Saturday, June 22: “Conflicting Reports”

Numbers 13: 31; 14: 8a, 9“But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered strange fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai.”

What was ‘strange’ about the fire of Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron?(Leviticus 10: 1-3)They were not high priests like their father, but they were doing offerings reserved for the High Priest in a place reserved for the High Priest. The Lord could not ignore their act, even if done in zeal and ignorance, for it set a dangerous precedent. But we can know that they were forgiven by God, because He commanded Moses, Aaron, and his other sons not to mourn the two brothers(Leviticus 10: 6). Would the Lord have said that if they were condemned for all eternity? So here is one more case this week where sin was forgiven, but could not be excused (ignored).