Do you remember how the Book of Exodus ended?

“Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was NOT ABLE TO ENTER into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Exodus 40:34-35, Moses was NOT able to enter into the Tent/Tabernacle!

And, best I can tell … no one else enters that Holy Place, until the Leviticus 9-10 Pericope/Block of Scripture. Until we are a third of the way through Leviticus! (Actually 37% to be exact.)

Leviticus chapters 1-7, in review, tell us the “Law of the Offerings.” With God Almighty himself speaking! But Moses is nowhere said to be “in” the Tabernacle as he receives this Legislation! These Rites include a lot of BLOOD being shed!

Then Leviticus chapters 8-9, in review, record the sanctification or consecration, dedication of the Priests … so that they can (at some point) enter the Tabernacle and serve the Lord, representing the people of Israel.

Then finally, in Leviticus 9:22, after all these chapters of detailed Preparation … “And Moses and Aaron WENT INTO THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people.”

Wow!

A third of the Pentateuch’s central Book (Leviticus) … dedicated to getting man back into the Presence of God! Back into Harmony, Fellowship, Communion! (Where he was in the first place, back in Eden, prior to his ill advised sin!)

But what about Leviticus chapter 10? The Lesson Title says it is also included in this review. That’s where two men … in an unauthorized fashion … try to gain entrance into the Presence of God! Nadab and Abihu … “strange fire!” Intrusion based on human will, not God’s Will! And they died for that grave error!

Wow!

It took BLOODSHED.

And it took a DEDICATED PRIESTHOOD!

Both to get us back into the auspices of God’s Amazing Grace! To this degree anyway … “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day” … God coming down to fellowship with His creation, with Adam and Eve! (Genesis 3:8)

Oh, and I am learning more about it daily … the “order” of the Books of the Old Testament! Particularly (right now) the Books of Moses!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

The Lord willing, more tomorrow!

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His two sons (Nadab and Abihu) had just died. Killed for disobeying the Lord! Blatantly rebelling, looks like! (Yesterday’s Lesson)

So … how is their Father (Aaron the High Priest of Israel) to respond, to react?

“And Aaron HELD HIS PEACE. And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them (distant relatives), Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.” Leviticus 10:4-5, for burial.

“And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, UNCOVER NOT YOUR HEADS, NEITHER REND YOUR CLOTHES (signs of mourning); lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled. And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die.” Leviticus 10:6-7, parts of both verses.

Maybe because this sin was so public? That they (Aaron and his two remaining sons) were not allowed to mourn? Thus putting God’s Word, God’s Honor ABOVE even that of one’s own family?

Jesus in Luke 14:26, speaking relatively I’m sure … “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”

I say speaking relatively because elsewhere Scripture commands us to … “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” Exodus 20:12

Yet this too, Ezekiel (even when his WIFE died) was commanded “not to mourn!” Both Aaron and Ezekiel (the Priest and the Prophet) were public figures. What responsibility that brings! “Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes (his Wife) with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.” Ezekiel 24:16-18, as a warning to Israel that she was about to lose her Temple … “the desire of her eyes” … and would not be allowed time to mourn, being immediately hauled off into captivity!

Wow!

Yet in balance, when Moses died … mourning was allowed. “And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. And the children of Israel WEPT FOR MOSES in the plains of Moab THIRTY DAYS: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.” Deuteronomy 34:7-8

Still, I am not fully satisfied. WHY NO MOURNING, is there another reason? Well, seems to me God provides a reason! In our Text, where else could one look?

“And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for THE ANOINTING OIL of the LORD is upon you.” Leviticus 10:7, in today’s lesson.

Holy Anointing Oil … a symbol of the Holy Spirit!

The Spirit of Joy and Peace!

Then Third Person of the Godhead Who is … “Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance (Self-Control)” personified!

No mourning when sin is involved! Not for the High Priest or his potential Successors! They are, after all, Spirit Controlled, Endowed!

Such disloyalty to God would have been a matter of pain, grief, sorrow to the Holy Spirit indeed.

Today western Christianity has just about lost this “seriousness, reverence, holy awe” that should be associated with serving God! Our priorities are so skewed nowadays.

Well … did Aaron and his sons obey this injunction from the Lord? Did they refrain from mourning? Yes … “And they did according to the word of Moses.” Verse 7 again.

They freshly obeyed the first Commandment … “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2-3

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

In retrospect, should I have even written this Lesson? Is it too somber for American sensibilities? Will people misunderstand? Have I handled this theme as well as I could have?

Yet I do know this. In our age, day, dispensation … we Christians are allowed to mourn the deaths of loved ones, at least to a measure! Paul wrote to the Thessalonian Believers, some of whose loved ones had just died … “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13, where sorrow is not totally forbidden, just abject (hopeless) sorrow as seen among the unsaved, the lost, who really have no hope.

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Again in today’s Text, what God has called “good,” man has soiled with his disobedience or presumption or some other form of sin! This also happened at Eden, if you remember. And the ante-diluvian civilization acted no better! And so forth … throughout world history.

I am speaking of the momentous event that occurred the beginning of Leviticus chapter 10…

“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” Leviticus 10:1-2, just the first two verses.

Aaron just lost two of his four sons!

It is not as if they had not been warned, either. Exodus 19:22 … “And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.”

Wow!

Oh, again we see the seriousness of not reverencing God’s “Call” to His Holy Service/Ministry!

“Nadab, ” the name means “generous.” And “Abihu” translates “He is my Father.” Both were born into positions of great honor, being sons of Israel’s first High Priest. Both had seen the Glory of God on the Mountain, Exodus 24:1 seems to indicate.

Yet … somehow … they sinned against the Lord, egregiously.

Perhaps they took “their own” censers (pans that can hold fire, hot coals) and approached the Lord … instead of the properly anointed censers God has recently ordained.

Perhaps they took their “fire” from the wrong source, not from the “Holy Fire” God had just miraculously sent to the brazen altar! (Leviticus 9:24 … “And there came a fire out from BEFORE THE LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat.”)

Perhaps they went too far into the Holy Place, maybe even into the very Holy of Holies! “Before the Lord,” Moses recorded. Crass presumption at least!

Perhaps they just got “ahead” of God, rushing the Day of Atonement Rituals, stepping into their Father’s (the High Priest’s) shoes. Even after all God’s prior Warnings/Instructions!

Then again, based on a line or two from verse 9 of Leviticus 10, maybe these two men were intoxicated! Read this: “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:.” God commanding Aaron!

Or maybe their transgression included some of each of the foregoing mistakes!

Anyway … “There went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” Verse 2, FIRE to kill disobedient priests, emanating from the MERCY SEAT Itself!

Wow!

A whole Batch/Series of Sermons could be preached from this singular (astounding) Event!

God killed Achan as a warning against theft!

God killed Uzzah as a warning against irreverence!

God killed Ananias and Sapphira as a warning against lying to the Holy Spirit!

And clearly, God killed Nadab and Abihu for their intrusion (when unqualified) into the August Presence of the Almighty!

God’s Holiness … a Serious Matter!

More tomorrow, the Lord willing.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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