Leviticus 10 — Sketch

Breaking Rules

Big Idea:

• Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu present offerings in their own way, rather than as God instructed – presumably while also drunk.

• Fire comes out of the presence of God and kills them.

• Moses has their cousins, Mishel and Elzaphan carry their bodies out of the camp.

• Moses then warns Aaron not to mourn his sons, but to stay in the Tabernacle. 

• God speaks to Aaron and reminds him of the importance of teaching Israel to distinguish between the holy and the profane.

• Moses instructs the priests to eat their portion of the offerings, but Aaron’s other sons, Eleazat and Ithamar, don’t eat their portions. Moses — fearing for their lives as well — becomes angry.

• Aaron explains that they are more hesitant than ever to approach God’s holiness. Moses seems OK with their newfound respect for God.

Jesus in This Chapter:

• God killed Nadab and Abihu because they were doing things their own way (drunk and – Chapter 16 suggests – entering the Most Holy Place). Obviously, God does not tolerate deviating from His plan.  This is actually a good thing, though, because God’s plan is Jesus.

• By deviating from the symbolism of the sacrificial system, Nadab and Abihu were symbolically deviating from the Hope we have in Christ — almost suggesting that we can find our salvation by our own means. God’s seemingly harsh response sends a very important message: Don’t let anyone deceive you - There IS NO hope outside of Christ.

• The ESV Study Bible suggests that Nadab and Abihu’s bodies had to be taken out of the camp in order for Israel to continue its new Tabernacle-centered relationship with God. Similarly Jesus takes our sin away from us so we can have a cross-centered relationship with Him.

(Originally drawn December 3, 2010)