By Andrew Williams
Can you imagine losing close relatives or friends and the Lord told you not to mourn for them?
This was the situation when Aaron’s two sons died because they disobeyed God by burning the wrong kind of fire before God.
When this happened, this was what Moses said to Aaron:
Leviticus 10:3 NLT -Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when he said, ‘I will display my holiness through those who come near me. I will display my glory before all the people.’” And Aaron was silent.
This one is hard!
You and your sons get anointed as God’s priests. Two of them get burned to death by God, and you can’t show grief like others, or you will die!
Leviticus 10:6 NLT -Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not show grief by leaving your hair uncombed or by tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die, and the Lord’s anger will strike the whole community of Israel. However, the rest of the Israelites, your relatives, may mourn because of the Lord’s fiery destruction of Nadab and Abihu.
Could you keep from mourning?
Here is the rest of the instructions that Moses gave them:
Leviticus 10:7 NLT -But you must not leave the entrance of the Tabernacle, or you will die, for you have been anointed with the Lord’s anointing oil.” So, they did as Moses commanded.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for teaching us that obedience is better than sacrifice. You require obedience from Your people.
We will obey Your commands! We will live in the ways that honors Your holiness, and that is befitting of the priesthood that You have called us to. Amen.