Nadab and Abihu, the oldest of Aaron’s four sons, feature in only two biblical incidents. On the first occasion, they were privileged to accompany Moses and Aaron up ‘the mount’, where they saw the God of Israel and ate and drank in His presence, Exod. 24. 1, 9-11. On the second occasion, immediately following their consecration to the priesthood, they were guilty of the most dreadful sin; they presumed to offer ‘strange fire’ before the Lord. The subsequent command that God’s priests should drink neither wine nor strong drink may suggest that the sons of Aaron were drunk at the time; cf. Prov. 31. 4-5. ‘The death of the two sons of Aaron’ was associated with the Lord’s warning to Aaron against entering ‘within the veil’ whenever he chose, implying that they had planned taking their censers into the Holiest.
Clearly, the censers associated with the Tabernacle were to be filled only with burning coals of fire from off the brazen altar, Lev. 16. 12; Num. 16. 46. Although the presence of Nadab and Abihu ‘before the sanctuary’ meant that they were within easy reach of that altar, they defiantly scorned the divinely-kindled fire in favour of common (‘strange’) fire. By fire they had sinned, and by fire they died; for they immediately felt the devastating power of the very fire which they had slighted. The same fire which had come out from before the Lord to consume the offering, now came out from the Lord to devour the offerers. That which had signified God’s approval and acceptance now signified His disapproval and rejection. Both men died childless, Num. 3. 4; 1 Chron. 24. 2; God thereby effectively blotting out their names.
It matters how God’s people approach Him in worship. God’s word still stands, ‘I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me’. Lesson one: all incense must be kindled by fire from the altar of sacrifice! Only on the basis of the sacrificial work of the Lord Jesus are we able to offer up to God acceptably the sweet incense of His beauty and glory. Lesson two: we also need ‘fire’ in our worship, but it must be the right kind of fire. God is to be worshipped with the true fire of spiritual passion and not with the spurious fire of fleshly excitement and entertainment.
Lord, help me to ‘worship by the Spirit of God’.
