EXPLORE THE TEXT
Believers are to revere God’s holiness and unmatched authority.
1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his own firepan, put fire in it, placed incense on it,
and presented unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them to do.
2 Then fire came from the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.
3 Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has spoken:
I will demonstrate my holiness to those who are near me, and I will reveal my glory before all the people.”
And Aaron remained silent.
Aaron had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
Nadab and Abihu are always mentioned before Eleazar and Ithamar (see Ex. 6:23; 24:1; 28:1)
and were probably the oldest.
We know that Nadab was the firstborn (Num. 3:2),
which means he was likely in line to become the high priest one day.
Instead, Eleazar succeeded his father as high priest (20:22-29)
and helped lead Israel into the promised land (Josh. 24:33).
Up to this point, the actions of Moses and Aaron were in complete obedience to God’s commands and God had responded with powerful displays of His presence.
identify what was different about Nadab’s and Abihu’s actions.
verses 1-2 (PSG, p. 106)
These were among the many holy items that God designed and set apart to be used in His service (see Num. 16:37-38).
Each priest had his own firepan which was probably used in burning incense to the Lord.
For an unknown reason, Nadab and Abihu decided to use their firepans to engage in illicit worship.
As sons of Aaron, they were authorized to serve as priests.
However, they used their office to offer unauthorized fire.
explanations include offering incense that was not made according to God’s formula, entering a restricted part of the tabernacle, or using coals that did not come from God’s altar.
These were examples of apostasy, which is a sin of defiance or rebellion against God.
It involved rejection of His covenant (Num. 15:30),
for which no atoning sacrifice was provided.
The penalty was being “cut off,” which meant either removal from the community or death.
The same fire that had consumed the offerings now consumed these rebellious priests.
The ones who had offered unholy fire were destroyed by the holy fire of the Lord.
explain the possible meanings of unauthorized fire.
Aaron did not excuse his sons’ sin.
His silence acknowledged God’s justice and holiness.
Believers are to revere God’s holiness and unmatched authority.
examine their lives for areas where holiness is lacking and to ask God to help them draw closer to Him.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 108 of the Personal Study Guide:
Challenge the group to identify the statement that most closely matches their spiritual journeys at the moment.
Direct them to circle that statement and begin praying for God to show them how to respond and move forward in their walk with Him.
Remind adults about the memory verse on Pack Item 6 (Poster: Key Verse: Leviticus 11:45).
Encourage them to keep that verse in mind as they read and reflect on the second set of questions on page 108 of the PSG.
Suggest that they spend time this week meditating on the verse and asking God to reveal weak spots in their spiritual lives.
Close with a prayer,
asking God to make His will known to each person.
Pray that God protects each individual in the group from any hint of “unauthorized” actions in His name.
Reinforce the session by calling each adult early in the week and asking them how you can pray for them as they strive to obey God. Pray for each person during the conversation and commit to continue praying for them during the week. Later in the week, send a text or email of encouragement, stating how glad you are that they are a part of the Bible study.
In His substitutionary death on the cross Christ made provision for the redemption of men from sin. (See Isaiah 53:5-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21.)
Use a study Bible or Bible dictionary to learn more about a feature of Israel’s religious life.
In a Bible dictionary, read the article on sacrifice and offering. Or, scan the notes on Leviticus 1-7 in a study Bible. Make a list of the different types of sacrifices and offerings, what the offerings consisted of, and their purpose.