Leviticus 9:7, 24; 10:1-7
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Summary
- These passages make reference to fire coming down from the sky (from God).
- They also demonstrate the seriousness of God's holiness.
Details and/or Comments
- Fire comes down from the sky, as God receives the burnt offering.
- Fire also comes down from the sky, as God kills the priests who have approached God carelessly, disregarding the seriousness and solemnity of the occasion.
The Holiness of God is a Serious Matter!
- God had already warned the people about the seriousness of coming into God's presence ... and of the seriousness of sin. When two of the priests ignored God's warnings, they brought upon themselves the "proof" that there was a reason for God's warnings.
- Consider also the warnings God had given on previous occasions, such as: 1) the instructions they were given when God came down to the mountain (Exodus 19:3-25), and what Moses was told when he asked to see God's glory (Exodus 33 and 34).
- Old and New Testament alike warn us that the supreme holiness of God is not a trite matter. Yet many today have totally (and often willfully) ignored this fact - and act as though the "love of God" cancels the seriousness of the "holiness of God"! Not so, according to the apostles! The God of the Bible has not changed.
- Deuteronomy 4:23-24 - Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of Yahweh your God, which he made with you, ... For Yahweh your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.
- Hebrews 12:28-29 - Therefore, receiving a Kingdom that can't be shaken, let us have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
- See additional comments below.
Scripture
Leviticus 9:7, 24; 10:1-7 – Fire from God.
| Scripture Passage | Comments and Links |
| Lev 9:7 Moses said to Aaron, "Draw near to the altar, and offer your sin offering, and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself, and for the people; and offer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them; as Yahweh commanded." | God has already warned them (on many occasions) that everything must be done precisely according to God's instructions. Here, they are told to do it "as Yahweh commanded." |
After all the offerings had been prepared...
| Scripture Passage | Comments and Links |
| Lev 9:24 There came forth fire from before Yahweh, and consumed the burnt offering and the fat upon the altar: and when all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces. |
In today's world, people tend to think that following God's instructions is unnecessary. Our sinful inclinations lead us to having a trite and careless attitude about obedience. Unfortunately, such an attitude is not only a modern perspective, but one that is common to sinful humanity in all generations.
The holiness of God MUST influence the way we approach him!
| Scripture Passage | Comments and Links |
| Lev 10:1 Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered strange fire before Yahweh, which he had not commanded them. | They were originally told to do things the way God commanded them to be done. Here, they chose to do things their own way (rather than paying attention to the instructions they were being given).
It was not just an issue of their actions being wrong. Rather, their whole attitude toward the holiness of God was wrong! |
| Lev 10:2 And fire came forth from before Yahweh, and devoured them, and they died before Yahweh. | Fatal consequences for such carelessness in the presence of almighty and holy God. |
| Lev 10:3 Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what Yahweh spoke of, saying, 'I will show myself holy to those who come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified.' " Aaron held his peace. | |
| Lev 10:4 Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, "Draw near, carry your brothers from before the sanctuary out of the camp."
Lev 10:5 So they drew near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said. |
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| Lev 10:6 Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, "Don't let the hair of your heads go loose, neither tear your clothes; that you don't die, and that he not be angry with all the congregation: but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which Yahweh has kindled.
Lev 10:7 You shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die; for the anointing oil of Yahweh is on you." They did according to the word of Moses. |
This shows the seriousness of the religious ceremony - and the entire occasion. Now that they had begun the process of being made holy for the priesthood, they did not dare to interrupt the process - even for mourning for dead family members. |
Scripture Passages
(Only books that have relevance to this study have active links. The others are in italics.)
Genesis • Exodus • Leviticus • Numbers • Deuteronomy • Joshua • Judges • Ruth • 1 Samuel • 2 Samuel • 1 Kings • 2 Kings • 1 Chronicles • 2 Chronicles • Ezra • Nehemiah • Esther • Job • Psalms • Proverbs • Ecclesiastes • Song of Solomon • Isaiah • Jeremiah • Lamentations • Ezekiel • Daniel • Hosea • Joel • Amos • Obadiah • Jonah • Micah • Nahum • Habakkuk • Zephaniah • Haggai • Zechariah • Malachi Matthew • Mark • Luke • John • Acts • Romans • 1 Corinthians • 2 Corinthians • Galatians • Ephesians • Philippians • Colossians • 1 Thessalonians • 2 Thessalonians • 1 Timothy • 2 Timothy • Titus • Philemon • Hebrews • James • 1 Peter • 2 Peter • 1 John • 2 John • 3 John • Jude • Revelation |
—— To avoid any copyright issues, all Scripture is either from a public domain translation (such as the World English Bible), my own translation, or a combination of these. ——
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The name "Yahweh," when present in an Old Testament passage, represents the Hebrew name for the God of the Bible.
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Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.
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