Nadab and Abihu were the two eldest sons of Aaron. They had been just consecrated, together with their father, to the priestly office : but,
They committed a grievous sin — [It should seem that they were elated with the distinction conferred upon them, and impatient to display the high privi- leges they enjoyed. Hence, without waiting for the proper season of burning incense, or considering in what manner God had commanded it to be done, they both together took their censers (though only one was ever so to officiate at a time) and put common fire upon them, and went in to burn incense be- fore the Lord.
Now this was a great and heinous sin: for God had just before sent fire from heaven, which he commanded to be kept always burning on the altar for the express purpose of being exclusively used in the service of the tabernacle. Their con- duct therefore shewed, that they had made no just improve- ment of all the wonders they had seen; and that they were unconscious of the obligations which their newly-acquired honours entailed upon them. It even argued a most criminal contempt of the Divine Majesty, in opposition to whose ex- press commands they now acted.]
For this, they were visited with a most awful judgment —
[God, jealous of his own honour, punished their trans- gression, and marked their sin in their punishment. They had slighted the fire which God had given them from heaven; and he sent fresh fire to avenge his quarrel. They neglected to honour God; and He got himself honour in their destruc- tion. They, by their example, encouraged the people to dis- regard the laws that had been promulged ; and He, by executing judgment on the offenders, shewed the whole nation, yea and the whole world also, that " he will by no means clear the guilty." Thus did God maintain the honour of his law, as he afterwards did the authority of his Gospel a.]
Whilst in them we behold with grief the enormity and desert of sin, in their afflicted father we are con- strained to admire, II. The submission exercised —
Doubtless the affliction of Aaron was exceeding great —
[These were his own sons, just consecrated to the high office they sustained. In them he had promised himself much
a Acts v. 1 — 11.