The Altar of Unbelief: Nadab and Abihu and the Strange Fire
The account of Nadab and Abihu, the two eldest sons of Aaron, the High Priest, is recorded early in the Book of Leviticus (chapter 10). It is one of the most immediate and terrifying illustrations of the sanctity of worship, demonstrating that proximity to God’s holiness does not excuse one from precise obedience.
1. The Context: Consecration and Covenant (Leviticus 9:22-24)
Nadab and Abihu had just participated in a glorious and terrifying ceremony: the consecration of the Tabernacle and the induction of the Priesthood. They had witnessed the divine approval of their service:
“And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.”
— Leviticus 9:24 (KJV)
They understood the gravity of their office and had personally seen the awesome power of God’s consuming fire. They were among the privileged few who were allowed to approach the Divine Presence.
2. The Sin: Offering Strange Fire (Leviticus 10:1-2)
Immediately following this great display of divine acceptance, Nadab and Abihu committed an act of astonishing disobedience. The text in the King James Version is stark and precise:
“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.”
— Leviticus 10:1-2 (KJV)
What is “Strange Fire”?
The exact nature of the offense lies in the phrase “which he commanded them not.” “Strange fire” (esh zarah in Hebrew) was fire from an unauthorized source, fire not consecrated or taken from the sacred altar, which God Himself had lit (Leviticus 9:24).
Their sin was not accidental, but rather a presumption of the heart. It was a failure of the fundamental Law of worship: that God’s service must be performed precisely according to His terms, not man’s preference, innovation, or convenience. By using common fire in a sacred act, they treated the Holy God as common, and substituted human ingenuity for divine instruction.
3. The Aftermath: The Law of Approach (Leviticus 10:3)
The immediate and lethal judgment was a lesson for the entire nation and priesthood, confirming the unyielding principle that proximity to the Holy God demands exact reverence. Aaron, their father, was commanded to remain silent, recognizing the justice of the act:
“Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.”
— Leviticus 10:3 (KJV)
This declaration established an eternal tenet: God is sanctified by those who approach Him. He must be approached on His terms of holiness, and any attempt to mix the sacred with the profane will result in judgment.
The Return Question: The Necessity of Divine Mandate
The Lord’s Return will be a time of final reckoning where all forms of false or corrupted worship will be judged. How does the swift and consuming judgment against Nadab and Abihu for offering “strange fire” underscore the necessity of adhering strictly to the biblical truth and mandate, rather than introducing human traditions or innovative methods into the worship and service intended solely for the returning King?
The fate of the sons of Aaron is a chilling reminder that, especially for those in spiritual leadership, zealous service without precise obedience is a fatal flaw. The focus of TheLordsReturn.com on detailed, presentation-format biblical truth aligns with the lesson here: the time is coming when the only worship accepted will be that which is wholly consecrated and commanded by the Word of God, not that which springs from the common wisdom or unauthorized passions of man.