Leviticus 10

Leviticus 10:1

The glory of this chapter is as God an interruption to the institutions of the devotional laws, as that of the golden calf was to the account of the erecting of the tabernacle. Here is, 1. The sin and death of Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, ver. 1a. 2. 2. The quieting of Aaron under this fore affliction, ver. 3. 3. Orders given and observed about the funeral, and mourning, ver. 4—7. 4. A command to the priests not to drink wine when they went in to minister, ver. 8—11. 5. The care Moses took that they should go on with their work, notwithstanding this conflict, ver. 12—20.

1. AND Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censor, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 2. And there went out fire from before the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

2. God who prescribes his own worship, will be it observed, or execute exemplary judgment on the disobedient; or which we have an awful instance in the punishment of Nadab and Abihu.

3. Their sin was offering strange incense; not that which God prescribed, nor in the way, nor at the time he commanded. They seem to have been proud of their new offers, and to have to run before God called them; not without suspicion that they had drunk too freely in their feasts, and thus rushed, in their iniquity, into the presence of the Lord. A drunkard priest is a monster indeed.

4. Their punishment; immediate death, in the very act of their rebellion. So God stops sometimes the mouth of the profane with the lie and the oath half uttered, and lets the drunkard fall into eternal death. Fire from the Lord devoured them; not burnt up their bodies, but flew them, like lightning, without fingering even their garments. Thus damned sinners, tormented with fire from the presence of the Lord, continue consuming, yet unconsumed, in everlasting burnings.

5. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, ‘I will be sanctified in them that come night out, and before all the people I will be glorified: and Aaron held his peace. 4. And Moses called, ‘Mithad and Elzaphah, the sons of ‘Uzziel, the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary, out of the camp. 5. So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said. 6. And Moses said

unto Aaron, and unto Eleazer, and unto Ishamar his sons, ‘Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes, lest you die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, be bewall the burning which the LORD hath kindled. 7. And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest you die; for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you: and they did according to the word of Moses.

Leviticus 10:3-7

An awful stroke this, which must spread a terror around, and particularly affect Aaron and his family. But Moses beheld the justice of the judgment, and therefore takes the proper means to prevent any interruption in the present solemnity.

1. He endeavours to suggest arguments of resignation to Aaron, from the justice of the sentence, and the glory of God therein manifested. God had before often admonished them of being holy in their approaches to him; and if they will not glorify him by obedience to his will, he must glorify himself by some exemplary stroke, for a warning to others. Note, (1.) God’s word will surely be fulfilled; and it becomes us to acquiesce in it, however nearly concerned therein. (2.) They who draw near to God, must remember what a holy God they have to do with, that they may approach him with reverence and godly fear. (3.) When sinners, especially wicked ministers, rob him of his glory, by their impiety and profaneness, he will sometimes make them fearful monuments of his holy vengeance.

2. Aaron held his peace. Deeply touched as he was with the death of his sons, he acknowledged the justice of God, and if He was glorified, dared not complain. Note, (1.) When God corrects us, it becomes us to be dumb, and not to open our mouths. We must always own, we have less than our iniquities deserve. (2.) If our children are wicked, and God breaks forth upon them, parental tenderness must be swallowed up in approbation of the Divine holiness.

3. Moses commands the bodies to be removed. Aaron and his sons might not touch them, least they be defiled: their other near relations therefore take them up, and carry them without the camp, and bury them in their cloaths. Thus God gave the host a solemn warning: if he began at his own priests, surely no other transgressions may hope to go unpunished. It were greatly to be wished, that our burying-places, like theirs, were farther removed from our churches. It seems both dishonourable to the house of God, and cannot but be hurtful to the living, to make the place of worship the receptacle of dead corpses.

4. Aaron and his sons are forbid to shew any token of mourning, on penalty of death, least they should bring down wrath on all the people. They were now no longer their own, the holy anointing oil was upon them, and therefore all private regards must give way to their present relation to God. Note, (1.) They who would serve the Lord without disreaction, must forget their worldly cares and sorrows, when they appear before him. (2.) To rejoice at God’s judgments, is to rebel against his government. (3.) The visitations of God upon others, should begin in our hearts holy jealously for ourselves, not to provoke the like. (4.) The grace of God will restrain all immoderate grief: they who know God doth all things right, will kiss the rod.

5. Though Aaron might not mourn, the people must. That fire that was kindled, might have burnt much farther than these. They might see herein the mercy of God, who had spared them, notwithstanding their own deserts; and this would lead them to grieve for their past provocations, whilst they beheld what a fearful thing it was to fall in the hands of that God, who is such a consuming fire. Judgments on others are blessings to us, when they lead us to deeper mourning over our own sins.

6. And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, 9. Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: It shall be a stature for ever throughout your generations. 10. And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy; and between unclean and clean: 11. And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.

Leviticus 10:8-11

Aaron now being consecrated high priest, God immediately adderlies his commands to him. Wine and strong drink are forbidden the priests, whenever they go to minister in holy things, for then they needed clear heads, as well as clean hearts, that they might rightly distinguish between holy and unholy, and their transgressions in threatened to be death: perhaps their brethren owed their sin and suffering to this. Note, (1.) Drunkenness is highly criminal in all, but it is in ministers

doubly

Babes Chord doubly infusions. (2.) Intemperance is often attended with sudden death. (3.) It is ampicious they should teach the proper sobriety, whose practice gives a lie to their preaching.

12. And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar, and unto Ithamar his sons that were left, ‘Take the meat-offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it ‘with leaves: ‘beside the altar; for ‘it is most holy. 13. And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sons due of the sacrifices of the LORD made by fire: for ’to I am commanded. 14. And ’the wave-breath, and heave-broulder shall ye eat in a clean place, thou and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they be thy due, and thy sons due, which are given out of the sacrifice of peace-offerings of the children of Israel. 15. ‘The heave-broulder, and the wave-breath shall they bring, with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave-offering before the LORD, and it shall be thine, and thy sons with thee, by a frarute for ever, as the LORD hath commanded. 16. And Moses diligently fought ’the goat of the sin-offering, and behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron, which were left alive, saying, 17. Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin-offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? 18. Behold, the blood of it was not brought in, within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place as I commanded. 19. And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, ’this day have they offered their sin-offering, and their burnt-offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin-offering to-day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD? 20. And when Moses heard that, he was content.

Leviticus 10:12-20

The service must proceed, though the breach was so bad. The remaining priests must learn greater caution, and since they are spared, use greater diligence. v. Moses repeats the former directions concerning the offerings that were to be eaten before the Lord, and those that were to be eaten at home at their houses. Mistakes of ignorance are dangerous, though not so deadly as presumptuous sins. 2. An error committed in the sin-offering, v. 16, they had burnt the whole without the camp, though the blood had not been brought into the holy place, contrary to the injunction, they, vs. 26. 3. Moses acquires concerning it, and is angry with Aaron and his sons. Holy zeal in God’s cause, is laudable: but though we condemn, we should hear what may be alludged in mitigation of the offender. 4. Aaron’s excuse: he pleads his affliction, vs. 19, and how could he exalt with faith a mourning heart? He submitted as an Israelite, but he felt as a father. Note, (1.) We are not forbidden to feel, though we are forbidden to find fault with God’s dealings. (2.) Worldly foremen are often great interruptions to our holy duties: the bitter remembrance breaks in, and discompotes us. 5. Moses is fortified with the plea: either he thought the matter justified by Aaron’s circumstances, or that as his intention was to please God in what he did, the Lord would pardon his infirmity. Jesus our high-priest, is a gracious matter, and is tenderly touched with the feeling of our infirmities.