; Sanctuary out of the Camp (s), fo that their Deaths happened juft before the Paffover, on the very first Day of Aaron's Ministration for whilft he was ordering the Bullock and the Ram for the Peace-Offering (t), when the Fire came out from before the Lord and confumed the Burnt-Offering and Fat upon the Altar (u), Nadab and Abihu two of Aaron's Sons, took each of them a Cenfer, and put Fire therein, and put Incense thereon, and offered ftrange Fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not, and there went out Fire from before the Lord and ftruck them dead (w): This unhappy Accident could not but occafion fome Interruption in the Miniftration; Aaron and his two other Sons were undoubtedly affected with it,but Mofes applied to them, and required them to fupprefs their Grief for the Calamity, and not to accompany the dead Bodies out of the Tabernacle, left the Difpleafure of God fhould arise against them (x). Aaron's Heart feems here to have almoft funk within him; and I imagine, he would have taken fome Refreshment to fupport his Spirits against the Load of Sorrow that now preffed heavy upon him, and that this occafioned the Command now given him, Do not drink Wine, nor ftrong Drink, thou nor thy Sons with thee, when ye into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, left ye die; It shall be a Statute for ever through go (s) Levitic, v. 4 (w) x. I, 2. (t) ix. 18. () ix. 24. (x) ver. 6, 7. out your Generations (y). Mofes ordered the dead Bodies of Nadab and Abibu to be carried out of the Tabernacle and out of the Camp (2), and then called upon Aaron, and his Sons that were left, to finish the Day's Service (a); but upon Inquiry he found, that the Sin-Offering, which ought to have been eaten by the Priefts in the holy Place (b), was burnt and confumed (c): He reprefented to the Sons of Aaron their Miftake in this matter (d); but Aaron made excuse for it, and alledged, that fuch Judgments had been inflicted that Day, as to give him Reason to doubt, whether it might be proper for him to finish the Atonement. Aaron faid unto Mofes: Behold, this Day have they offered their Sin-Offering, and their Burnt-Offering before the Lord, and fuch Things have befallen me; and if I had eaten the Sin-Offering to-day, Should it have been accepted in the fight of the Lord (e)? Some of the Commentators reprefent, that Aaron thought himself, upon account of the Grief and Concern he was then under, not to be in a fit Difpofition to eat the Sin-Offering (f); others, that it would have been indecorous for him to have done it (g); but they do not confider the Charge which إقرة () Levitic. x. 8, 9. (b) vi. 26. x. 19. (c) x. 16. (x) ver. 4. (a) ver. 12-15: (d) ver. 17. (e) Levitic. (f) They comment upon the Words thus; Agnosco quidem comedendum fuiffe et cum Lætitiâ, fed qui potui lætari ? Malui igitur convivium negligere, quàm moeftus inire. vid. Pool. Synopf. in loc. (g) Indecorum fuiffet Patrem convivari carne Victimæ, in quâ offerendâ duos Filios fubitò amiferat. Cleric. Comment. in loc. Mofes Mofes had given him: The Hebrew Text fuggefts what I have hinted to be Aaron's Apology. Aaron faid to Mofes, Behold this Day have they offered their Sin-Offering and their Burnt-Offering, pri] (b) vatti krenab oti caelleh, the Verb vattikrenah is the plural fœminine, and refers to the Offerings; and what Aaron fuggefts is, That the Miniftrations already performed had called down upon him the Judgments that had been inflicted, and that for this Reafon he feared they had prophaned the Services of the Day, and therefore that he did not prefume to go on to finish them, but had burnt the Goat, inftead of referving it to be eaten, according to the Orders, which he should have observed, if their officiating had been fo conducted, as to give him Reason to think it would have been accepted in the fight of the Lord. This indeed feems a reasonable Excufe, and we find Mofes was contented with it (k), and preffed him no further to finish the remaining Offices of that Day's Service. It may be here asked, What fo great Crime were Nadab and Abihu guilty of, that they paid fo dear a Price as to lofe their Lives by an immediate Vengeance? But the Answer is eafy; The great end and purpofe of the Mofaical Difpenfation was, to feparate unto God a chofen People, who fhould be careful to obey his Voice indeed, and who, inftead of being (b) The Verb Jer. xxxii. 23. in the Conjugation here ufed, has this Senfe, (k) Levitic. x. 20. 1 like other Nations, following and practifing, as parts of their Religion, what Men might invent, fet up, and think proper and reafonable, fhould diligently and ftrictly keep to what God had enjoyned, without turning therefrom to the right Hand or to the left, or without adding to the Word which was commanded them, or diminishing ought from it: But herein these young Men greatly failed; God had as yet given no Law for the offering Incense in Cenfers, all that had been commanded about it was, that Aaron fhould burn it upon the Altar of Incenfe every Morning and every Evening (/): Afterwards he received further Directions (m); fo that these Men took upon them to begin and introduce a Service into Religion, which was not appointed, they offered what the Lord commanded them not (n); and this, if it had been suffered, would have opened a Door to great Irregularities, and the Jewish Religion would in a little time have been, not what God had directed, but have abounded in many human Inventions added to it. Aaron and his Sons were fanctified to minifter in the Prief's Office (0) for this end, that they fhould remember the Commandments of the Lord to do them, not that they fhould feek after their own Heart (p): They could not have taken upon themselves the Offices of their Priesthood, if they had not 1. (1) Exodus xxx. 7. (m) Levitic. xvi. 1—12. (n) x. been been called of God to them (q); and as they were called of God to them, it was their indifpenfable Duty to be faithful to him that appointed them in all his House (r), in every Part of the Difpenfation committed to them. This, faid Mofes, is that which the Lord Spake, Saying, I will be fanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the People I will be glorified (s): They then only fanctified and glorified God, when they difpenfed to his People, as Parts of his Religion, what he had commanded; but when they varied from it, or performed or enjoined, as Part of it, what he commanded not, then they affumed to themselves a Power that belonged not to them; then they fpake and acted of themfelves, and he that in thefe Points Speaketh of himself, feeketh not God's, but his own Glory (t). God had directed, that the Ifraelites should keep the Paffover at its appointed Season (u), and accordingly they prepared for it against the fourteenth Day of the Month at Even, in order to obferve it according to the Rites of it (w): But on the fourteenth Day there arofe a Doubt about the Perfons who had touched the dead Bodies of Nadab and Abibu, whether they were fit to keep the Paffover (x); Mofes inquired of God about them, and received an Order, that all Perfons hindred |