In my devotional times recently, I finished Exodus and now am in Leviticus. I pieced together two passages that have me confused and stunned. The first is in Exodus 24:9-11, an incredible epiphany given to Israel’s leaders, including Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu:<\/p>\n
9\u00a0<\/sup>Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and\u00a0seventy of the elders of Israel\u00a0went up,<\/span>\u00a010\u00a0<\/sup>and they\u00a0saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of\u00a0sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness.<\/span>\u00a011\u00a0<\/sup>And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and\u00a0ate and drank.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n These blessed men were allowed to see Almighty God, YHWH, in His glory. This is one of the few times in all of Scripture that Lord shows Himself to fallen men. Remarkable. You’d think that is an experience that would stick with them, and transform them, for the rest of their lives. Yet in Leviticus 10:1-3 we read these shocking words:<\/p>\n Now\u00a0Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron,\u00a0each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered\u00a0unauthorized fire before the\u00a0Lord<\/span>, which he had not commanded them.<\/span>\u00a02\u00a0<\/sup>And fire\u00a0came out from before the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0and consumed them, and they died before the\u00a0Lord<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a03\u00a0<\/sup>Then Moses said to Aaron, \u201cThis is what the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0has said: \u2018Among\u00a0those who are near me\u00a0I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.\u2019\u201d\u00a0And Aaron held his peace.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n What happened to Nadab and Abihu? They had an amazing vision of the God of heaven, and some time later, they committed a horrendous, sacrilegious act that defamed God’s glory, and paid the ultimate price. I don’t know all the background behind what they did, but clearly they knew better, and it was an offense worth capital punishment.<\/p>\n So what are my take-aways?<\/p>\n Let us walk in humble gratitude for God’s grace, sanctifying and glorifying God for all our days and in all our ways.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In my devotional times recently, I finished Exodus and now am in Leviticus. I pieced together two passages that have me confused and stunned. The first is in Exodus 24:9-11, an incredible epiphany given to Israel’s leaders, including Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu: 9\u00a0Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and\u00a0seventy of the elders of … Continue reading What happened to Nadab and Abihu?<\/span> \n