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My Daily Blessing from My Daily
Bible Reading
with meditations
by my mother, Poetess Gertrude Sanborn
February
5
Leviticus 9:22 -- Leviticus 13:7
TWO
DIE BY FIRE
Leviticus 10:12
"And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto
Ithamar, his sons that were left. . ."
It was a terrible experience!--that day when fire went
out from the LORD and devoured Nadab and Abihu. They
were the sons of High Priest Aaron. The truth was that
he had four sons. Sadly these two young priests were
intoxicated as they performed their priestly duty in the
newly dedicated Tabernacle (vs. 8-11). What other excuse
could they have had? (It reminds us of Eli’s sons.)
If you
recall, God had specific instructions for everything
concerning the Tabernacle--especially the form of
worship and the way sacrifices and prayers were
to be offered. It seems, from reading Leviticus
16:1, that these deceased priests may have been right by
the mercy seat in the most Holy of Holy Place
when they died. It was a place they were not to be.
The Bible
says the men were disobedient. Those drunken,
disobedient priests had mixed "strange" fire into
their censers, combining it with the specially blended
incense that represented prayers to the LORD. Whatever
they did, or wherever in the Tabernacle they were, it
sorely displeased the LORD.
Without
explanation or apology, the LORD devoured Nadab and
Abihu with Holy Fire! What a dreadful sight for
Aaron, their father to see.
My
husband and I had a son burned in a fire over 31% of his
body. Although the actual fire never touched his
body, the heat from the fire roasted him, as if he had
been in an oven. Perhaps that is what happened to these
young priests, for their bodies could be picked up
easily in the very clothes they were wearing.
Two of
Aaron’s nephews, Mishael and Elzaphan were called to
remove their dead cousins. The Bible says, "They
went near, and carried them in their coats out of the
camp."
So much
could be said about that disobedient defiant action of
these sons. Had Aaron instructed his sons properly?
Had he looked the other way as they imbibed intoxicating
drink?
Later in
this same chapter of Leviticus there was another
incident of disobedience. We read that the goat of
the sin offering was burnt (vs. 16). The priests, the
living sons of Aaron--Eleazar and Ithamar, had not
followed directions either. Was that family ever going
to learn? Previously, the two surviving siblings had
eaten the sin offering in the Holy Place--not according
to instructions.
The blood of
the sacrifice had not been brought into the Holy Place,
either. What was wrong with those brothers? Is it
difficult to follow instructions? Had their parents
never taught their children to obey?
Aaron
made an excuse, as he was prone to do always. I am
sure he feared more death by Holy Fire. He tried to
rectify the error. Moses accepted the excuse. Life would
go on for them, sad to say, to disobey once more. (ysw)
"DEATH’S LESSON"
Has
there been a death of some one near and dear?What is the
lesson in this for us?This
loss should jolt us to take stock of our life. Is it
pleasing to the Lord? Are we
ready to meet Him?How is
the ledger of my life if He should suddenly call my
name?What
have I not done?The
death of a dear one should teach usto do
what we can to please and help others.While
they are here. . .Then there will be no regrets when they go. (GGS)
And
Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he
said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly
return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo,
Sarah thy wife shall have a son. (Genesis 18:10)
Under God's Care,
Yvonne S. Waite
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