Nadab and Abihu paid with their lives in a sudden and frightening outburst of God’s judgment. They offered incense before the Lord, which was supposed to have a fragrant scent, but the word translated here as “unauthorized” and in other versions as “strange” seems to be related to the idea of loathsomeness (as when Job’s breath was “strange” - stank - to his wife in Job 19:17). Despite the fact that God had given detailed commands concerning the various ceremonies that were to be conducted in the newly completed tabernacle, the 2 sons of Aaron were quick to depart from those by trying to innovate. It’s as though they were saying to God, “Thanks for everything, but we’ve got this now. We’ll worship you our way, not yours.” A pastor I had back in the UK used to call Frank Sinatra’s song, “I Did it My Way,” the theme song of the sinner.
It hadn’t been that long - probably no more than 2 years - since God had redeemed Israel from slavery in Egypt. Soon after, He gave them His law on Sinai (an enormous privilege). His voice terrified them as Sinai flamed and smoked and trembled, and one of the first things they heard Him say was that they shouldn’t make an image of anything in heaven or on earth to worship.
However, Moses stayed up the mountain and as their impatience grew, they innovated by making a golden calf to worship as a visible representation of the invisible God.
As a result, God threatened to destroy them but Moses interceded. Then God said He could no longer be with them but Moses interceded again. And now God’s presence is indeed among them, symbolized in the Ark of the Covenant within the tabernacle built according to God’s specifications. It is at this moment that Nadab and Abihu decide that a bit of creative thinking would be good in relation to the worship of God. They could hardly have been conducting this act in ignorance of the holiness and the requirements of God! The fire of God consumes them, and Moses explains to Aaron that God must be honored before all the people - He must be treated as Holy - and this includes worshiping Him according to His own commands.
It’s interesting to me that Chris spoke in the video he posted this morning about Jesus cleansing the temple soon after his Triumphal entry into Jerusalem. There certainly seem to be some parallels between that account and the one here, though as always we shouldn’t press them too far:
- The symbol of God’s presence with His people, the Ark, was now in the Holy of Holies in the temple
- outside are a bunch of traders who are treating God’s dwelling as a place for commercial gain - turning a house of prayer into a den of robbers - which could hardly be regarded as treating God as holy and honoring Him before all the people.
- And then God the Son comes, and out of zeal for God and for His house, He purges this unholy treatment of His Father from the temple precincts.
God is holy still, and we are still to treat Him as such. We still need to be mindful concerning any place in which He is present (for instance, in His people as His temple, and especially when they gather for worship) to honor Him and worship Him in ways that are pleasing and acceptable to Him.
