Questions & Answers
[EGW
editors preface: One of our readers sent in the following
question: What happened to Aarons first and second
sons and why did it happen? As with any question
concerning what we hope to learn from the Bible, we must always
strive to apply good hermeneutics and to let the Bible interpret
itself.
(For more tips on good Bible-reading
skills, click the subjects Hermeneutics and Bible study)]
What happened
to Aarons first two sons and why?
by David Churchill
Digging into the Scriptures:
In Exodus 6:23 and Number 26:60,
we learn that Nadab and Abihu were the first two sons of Aaron,
the brother of Moses. As such, they would follow in Aarons
footsteps as priests. From Exodus 24:1, we also learn that
they both had roles in leading the tribes of Israel.
In Exodus 27, after God has given
a number of instructions concerning the tabernacle, He gives
instruction concerning a lamp that is to be kept burning continually
in front of the tabernacle. And you shall command the children
of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for
the light,
God tells the people through Moses, to cause the lamp to
burn continually.
In the tabernacle of meeting, outside the veil which is before
the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening
until morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever
to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel.[dgc:
my emphasis] This
same command is also in Leviticus 24:1-4. However, here
we learn in verses 5-8 that this holy fire seems to be for the
purpose of igniting the fires for sacrificing offerings made
by fire to the Lord.
In Leviticus 6:8-13, God commands
Moses about the fire on the altar. Command Aaron and his
sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: The
burnt offering shall be on the hearth upon the altar all night
until morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning
on it.
And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning
on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall
burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in
order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings.
A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it
shall never go out.[dgc: my emphasis] He then goes on with instructions
concerning the several types of offerings that were to be burned
on the altar with fire.
In Exodus chaper 30, God gives
special instructions for the making of an incense altar and in
verses 7-10, we read Aaron
shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when
he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. And when
Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on
it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
You shall not offer strange incense on it, or a burnt offering,
or a a grain offering; nor shall you pour a drink offering
on it. And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns
once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement;
once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations.
It is most holy to the LORD.[dgc: my emphasis]
Notice how in these instructions
about the different uses of equipment and fires that He set apart
for a special purpose (i.e. sanctified, made holy), God
spends more time describing what He wants done than what He doesnt
want done. Notice also in these instructions, that when
He does spell out some of the do nots, Hes
simply elaborating on what do this has already eliminated
for His approval. For example, in Exodus 27 when God says
use pure oil of pressed olives, does He really need
to spell out corn oil, peanut oil, and all the other oils not
to be used? No, of course not. If He wanted them
to use olive oil in that particular light, why doesnt He
just say so? He did
twice. If one time God
says both keep something burning and dont
let the fire burn out, will He approve of letting the fire
burn out? No, of course not
keep it burning means
exactly that
keep it burning. If another time God
says to keep something burning, but doesnt mention anything
about letting the fire burn out, will He approve of letting the
fire burn out? Again, the answer is no, of course not
keep it burning means exactly that
keep it burning.
God seems pretty clear in His instructions
to the Israelites about holy things. Doing whats
instructed results in approval. Doing less, more, or different
than instructed results in disapproval.
In Leviticus chapter 9, Aaron and
his sons are consecrated and dedicated as holy priests. After
Aaron offered several offerings, God demonstrated his approval.
Then
the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people, we read at the end of the chapter
in verses 23 and 24, and
fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offerings
and the fat on the altar. When all the peopl saw it, they
shouted and fell on their faces.
However, as we continue reading
into chapter 10, what happened next was met with Gods disapproval
and the result was not a pretty sight.
Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron,
each took his censor and put fire in it, put incense on it, and
offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded
them.
You and I could probably debate
all day about whether they used the wrong source of fire or the
wrong incense or the wrong censor, or whether / why they wrongly
pushed to enlarge their assigned roles that day. The text
here doesn't give us that specific information, but one thing
is for certain. Whatever the exact details of what they
did that made their fire profane, the important point God expects
us to learn here is this: they did something less, more,
or different than instructed and therefore their disobedience
is what really made their fire profane. Nadab and Abihu
presented themselves to the people as though acting on Gods
orders when really they were doing which He had not commanded them. What was the result?
So fire went out from the LORD and
devoured them, and they died before the LORD. And Moses
said to Aaron, This is what the LORD spoke, saying: By those who come near
Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must
be glorified.
So Aaron held his peace.
Summary:
What happened to Aarons
first and second sons and why did it happen?
Perhaps Numbers 26:61 best sums
up our discussion. And
Nadab and Abihu died when they offered profane fire before
the LORD. |