Leviticus 10

1. Unauthorized Fire and Immediate Judgment (vv. 1–2):

Nadab and Abihu, newly ordained priests, offer "unauthorized fire" (some versions say “strange fire”)—something God had not commanded.

Fire comes from the Lord and consumes them instantly.

➡️ This shows that God is holy and worship must be according to His command, not human invention.

2. God’s Word to Moses and Aaron (v. 3):

God declares:

“Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.”

Aaron remains silent, likely out of stunned obedience and grief.

3. Proper Handling of the Incident (vv. 4–7):

Moses instructs others (not Aaron) to remove the bodies, to maintain holiness.

Aaron and his remaining sons must not mourn publicly or leave the Tabernacle, as they are still on duty.

4. Command Against Drunkenness (vv. 8–11):

God gives a new law: priests must not drink wine when entering the Tent of Meeting.

Suggests Nadab and Abihu may have acted in carelessness or intoxication.

Priests must be clear-minded to distinguish between holy and unholy.

5. Clarification on Eating the Offering (vv. 12–20):

Moses gets upset when Aaron’s sons do not eat the sin offering as prescribed.

Aaron responds that they did not feel it was appropriate to eat it after such a tragedy.

Moses accepts Aaron’s explanation.

Spiritual Lessons
Worship must be done God’s way, not ours.

God’s holiness is not to be taken lightly.

Spiritual leaders must lead with reverence, sobriety, and obedience.

God desires heart obedience, not mere ritual.

Christ Connection
Nadab and Abihu’s death reminds us that no one can approach God carelessly. Jesus, our perfect High Priest, opened the way to God through His righteousness (Hebrews 10:19–22). We now worship in spirit and truth, not by our own merit.