Leviticus 10

Notes

[Ver. 2. Nadab and Abihu had been honoured with seeing God, Ex. 24. 9, 10, but how little privileges may be improved appears in their self-willed offering of strange fire, 'which God commanded them not.' What an unexpected event! The tabernacle service commences with rebellion and judgment; the perfume of the anointing oil is dissipated in devouring fire; the holy garments become winding-sheets; dear relatives become corpse-bearers; and no head is uncovered, no garment rent, lest wrath come upon all the people. Even the father's heart bows to the justice of the terrible sentence—'and Aaron held his peace.' It was thus the earliest and brightest day of Christianity also opened with the secret covetousness of Ananias and Sapphira, Ac. 5. 1-11, whose judgment tarried not, 'and fear came upon all the churches, and as many as heard these things.'—Note, These are not annals of curiosity: but 'these things happened to them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come,' 1 Co. 10. 11. C.]

Ver. 9. [From the vicinity of this prohibition to the judgment on Nadab and Abihu, some have imagined they had sinned through wine. But there is, first, no intimation of such a sin in the narrative; and secondly, it is not the manner of Moses to conceal any faults, even in his brother or sister; therefore we conclude that, not drunkenness, but self-will in the worship of God, both without and against divine authority, was the real transgression for which they died. Let Christians in the enjoyment of privileges beware of their abuse. Nadab and Abihu sin—the fire devours them, leaving not an instant for intercession. So John warns the church, 'If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it,' 1 Jn. 5. 16. C.]

Ver. 20. [Here there had been such a departure from the divine ritual that Moses was angry. Why then does no judgment come on Eleazar and Ithamar? And why is Moses content with an explanation which admits that the error was committed against knowledge? The very confession of the sin is one reason why it is pardoned, Pr. 28. 13; 1 Jn. 1. 9; not for any virtue in the confession itself, but because of that mercy of God in Christ which faith has apprehended, before the tongue can make confession of the sin of the heart. Moreover, the sin of Nadab arose from a proud self-sufficiency which would dictate to God; that of Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar from an erroneous fear of offending.—Note, This is a frequent sin with professing Christians, who abstain from the Lord's supper from an erroneous sense of unworthiness, and yet draw comfort from this supposed tenderness of conscience: but if men really judged themselves unworthy, they would flee to 'the Lamb that was slain;' and if conscience were really tender, it would seek to be 'sprinkled from dead works,' He. 9. 14. C.]

Reflections.—Stand in awe, my soul, and sin not! Let no honours, no gifts, no graces, render thee proud or inattentive to God's institutions. Who can stand before this holy Lord God, the fire of whose zeal for his own institutions burns hottest the nearest to his altar! His noted favours and his tremendous judgments are often most closely connected: and, for the warning of others, he sometimes punishes the first transgressors with the most fearful severity, and deeply marks their sin in their punishment. How insufficient were the giving of the law, the typical tabernacle, or the ceremonial priesthood, to prevent either sins or judgments! When God severely afflicts me or mine, let me draw my heart-composing considerations from the word, the providence, the glory of God, as concerned in it; and never may my indulgence of private affection interfere with the honour or sovereign will of God, nor lead me to disgrace my spiritual unction with carnal cares, or the sorrow of the world, which worketh death. While my soul trembles at God's righteous judgments, never let my confusion occasion mistakes in any part of my duty: and, if I desire more of intimate fellowship with God, let me hearken to the voice of his messengers, and after all interruptions reapply myself to my work.—Let ministers seriously ponder how dangerous it is to change God's ordinances, even in the smallest circumstance; or to be animated to their work from earthly and carnal motives! Base and dangerous is it especially for them to be overcharged with surfeiting or drunkenness and the cares of this life, in a work of such importance and concern, which requires the most faithful attention to reprove the sinner, to comfort the believer, and tenderly to regard the reasonable excuses of such whose minds are distressed!