Strange Fire

[Lev. 10:1] 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.
1-2 this was a solemn period of the consecrating and dedicating the altar. The very same Shekinah that had consumed the sacrifice now flashes out again to destroy these two priests as they minister incorrectly. The sons were not unauthorized to perform the incense service- the highest priest was to do this alone, but in their presuming to intrude into the Holy of Holies, a unwarranted intrusion. They were acting in the things of G-d without seeking the mind of G-d. They substituted a kind of incense different from that which G-d had commanded. It was not a sin of ignorance but one of presumption. 30:9. Instead of taking the fire which was put into their censers from the brazen altar, they content with common fire and thus perpetrated an act which, considering the descent of the miraculous fire they had so recently witnessed and the solemn obligation under which they were laid to make use of that which was specially appropriated to the service of the altars. They betrayed carelessness, irreverence, a want of faith. They willing don it. Sin is dealt with very severely because it disported G-d’s revelation of Himself. In all thee priestly sacrifices and ritual G-d is explaining something about Himself, by being disobedient you teach wrong concepts about the being of G-d. Priests are supposed to be operating as the instruments, the functionaries, of G-d. And if you performed improperly you mislead the people about Him.
Rather, killed them, for it appears that neither their bodies nor their robes were consumed. The expression, from the L-rd, indicates that this fire issued from the most Holy Place.
They come nigh Me, they had received repeated and solemn warnings as to the cautious and reverent manner of their approach into the divine presence. Evidently Aaron had began to protest and Moses stopped him. The incense to be offered- frankincense that never yields its fragrance until it is burned and represents our prayers and commitment arising out of obedient and thankful hearts. Now offering some other perfume, which is a picture of our happiness and thankfulness so a different kind would teach that G-d exist only to make us feel good, that he is these only to produce a modicum of human happiness. The implication of that notion is that whatever makes us temporarily happy is from G-d, we are not here for G-d to make us happy but to make Him happy and please at doing His commands. Life is given to us as a gift, what we do with it our gift back to Him. This judgment is exemplary, G-d is teaching a lesson by action, trying to stop this kind of thing from happening again and giving fair warning to anyone presumptions enough to sin deliberately. There is no implication of eternal condemnation for Nadab and Abihu.
4-7 the interment of the priestly vestments along with Nadab and Abihu, was a sign of their being polluted by the sin of their irreligious wearers. Relative summoned to go in and pick up these charred bodies and carry them out for buried. Their natural reaction would have been to take the rest of the day off to mourn and weep for them. But Moses said, no, don’t do that, if you do you will die. G-d wants you to stick right with your priest hood despite the feeling of your own heart, out of the anguish of heart would come new power, new efficiency, a new sense of purpose for the priesthood. So he would not let them off, instead he led Moses to say, let the rest of Israel bewail them, but you stay right on the job, and don’t quit. Heb. 12:5.
Eleazar and Ithamar were Aaron’s son. Num. 25:6-8.
Uncover not your heads, they who were ordered to carry out the two bodies, being engaged in their sacred duties, were forbidden to remove their turbans, in conformity with the usual customs of mourning; and the prohibition neither rend your garments. was, in all probability, confined also to their official costume. For at other time the priests wore the ordinary dress of their countrymen and, in common with their families, might indulge their feelings by the usual signs or expressions of grief.
Do not let your heads be overgrown - the priests were forbidden to enter the Bet Hamikdosh (Holy Place) with overgrown hair, so as not to resemble mourners. A priest who does not have his hair cut for over 30 days is considered as having overgrown hair. A normal priest who had other duties other than entering the Temple was forbidden at all times to grow long hair. One of the main reasons for this law was to show that display grief and mourning, through the uncut hair, was not appropriated in the House of the L-rd is to be the site of by combined with awe and do not rend your clothes - the priest were forbidden to enter the Temple, beyond the alter, with torn garments. The reason for this is that those mourners evidenced their sorrow with torn clothing.
No matter what the urgency, the priests were forbidden to interrupt their services or leave the service. Although there are a few exceptions for the normal priests, there were no exceptions for the high priest. The principle behind this law is that it demonstrates that there is no occupation in the world that ranks higher than the service to Hashem. If a priest was to eave the service and devote himself to another matter, it was considered degrading to the AL-rd and was a demonstration that the service of Hashem was of secondary importance.
Two privileges of ministry for the priest:
1. Discriminate between right and wrong, good and evil, clean or unclean.
2. Teach the truth, demolish all the lies and fantasies with which society is saturated, and to expose the way life really is. Teaching all the stature which G-d had spoken through Moses.
Do not drink wine nor strong drink for it was forbidden for the priest to enter the Temple or render a ruling while intoxicated. Intoxication produces three changes in an individual which were not permitted by the priest in the Temple and the rave in rendering a ruling of the Law, drowsiness, overconfidence, and reduction of mental clarity.
12-13 this was a timely and considerate rehearsal of the laws that regulated the conduct of the priest. Amid the distractions of their family bereavement. Aaron and his surviving sons might have forgotten or overlooked some of their duties. The sources of the priests’ strength. Eating beside the altar, right beside the place where the animals were put to death, as a reminder of that fundamental principle of humanity; he who loses his life shall save it.
14-15 what this is saying if that when you get discourage and feel as if you are not accomplishing anything, and you are beaten down and it doesn't seem as if anybody is taking any notice, you are to remind yourself of the love G-d has for you, to remember that He cares about you and accepts you and is with you, and His love never changes. You are precious and dear to Him. That is feeding upon the breast. And if you feel demands upon you are too great, and you don’t have the power to respond as you ought, then you are to remind yourself that G-d’s strength is yours and He will supply you with what ever power you need. That is feeding upon the thigh.
Eaten anywhere you need to. This is the source of strength lie.
The breast was to be eaten by the priest, not burnt. Befallen me (he is referring to the death of his two sons. 16-20 this sin offering is where the blood was sprinkled on the horns of the brazen altar and the flesh of the animal was to be eaten by the priest as a picture of their understanding of the nature of their evil and as a token of their acceptance of the forgiveness of G-d. So Moses said you should have eaten this meat! and he is afraid lest the judgment of G-d consume the rest of these priest. Moses understood that Aaron had gone deeper than the letter of the law, to the deep intent of the law receiving G-d’s mercy.
Aaron felt that the eating of the sin offering of the people would have been inappropriate, thus it was burned up. Moses was satisfied that they had not done something forbidden, but had only declined from exercising their priestly privileges. Moses provisional priestly roll has come to an end, and Aaron is now the high priest.