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Chapter 6—Alcohol and Men in Responsible
Positions
Lessons from the Experience of Nadab and Abihu
—Nadab
and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, who ministered in the holy office of
priesthood, partook freely of wine, and, as was their usual custom,
went in to minister before the Lord. The priests who burned incense
before the Lord were required to use the fire of God’s kindling, which
burned day and night, and was never extinguished. God gave explicit
directions how every part of His service should be conducted, that
all connected with His sacred worship might be in accordance with
His holy character. And any deviation from the express directions
of God in connection with His holy service was punishable with
death. No sacrifice would be acceptable to God which was not salted
nor seasoned with divine fire, which represented the communication
between God and man that was opened through Jesus Christ alone.
The holy fire which was to be put upon the censer was kept burning
perpetually. And while the people of God were without, earnestly
praying, the incense kindled by the holy fire was to arise before
God mingled with their prayers. This incense was an emblem of the
mediation of Christ.
Aaron’s sons took the common fire which God did not accept,
and they offered insult to the infinite God by presenting this strange
fire before Him. God consumed them by fire for their positive
disregard of His express directions. All their works were as the
offering of Cain. There was no divine Saviour represented. Had
these sons of Aaron been in full command of their reasoning faculties
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they would have discerned the difference between the common and
sacred fire. The gratification of appetite debased their faculties
and so beclouded their intellect that their power of discernment was
gone. They fully understood the holy character of the typical service,
and the awful solemnity and responsibility assumed of presenting
themselves before God to minister in sacred service.
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