레위기 Chapter 10

Translation: ESV

1

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

Key Message

When worshiping God, one must worship exactly according to the method God commanded; arbitrarily changing the manner of worship is a challenge to God's holiness.

▸Nadab and Abihu were Aaron's two eldest sons who had just been ordained.

Nadab and Abihu were Aaron's two eldest sons who had just been ordained. 'Unauthorized fire (esh zarah)' means they used fire not commanded by God—fire not taken from the holy fire of the altar. This was not a simple mistake but intentional disobedience that disregarded God's command.

Related Verses

And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
2

And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.

Key Message

God's holiness admits no compromise; before the holy God, one must obey according to his way.

▸God himself sent fire and struck Nadab and Abihu dead instantly.

3

Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD has said: 'Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.'" And Aaron held his peace.

Key Message

A higher standard of holiness is required of those who minister closely to God; bowing in silence before God's judgment is true faith.

▸Moses declares the will of God in this event.

4

And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, "Come near; carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary and out of the camp."

Key Message

Those performing holy duties must sometimes set aside even personal emotions and grief for those duties.

▸Because Aaron and his two remaining sons could not mourn, Moses called the cousins to handle the bodies.

5

So they came near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said.

Key Message

Immediate obedience to God's command is required in any situation.

▸Mishael and Elzaphan immediately obeyed Moses's command and carried the bodies of Nadab and Abihu out of the camp still in their coats.

6

And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, "Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning that the LORD has kindled.

Key Message

Those bearing holy office must prioritize God's holiness over personal grief.

▸Loosening the hair or tearing clothes were signs of mourning in ancient Israel.

7

And do not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you." And they did according to the word of Moses.

Key Message

Those called by God must be faithful to that calling in any difficult situation.

▸Aaron and his sons were commanded not to leave the tent of meeting during the period of ordination.

8

And the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying,

Key Message

God continues to speak to his servants after tragic events and gives new instructions.

▸This is one of the rare cases in Leviticus where God speaks directly to Aaron rather than through Moses.

9

"Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.

Key Message

Those who serve God must perform their holy duties with complete mental clarity and discernment.

▸This is the command forbidding wine and strong drink during holy service.

10

You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean,

Key Message

Those who serve God must maintain the wisdom and mental clarity to discern between holy and common.

▸The purpose of the prohibition on wine is clearly revealed.

11

and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them by Moses."

Key Message

Teaching God's word is the core mission of the priest; wisdom and discernment are required for this.

▸Another core function of the priest was to teach God's laws and statutes to the Israelite people.

12

Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his surviving sons: "Take the grain offering that is left from the LORD's food offerings, and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy.

Key Message

Continuing God's regulations even in tragic circumstances is an expression of faithfulness toward God.

▸Despite the tragic circumstances of the Nadab and Abihu event, Moses instructs the remaining priests to continue observing the regulations of the sacrifice.

13

You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your due and your sons' due, from the LORD's food offerings, for so I am commanded.

Key Message

What God has given as holy must be treated in a manner befitting its holiness and received with gratitude.

▸The remainder of the grain offering had to be eaten in a holy place.

14

But the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, for they are given as your due and your sons' due from the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the people of Israel.

Key Message

God is the one who takes responsibility for the livelihood of his servants and their families.

▸Unlike the grain offering, the waved breast and the contributed thigh of the peace offering could be eaten in a clean place by the entire priestly family.

15

The thigh that is contributed and the breast that is waved they shall bring with the food offerings of the fat pieces to wave for a wave offering before the LORD, and it shall be yours and your sons' with you as a due forever, as the LORD has commanded."

Key Message

Material support for God's ministers is an eternal ordinance established by God.

▸The ceremony of waving the breast and thigh as a wave offering before the LORD symbolizes these offerings being first presented to God and then returning to the priest.

16

Now Moses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it was burned up! And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the surviving sons of Aaron, saying,

Key Message

It is important to know and execute God's word accurately; grief and emotion must not take priority over God's command.

▸Moses discovers that the sin offering goat meat that should have been eaten has been burned up, and he is angry with Eleazar and Ithamar.

17

"Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is a thing most holy and has been given to you that you may bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

Key Message

Eating the sin offering is a holy act of participating in the ministry of bearing sin; God's regulations contain theological meaning.

▸Moses explains the theological meaning of the priests eating the sin offering meat.

18

Behold, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly should have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded."

Key Message

God's regulations must be observed concretely and accurately; ignorance or emotion cannot be an excuse for disobedience.

▸Moses explains that since the blood of this sin offering was not brought into the sanctuary, they should have eaten it.

19

And Aaron said to Moses, "Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD, and yet things like these have happened to me. If I had eaten the sin offering today, would the LORD have approved?"

Key Message

True godliness goes beyond external regulations to deeply consider God's will; sometimes it is required to discern God's heart beyond the form.

▸Aaron gives Moses a quiet but deeply faithful response to his rebuke.

20

And when Moses heard that, he approved.

Key Message

True godliness goes beyond externally observing God's regulations to understanding their spirit and meaning and applying them appropriately to the situation.

▸Moses hears Aaron's explanation and acknowledges it as right.