Leviticus 10:3, commentary and pictures

God requires that all who come near him treat him as holy and that he be glorified before all the people, so that approaching him honors his holiness rather than seeking human praise. Moses spoke this to Aaron immediately after Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord for offering unauthorized common fire that God had not commanded, when only fire kindled by God himself was to be used and kept burning continually. Their disobedience came after free use of wine benumbed their senses and took away discernment between the sacred and the common, though as priests who had seen God's glory they understood the solemn responsibility of standing before him. Aaron held his peace in patient humble submission, recognizing God's justice without murmuring or complaint though grieved with severe sorrow. Therefore sacred service demands exact obedience to God's express commands and a strict separation of the sacred from the common, with appetite controlled and character purified in union with Christ so that every word and act reveals his grace.

Words and Historical Setting

God is to be treated as holy by those who come near Him, and He is to be glorified before all the people, so all who approach Him must honor His holiness and uphold His glory rather than human praise. The words were spoken by Moses to Aaron immediately after Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord. They had offered unauthorized common fire which God had not commanded, in violation of His express direction that only sacred fire be used.

The sacred fire required for sanctuary service, especially for burning incense, had been kindled by God Himself from heaven. It was commanded to be kept burning continually day and night on the altar and never to be extinguished. That sacred fire represented God Himself and His connection with humanity. It represented communication between God and man opened through Christ alone, with incense kindled by holy fire rising before God mingled with the earnest prayers of the people as an emblem of the mediation of Christ. By contrast their strange unauthorized fire presented no divine Saviour, and was as the offering of Cain.

Moses presented their deaths as the fulfillment of what the Lord had previously spoken. Aaron held his peace.

Causes of the Disobedience

Nadab and Abihu ministered after free use of wine and strong drink which partially intoxicated them, benumbed their senses, enervated the brain, weakened nerve power, debased their faculties, and beclouded and confused the intellect. That indulgence took away their power of discernment so they could no longer distinguish between the sacred and the common and between right and wrong, and unfitted and disqualified them for sacred service. In that clouded condition they offered unauthorized common fire which God had not commanded and had forbidden, instead of the sacred fire only which He required. Their punishment by fire from the Lord devouring them showed the seriousness of approaching God carelessly and violating His requirements.

With clear minds they would have recoiled with horror from the act, for as priests in holy office they fully understood the holy character, awful solemnity, and responsibility of presenting themselves before God. As elders who had witnessed God's glory on the mount they knew what was required of those who come near Him. Their sin was prepared by long-cherished self-indulgence and by careless, reckless, self-indulgent disobedience which sacred office alone could not break. That preparation included loose discipline at home where they disregarded parental authority, showing that misplaced indulgence and gentle remonstrance without firm restraint prepare children for destruction.

Because appetite and habits of life were left uncontrolled, the account warns that those serving God and serving others must keep appetite and habits of life under strict control and act with care, remembering that God watches their work and that a heavenly Watcher constantly beholds the work and the spirit brought into it. Those coming near Him in sacred office must preserve clear and sober reasoning powers, with careful self-examination and sanctification before entering the sanctuary where His presence is manifested. Those entrusted with His work must feel responsibility and devotion in proportion to their sacred trust, for God will not work a miracle to keep men from the consequence of deliberate departure from light, and those who disregard His directions to indulge appetite must bear the result. The command to abstain from wine and strong drink was given so that those serving in holy things could discern between holy and common and teach God's statutes, and remain able to discern truth from error.

Aaron's Silent Submission

Aaron held his peace because he recognized that God was just in the dreadful death of his sons for their disobedience, and he accepted the judgment in patient, humble submission without murmuring, rebellion, or complaint, though his heart was grieved under severe sorrow and agony. His silence honored the declaration that God must be treated as holy by those who come near Him and be glorified before all the people, showing that approaching God carelessly is a most serious matter. He would not publicly grieve in a way that challenged that judgment.

That silence meant refusing to express grief in a way that appeared to excuse their sin or that would lead the congregation to complain against God. He and his family were forbidden to display mourning that cast blame on God's judgment, and the people were not to mourn in that way either, lest they share the punishment and bring God's wrath upon the congregation. Aaron was told not to grieve so that the people would recognize the seriousness of God's judgment.

Under the judgment he was convicted of his own neglect both as God's priest to make atonement and as priest of his household to train his children to obedience, self-denial, and reverence for parental authority. Misplaced indulgence and gentle remonstrance without firm restraint, with loose discipline and failure to command respect and reverence, prepares children for the displeasure and wrath of God to their destruction, and such tenderness is extreme cruelty.

God's people must acknowledge the justness of His corrections and punishments, even when severe and coming very near, so that others may fear. They are to make no expression of sorrow or sympathy that implies unreconciliation with God, lest they share the fate of the transgressor. Sympathy for one punished for dishonoring God, instead of sorrow for the sin, sides against God and His servants and makes the sympathizer share the guilt of the wrongdoer. That spirit infects the congregation with the same spirit, and by easing the burden of correction it can keep erring people from being saved and lead them further from salvation.

Holiness Required in Service

To be sanctified in those who come near means God must be treated as holy by all who approach Him in sacred service, and to be glorified before all the people means His glory and not human praise is to be upheld before them. This requires exact reverence and strict obedience to His express commands, with death as the penalty for deviation, and consecration to office does not excuse disobedience or carelessness. Nadab and Abihu, though sons of Aaron ministering in the holy office of priesthood and elders who had witnessed God's glory on the mount, fully understood the holy character, solemnity and responsibility of presenting themselves before God, yet after free use of wine they offered common fire He had not commanded and had forbidden on pain of death, instead of the sacred fire He Himself had kindled from heaven and commanded to be kept burning continually day and night on the altar for burning incense. That sacred fire represented God Himself and communication between God and man opened through Christ alone, for incense kindled by holy fire rising with the earnest prayers of the people is an emblem of Christ's mediation, while their unauthorized fire presented no divine Saviour and was as the offering of Cain, and no sacrifice is acceptable unless salted and seasoned with divine fire. With clear minds they would have recoiled with horror from the act, but gratification of appetite debased their faculties, beclouded and confused the intellect, and took away discernment between sacred and common and between right and wrong, so speedy divine judgment devoured them.

The same principle forbids mingling sacred things with common things, for outward religious ceremony is not enough and sacred service must follow God's direction rather than replace what He appointed with what is common. The sin is repeated whenever the sacred work of God is mingled in a careless manner with common ideas, human opinions, and unsanctified propositions born wholly of self, which cheapens the truth and turns things upside down. Teachers who blur that distinction between sacred and common bring God's displeasure. Therefore all who serve God and profess to believe the truth are called to examine themselves closely to see if they are in the faith, whether their offering is holy or common, and to turn away from all wrongdoing, with clear and sober reasoning powers and careful self-examination and sanctification before entering where His presence is manifested.

God is shown to be holy and glorified through His judgments on such disobedience, for He vindicated His holiness by justice when fire from His presence devoured the offenders. The fate of Nadab and Abihu shows the danger of dishonoring God in sacred service, so that priests entering His presence with polluted mouths would face the same judgment, and His people must acknowledge the justice of His corrections so that others may fear. Honoring Him as holy means His human workers must be purified and sanctified, with human selfishness purged away and never mingled with His work. In close union with Jesus Christ instead of unbelief and self-exaltation, He gives His meekness, ends hateful criticism, silences self-important words, and brings humility under the hand of God with kindness, truth, tenderheartedness, and love for one another as Christ loved, lived out in daily life, while self-exaltation turns blessings away.

Those who advocate truth honor Him by receiving His Spirit to mold and fashion the character after the divine likeness, making them new creatures in Christ Jesus. Then the truth is exalted and every word and act reveals exceeding grace and mercy and the pardoning love of God, which is salvation through His tender mercy, by speaking the truth in love with meekness and lowliness, tenderness and kindness; but working and speaking without that molding influence, with selfishness, sharpness, and harsh condemning words, dishonors Him. Those connected with proclaiming His truth must therefore work under God's wisdom, not their own pride or judgment. Those serving in positions of responsibility must keep attention and aim fixed on God's glory with an eye single to it, rather than let another person's or any man's or human judgment control them, for the Lord lives and reigns. This calls for earnest prayer for a healthful experience, for clear understanding of His mind and will, and to be constantly imbued with the Holy Spirit.

Faithfulness in Present Work

Those who labor with God to save souls must bring no commonness or cheapness into sacred service but regard the work as service with God, keeping the mind filled with pure holy thoughts, choosing words carefully, and avoiding light careless speech among unbelievers who are measuring them, since such speech hinders success. The judgment on Nadab and Abihu for offering common fire which was not commanded shows that God is to be honored as holy by those who come near Him and glorified before all the people, and not treated as common or careless in sacred service.

Those who handle sacred truth for the world, especially editors of papers with wide circulation, must not mingle sacred things with common things but must give more precious instruction than common publications give. True higher education is to be sought not in the lives and sentiments of men who do not know the Word but as pure wheat thoroughly winnowed from all chaff. In warning of the near coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, putting common in place of sacred repeats that sin. Long articles with no reference to that coming, too much common matter, and dependence on pictures and other things that do not relate to the vital issues for this time are common fire, and faithfulness requires fewer pictures and more real solid spiritual food, meat in due season that gives the trumpet a certain sound.

Those given the privilege of handling sacred fire must not turn from it to common fire but must act with sharp justice, equity, and strength of righteous principle. Turning to common fire is following a worldly fraudulent selfish covetous course, such as when men at the head of the work divert means the Lord moved His people to give for a certain purpose. When an institution connected with His service is humbled and loses public favor, this can be His chastisement expressing the principle that He must be honored as holy among those who serve Him. Those responsible should investigate its cause, heed the light given, put away practices contrary to His will, and reform, while His institutions must be cleansed and upheld to a high holy standard apart from practices He has condemned. This was so in the humbling of the publishing institution at Battle Creek.

The lesson warns against mingling sacred and common in material published by religious institutions, and applies to employees who handle religious literature. Workers in a publishing house dedicated to defending truth must remain able to discern truth from error and to distinguish holy from common, and must not handle and print deceptive spiritually dangerous literature. Teachers who blur that distinction bring displeasure, for sacred things must not be treated as common. Appetite and habits of life must be kept under strict control because wine benumbed the senses of Aaron's sons, and those serving others must remember that God watches their work, physicians especially.

In sanitariums and in all institutions the sacred fire is to be used and all things set in order, with strict self-denial, neatness, and no unnecessary expenditure or outward show. The light of truth is to shine from good works done to restore the sick and relieve suffering so God is glorified, constantly pressing upward and forward with a meek and quiet spirit with human selfishness purged away and never mingled with His work. Approaching God in worship calls for reverence and purity in the worshiper, including cleanliness of body and clothing as well as a sanctified heart, as Israel was told to wash before hearing the Ten Commandments and to keep the camp free of uncleanness. People must intelligently do their part to keep bodies, clothing, and homes clean to prevent disease rather than expect God to prevent it by miracle while neglecting helpful measures.

Work done in His name should represent His holiness, but when self-seeking replaces Christ's character the work is like common fire rather than holy fire. Weaving threads of selfishness into sacred things uses common fire in place of the sacred fire of His own kindling, including letting things of apparently little consequence attract mind and eye and absorb attention when attention should be given to God, and the Holy Spirit must work upon hearts to bring conviction. When Christ's life-blood is not circulating in those with sacred responsibilities they mingle common fire with the sacred, their counsels and decisions are worthless and mislead others, and growth is impossible unless they are born again of incorruptible seed by the word of God with a sense of weakness, confession, purification from every moral defilement, and death to self so His life is revealed. Workers must sanctify Him by obedience and strict temperance, keeping body, soul, and spirit under His protecting shield and never tempting His Spirit, because sowing to the flesh reaps corruption and can lead to the sin against the Holy Spirit which has no forgiveness in this life or the life to come. Those entrusted with His work must feel responsibility and devotion in proportion to their sacred trust, remembering that a heavenly Watcher constantly beholds their work and the spirit brought into it, for He will not work a miracle to keep men from the consequence of deliberate departure from light, and those who disregard His directions to indulge appetite must bear the result, as when strong drink enervated the brain and weakened nerve power so Nadab and Abihu could no longer distinguish right from wrong and took common fire instead of the sacred fire kept burning day and night by divine power until fire devoured them and Aaron held his peace.