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

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Nadab and Abihu decided to do holy work their own way. They followed the steps God gave them and decided to alter them a bit. Notice four important words in these verses: contrary to his command.

One explanation of how they behaved contrary to God’s command is that they did not take the fire from the altar. God ignited that fire. (See Leviticus 9:24.) It was one of the tasks of the priests to keep that fire burning perpetually. Using fire from a different source was equivalent to treating this ritual like any old mundane task. It was not. 

Another explanation is that, as priests, Nadab and Abihu had unique access to God. High privilege comes with high accountability. Holy and common cannot intertwine when God has commanded otherwise. 

Another explanation is that Nadab and Abihu were engaging in their responsibilities while under the influence. Their carelessness may have been due to their impaired condition. Notice verses 8-11:

Then the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and so you can teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭10‬:‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Nadab and Abihu’s foolishness and death occurred on the very first day of the Tabernacle service. God’s rules ignored and circumvented could have caused God’s commands to lose their authority in the eyes of the priests and the people. 

“God is not a peer to be managed, but a Sovereign to be obeyed.” ([https://bit.ly/4q0jO5l](https://bit.ly/4q0jO5l))

This story is paralleled in the New Testament in Acts 5. In both stories, we see deception. Nadab and Abihu, and Ananias and Sapphira, tried to fake a level of devotion they didn’t possess.

In both cases, God set strict boundaries at the beginning of these new movements. Priestly sin can defile the whole camp. Hypocrisy in the church at its founding threatened its integrity.

“While Nadab and Abihu’s sin was liturgical (wrong ritual), Ananias and Sapphira’s sin was moral/spiritual (lying to the Spirit). However, both center on the same root issue: treating the presence of God as something that can be managed or deceived rather than something to be feared and honored.” ([https://bit.ly/4q0jO5l](https://bit.ly/4q0jO5l))

Honor God and obey what he says. This is especially true in leadership positions. Speak God’s truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and live the truth you say you believe. 

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I will do God’s will God’s way.

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Our Father, give us dedication and devotion to do your will your way. May this always be true so that we may live fruitful and effective lives. Amen.