Let’s read about that incident in Leviticus 10:1-2 which says, “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.”  Aaron had four sons, of which Nadab and Abihu were the oldest, as we read in Exodus 6:23, “And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.” 

While in the wilderness it was Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel that were privileged to go up on Mount Sinai and witness a remarkable display of the majesty of God as we read in Exodus 24:9-11, “Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.”

Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu were allowed this honor because God selected Aaron and his sons to serve as priests on behalf of the people.  Exodus 28:1 says, “And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.”  These Levitical priests, as servants of the Lord, assisted in the animal sacrifices and acted on behalf of the people in order to keep them in right relationship with the Lord according to the conditions of the Old Covenant.

It is so important to realize that Nadab and Abihu did not “make a mistake.”  No.  They SINNED in their disobedience to God.  Knowing God’s words, they offered ‘strange fire’ before the Lord in their censers in opposition to His commands. This ‘strange fire’ is translated as ‘unauthorized fire’ in several translations.  One translation puts it like this, “they took fire from some other place” and offered it to God.  While the scriptures do not tell us exactly what this strange, or unauthorized fire is, I believe we can safely assume this fire they brought in their incense was inappropriate and from an improper place. 

Briefly, a censer is a container used for burning incense during the Old Testament rituals or ceremonies. The purpose of the censer was to release fragrant smoke as an offering to God as a ‘sweet smelling’ offering to the Lord.  Now, let’s read Leviticus 16:12, “And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail.”  This instruction showed the burning coals in the censer were to come from the altar, which in this case was the brazen altar (also known as the altar of burnt offering in Exodus 30:28).  This brazen altar is a type or picture of the Lord’s suffering on the cross of Calvary.  To try to enter God’s presence by bypassing the death of Christ on the cross is a great abomination.  The Lord responded harshly and swiftly to this great affront by sending fire to destroy Nadab and Abihu immediately when they disobeyed Him.

How careful we must be to obey the Word of God exactly as it written.  There seems to always be the desire to add to or take away from what the Lord has told us. (Read God’s stern warning in Revelation 22:19.)  Deuteronomy 4:2 says, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”  Nadab and Abihu, although priests, were unfaithful to God and perished because of their unbelief.  I pray that you, my reader, will heed the Word of God and obey it completely.  The Lord Jesus stated in John 3:7, “Ye MUST be born again.”  Have you obeyed God’s Word and put your faith in the Lord Jesus so that you might be born again.  To refuse is to disobey.  To disobey brings the judgment of God.  (CC)  (709.6)