THEIR ACTIONS WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY BE REGARDED AS PRECEDENTS FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOWED. SIMILARLY, GOD' ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION OF THESE ACTIONS WOULD AFFECT FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS OF THE PRIESTHOOD.  ITSELF AND THE PRIESTLY ACTIVITIES.  FIRE WAS REGARDED AS A DIVINE SYMBOL IN ALMOST ALL ANCIENT RELIGIONS, INCLUDING JUDAISM.  THE UNHOLY AND "STRANGE FIRE" WHICH NADAB AND ABIHU OFFERED IS EXPLAINED AS FIRE WHICH GOD HAD NOT COMMANDED THEM TO OFFER. A SIMILAR EXPRESSION IS FOUND IN EXODUS 30:9, WHERE INCENSE THAT HAD NOT BEEN PREPARED ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTIONS OF THE LORD IS CALLED "STRANGE INCENSE."  FURTHER ANALYSIS OF THE TIME SEQUENCE SUGGESTS THAT NADAB AND ABIHU OFFERED THE INCENSE OFFERING BETWEEN THE SACRIFICIAL MEAL WHICH WAS TO HAVE FOLLOWED IT. i.e., AT A TIME OTHER THAN OTHER THAN THE TIME DESIGNATED FOR AN INCENSE OFFERING BETWEEN THE SACRIFICIAL OFFERING AND THE SACRIFICIAL MEAL WHICH WAS TO HAVE FOLLOWED  IT. i.e., AT A TIME OTHER THAN THE TIME DESIGNATED FOR AN INCENSE OFFERING. THIS INTERPRETATION IS FURTHER BORN OUT BY GOD'S PROPHECY THROUGH MOSES TO AaRON IMMEDIATELY AFTER FIRE HAD CONSUMED NADAB AND ABIHU. "THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SPOKE OF WHEN HE SAID: 'AMONG THOSE WHO APPROACH ME I WILL SHOW MYSELF HOLY IN THE SIGHT OF ALL THE PEOPLE I WILL BE HONORED."  SHORTLY AFTER THIS, GOD SPOKE DIRECTLY TO AaRON, SAYING: " YOU AND YOUR SONS ARE NOT TO DRINK WINE OR OTHER FERMENTED DRINK WHENEVER YOU GO INTO THE TENT OF MEETING, OR YOU WILL DIE. THIS IS A LASTING ORDINANCE FOR THE GENERATIONS TO COME. YOU MUST DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE HOLY AND PROFANE, BETWEEN UNCLEAN AND THE CLEAN." SOME COMMENTATORS HAVE INFERRED FROM THESE VERSES THAT NADAB ABIHU WERE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF INTOXICATING BEVERAGES WHEN THEY OFFERED THE STRANGE FIRE. ALTHOUGH IT IS PROBABLE THAT GOD WAS GIVING COMMANDS RELATED TO THE OFFENSE WHICH HAD JUST BROUGHT JUDGMENT OF DEATH UPON NADAB ABIHU. THE THREE COMMANDS IS CLEAR. GOD HAD CAREFULLY SHOWN THE WAY BY WHICH THE ISRAELITES MIGHT RECEIVE ATONEMENT FOR THEIR SINS AND MAINTAIN A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH HIMSELF.
THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN HOLY AND UNHOLY, CLEAN AND UNCLEAN, HAD BEEN CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED BY GOD TO Aaron AND HIS SONS, WHO HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TEACH THESE THING TO THE PEOPLE. NADAB AND ABIHU, IN ACT OF SELF WILL, HAD SUBSTITUTED THEIR OWN FORM OF WORSHIP,  OBSCURING THE DISTINCTION OF GOD'S COMMANDS, AND THE PROFANE OF MAN'S SELF-INITIATED  RELIGIOUS ACTIONS. HAD NOT THESE ACTIONS BEEN QUICKLY REBUKED, MIGHT EASILY HAVE LED TO THE ASSIMILATION OF ALL KINDS OF PAGAN PRACTICES. LESSON 2. SHOWS THAT RECONCILIATION WITH GOD DEPENDS ON THE GRACE OF GOD, NOT ON MAN'S SELF-WILLED AND SELF INITIATED PRACTICES. NADAB AND ABIHU ATTEMPTED TO ADD SOMETHING TO GOD'S MEANS OF RECONCILIATION. AS SUCH THEY STAND AS AN EXAMPLE TO ALL PEOPLE AND ALL RELIGIONS THAT SUBSTITUTE THEIR OWN ACTIONS FOR GOD'S GRACE AS A MEANS OF RECONCILIATION AND SALVATION. GOD IS THE INITIATOR OF HIS MERCY AND GRACE IN THE DIVINE- HUMAN RELATIONSHIP: WE ARE THE RESPONDENTS  TO THAT GRACE. BELIEVERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN POSITION OF LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE BELIEVING COMMUNITY. WE DON'T WANT TO END UP BECAUSE OF OUR BEHAVIOR, LIKE IN THE CASE OF NADAB AND ABIHU.