Introduction

Two sons of Aaron decide to worship God in their own way.

Verses
1Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them.
2Fire came out from before the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
3Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke of, saying,
‘I will show myself holy to those who come near me,
and before all the people I will be glorified.’ ”
Aaron held his peace.
4Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Draw near, carry your brothers from before the sanctuary out of the camp.”
5So they came near, and carried them in their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.
6Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, “Don’t let the hair of your heads go loose, and don’t tear your clothes, so that you don’t die, and so that he will not be angry with all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD has kindled.
7You shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die; for the anointing oil of the LORD is on you.” They did according to the word of Moses.
8Then The LORD said to Aaron,
9“You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.
10You are to make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean.
11You are to teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them by Moses.”
12Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons who were left, “Take the meal offering that remains of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without yeast beside the altar; for it is most holy;
13and you shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your portion, and your sons’ portion, of the offerings of the LORD made by fire; for so I am commanded.
14The waved breast and the heaved thigh you shall eat in a clean place, you, and your sons, and your daughters with you: for they are given as your portion, and your sons’ portion, out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the children of Israel.
15The heaved thigh and the waved breast they shall bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD. It shall be yours, and your sons’ with you, as a portion forever, as the LORD has commanded.”
16Moses diligently enquired about the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt. He was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying,
17“Why haven’t you eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is most holy, and he has given it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?
18Behold, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly should have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.”
19Aaron spoke to Moses, “Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things as these have happened to me. If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been pleasing in the LORD’s sight?”
20When Moses heard that, it was pleasing in his sight.

Questions

1. What did Nadab and Abihu do that was wrong?

v 1 Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them.

2. What were the priests told not to do before entering the Tent of Meeting?

v 9 You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting ...

3. What two specific types of meat were the priests and their families given to eat in a holy place?

v 14 The waved breast and the heaved thigh you shall eat in a clean place, you, and your sons, and your daughters with you: for they are given as your portion, and your sons’ portion, out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the children of Israel.

Summary Points

  • v 1 to 3 Nadab and Abihu are killed making an offering different from what God asked
  • v 4 to 7 Their corpses are removed from the sanctuary. Aaron and his sons are told not to let their hair go loose or tear their clothes and to stay in the Tent of Meeting
  • v 8 to 11 God forbids them to have wine or strong drink before they enter the Tent of Meeting. They must distinguish between holy and common things
  • v 12 to 15 Moses gives Aaron and his surviving sons regulations about eating of the sacrifices:
    • what remains of the meal offering is to be eaten by Aaron and his sons beside the altar (v 12 and 13)
    • the waved breast and heaved thigh are to be eaten by them and their families in a clean place (v 14 and 15)

  • v 16 to 20 Moses is angry that Aaron and his sons haven't eaten their portion of the goat of the sin offering. Moses accepts Aaron's explanation that it would have been wrong after all that had just happened

    Timeline 1500 BC

Audio