Leviticus 10

Two of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, took the pans in which they burned incense. They put some burning coals in them and put incense on top of the coals. They offered this fire {and incense} to God, {but the fire was not acceptable to God because} it was not the kind that he had commanded them to burn.

Flames shot out from the precincts of the sacred tent where God lived among the Israelites, and the fire burned up Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu. The fire killed them right in God’s presence. \*

Moses turned and said to Aaron, “These events are exactly what God spoke of when he said, ‘In the presence of the holy priests who draw near to me, I will demonstrate that I am set apart from everything else; in the sight of everyone, I will demonstrate that I should always be honored and worshiped.’” But Aaron was silent and said nothing.

So Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, Aaron’s cousins, the sons of Aaron’s uncle, Uzziel. Moses said to them, “Offer yourselves for service and carry the corpses of your relatives from the front of the Holy Place in the sacred tent. Bring them to a place outside the camp.” \*

So Aaron’s cousins stepped forward and carried the two corpses of Aaron’s sons in the folds of their embroidered tunics. They carried them to a place outside the camp, exactly as Moses told them to do.

Then Moses said to Aaron and his two remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not mourn for your brothers as is customary. You should not allow your hair to hang down, nor should you tear your clothing. If you do, God may also kill you, and his anger may extend to the whole congregation as well. However, your fellow Israelites, every single person, should mourn because God is angry with his priests, as his burning fire has demonstrated.

However, make sure that you do not leave the entrance of the sacred tent. If you do so, God will kill you too. You should not forget that when I poured God’s holy oil on your heads, God set you apart to serve him here.” So, Aaron and his remaining sons did everything that Moses told them to do. \*

Then God said to Aaron,

“You and your two sons who are still alive should not drink wine or beer before you enter the sacred tent. If you drink alcohol before you enter the sacred precincts where God lives among the Israelites, God will kill you. This practice is a permanent and enduring instruction for how the priests should behave, which applies to every generation of the people of Israel.

As priests, you should learn how to distinguish what is set apart for God and his purposes from that which you may use for everyday, common purposes. You will also be able to distinguish what is unacceptable to God and unclean from that which is acceptable to God and clean.

By learning how to distinguish these things from one another, the whole people of Israel will learn how to follow all the instructions that I told Moses, who then told them to you.” \*

Moses then said to Aaron and his remaining two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take whatever grain offering now remains after Aaron has burned the gifts that he offered to God on the altar and eat the unleavened loaves of bread next to the altar. You should eat it here because these leftovers are set apart for the priests among all the gifts that people offer to God and that are set apart for him.

Make sure that you eat these leftovers in the place that priests have dedicated for such purposes. You should do this because these leftovers are the food that God has provided for you and for your children from all the gifts that people offer to God that are also set apart for himself. It is so because God has told me that this is what you should do. \*

You and your children may eat the breast meat that was held up and moved about in God’s presence and the meat of the right thigh that people have offered as a special contribution to God. You and your children should eat these portions of meat in any place that the priests have set apart for such holy purposes. God has given them to you and to your children as your portion of food that comes from the fellowship sacrifices that people offer to God.

In addition to the other fat portions that people offer to God, the priests should bring the meat of the right thigh that people have offered as a special contribution to God and the breast meat to hold them up and move them about in God’s presence. Remember that these portions of meat are food for you and for your children. These instructions should be perpetual and enduring, exactly as God has told you to do.” \*

After asking about the location of the goat that the priests had offered as a purifying sacrifice, Moses diligently looked for it. He discovered that the priests had mistakenly burned it completely on the altar when they ought to have eaten it. So Moses was very angry with Aaron’s two remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, and asked them,

“Why did you not eat the meat of the purifying sacrifice in a location that the priests have set apart for such holy purposes? You should have considered that meat to be specifically dedicated for you among all the gifts that people offer to God that are also set apart for him! God gave that meat to you not only so that you could eat it, but also so that it would address the wrongdoing of the whole congregation. When you ate that meat in God’s presence, he was going to forgive the whole congregation for their sins and restore their relationship with him!

Consider this: the sacrifice was not the type of purifying sacrifice that required the priest to bring any blood into the inner portion of the Holy Place in the sacred tent! You should certainly have eaten it in the place that the priests have set apart for such holy purposes, exactly as I told you to do!” \*

But Aaron replied, “Consider this: today, my sons brought their purifying sacrifices and their wholly burned sacrifices to God in the precincts where he lives among the Israelite people. Yet, nonetheless, these horrible things have happened to me! Even if I myself had eaten the meat of the purifying sacrifice today, would God have approved of everything that has happened here today, even the death of my sons?”

When Moses heard Aaron’s response, he was satisfied and said nothing further. \*