1

The death of Nadab and Abihu because of burning wrong incense.

2

Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put the fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So the fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.   Leviticus 10:1-2[NIV]

3

The great man Moses who led the Israelites from the Egypt had an older brother. His name was Aaron.

God told Aaron to help Moses and Aaron listened to God’s words and helped Moses and became one leader who lead the Israelites.

4

Aaron had four sons.

Their names were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

They also helped Moses together with Aaron.

5

God appointed to the four sons a very holy and special work. And that is the permission of being a priest who gives offering to God. The place of being a priest is a very holy and blessed place because the task of this priest is to ask for forgiveness of people’s sin to God on behalf of the people.

6

So God instructed them to wear special designed clothing which were different from the others. Their clothes were made with lots of jewelry and it looked very holy. God allowed Aaron and Abraham to wear those clothes and make offerings to God.

7

God explained the rules and every detail to those priests on how they should make offerings to God.

God said to them that if they would violate the rules and live unholy they would receive a big punishment.

8

These priests had to put fire and burn the incense for two times a day at the altar of incense.

And during those times they had to bring an authorized fire which was chosen by God.

9

Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu, took their own censers, and they went to the altar of incense and started burning the incense. But when they burned the incense they should come to God with the right fire but the two sons didn’t follow.“Maybe we just need to have it fired and it’s not really necessary to use special fire in the altar of incense.”

10

“Okay, okay let’s just fire it and let’s go.”

Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu, just violated the rules of God so easily.

With their holy body they should do as God’s will but they didn’t.

11

The two sons went inside the sanctuary with the censer.

12

So as usual, they lighted the fire on the altar of incense.

They thought there would be no problem.

But, Oh! A very scary thing happened.

13

When they burnt the altar of incense the fire suddenly came out

and it took them.

They were burned to death in that place.

14

For being irresponsible in burning the incense and burning the incense with the wrong fire and not the fire which God has appointed. Nadab and Abihu died by the punishment.

15

The corpse of Nadab and Abihu were carried out from the camp by Aaron’s nephews, Mishael and Elzaphan. They died because they didn’t fulfill properly their work which had to glorify the Lord but instead they didn’t take the big duty given by God seriously.

16

In our generation, because Jesus has died for us on the cross, the way we worship our God is different from the past. But the same fact goes for the past and the present. That is true worship makes God glad.

17

We should always remember the death of Nadab and Abihu because of burning the incense with unauthorized fire. I hope you will all become children of faith who think about God while worshipping through the rules that He set to offer our mind and heart to try our best to lift God on high.