INTRODUCTION: The law speaks swiftly, and with great force. Nadab and Abihu thought that the details were unimportant—as long as they got the general idea. They were wrong. God expects obedience in His children. We can be thankful that we live in the age of grace. However, God still expects obedience. Now, we serve because of love, and not because of fear. Yet, we should still serve Him with all our heart.

1. THE SIN OF NADAB AND ABIHU (Leviticus 10:1-2 [1] And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. [2] And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
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1. They Offered Strange Fire before the Lord (Leviticus 10:1And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
   See All...).
1. Nadab and Abihu
1. Their identity
1. The elder sons of Aaron (Exodus 6:23And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
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2. Next in line behind Aaron (Exodus 24:1And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
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2. Their actions
1. They took two censers (one for each of the sons).
2. They put fire in them.
3. They put incense on the fire.
4. They made the offering.
1. The altar of incense is located in the holy place immediately in front of the veil that hides the ark of the covenant and the holy of holies.
2. It was as near to the presence of the Lord (at the mercy seat) that the average priest ever came.
2. The biblical meaning of strange
1. The word strange is found 76 times in the Bible; the words stranger or strangers are found 211 times.
2. Modern usage normally limits the meaning of strange to that which is odd, unusual, peculiar, surprising.
3. The biblical usage is much broader. It refers to that which belongs to another or that which does not belong to the person or in the setting in which it is found. This explains several uses of the word in scripture.
4. In conclusion, the strange fire of our text is fire that is in a place it does not belong. It is not the fire God wanted to be used for the offering of incense – “offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.”
3. The identity of the strange fire
1. God lit the fire on the brazen altar (Leviticus 9:24And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
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2. This fire was to be kept burning (Leviticus 6:12-13 [12] And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. [13] The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.
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3. The offerings of incense were to be lit from the fire of the altar. That way, it was still the fire of God.
4. The priests were warned against using strange incense (Exodus 30:7-9 [7] And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. [8] And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. [9] Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
   See All...); everything was to be done as commanded.
5. Evidently, Nadab and Abihu decided that they could pick up fire from another source and no one would know the difference.
4. Three warnings about the offering of incense:
1. No stranger was to offer incense (Numbers 16:40To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.
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2. No strange incense was to be offered (Exodus 30:7-9 [7] And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. [8] And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. [9] Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
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3. No strange fire was to be used in the offering (Leviticus 10:1And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
   See All...).
2. Fire from the Lord Devoured Them (Leviticus 10:2And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
   See All...).
1. Fire went out from the Lord.
1. The fire does not come from heaven but “from the LORD.”
2. This phrase refers to the mercy seat in the holiest of all (Leviticus 16:1-2 [1] And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died; [2] And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
   See All..., 13) because that is where the Lord meets with the high priest (Exodus 25:21-22 [21] And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. [22] And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
   See All...; Exodus 30:6And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
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2. The fire devoured them and they died.
1. A reminder that God is indeed a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
   See All...; Hebrews 12:29For our God is a consuming fire.
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2. To be devoured by fire was a sign of God’s immediate and wrathful judgment (Revelation 18:8Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
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2. REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE WHO APPROACH GOD (Leviticus 10:3-11 [3] Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace. [4] And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. [5] So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said. [6] And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled. [7] And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses. [8] And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, [9] Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: [10] And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; [11] And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.
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1. They Must Be Sanctified before the Lord (Leviticus 10:3Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
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1. God must be sanctified in those who come before Him (Exodus 19:22And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.
   See All...; Leviticus 21:8Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy.
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2. God must be glorified before His people.
1. Nadab and Abihu dishonored God by disobeying His commandment.
2. They committed this act publicly on a day when “all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD” (Leviticus 9:5And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation: and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD.
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3. God destroyed Nadab and Abihu so that He would continue to be glorified by the people.
3. Aaron held his peace (Psalm 39:9I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.
   See All...; Proverbs 21:30There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.
   See All...; Daniel 4:35And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
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1. Aaron recognized that this was an act of God and there was nothing he could say to change it.
2. Aaron submitted to the will of God and said nothing though he was an eloquent speaker (Exodus 4:14And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
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2. The Disposal of the Bodies (Leviticus 10:4-5 [4] And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. [5] So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.
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1. By the cousins of Aaron (Leviticus 10:4And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.
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2. Carried out of the camp in their coats (Leviticus 10:5So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.
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1. A dead body was unclean.
2. The sanctuary was to be kept clean (Leviticus 15:31Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them.
   See All...; Numbers 19:13Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.
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3. The priests were to keep clean in their service to God; a high priest may not defile himself by touching a dead body—even the body of a family member (Leviticus 21:10-12 [10] And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes; [11] Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother; [12] Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.
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4. They took them out of the camp.
3. To Aaron and His Surviving Sons (Leviticus 10:6-7 [6] And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled. [7] And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.
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1. They are not to mourn for their fallen sons/brothers (Leviticus 10:6And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.
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1. The priests were limited in being defiled for the dead.
1. The priests were allowed to be defiled for immediate family members (Leviticus 21:1-3 [1] And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people: [2] But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother. [3] And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.
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2. But, generally, a priest could not defile himself because he was “a chief man among his people” (Leviticus 21:4But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
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2. The high priest was refrained from mourning for the dead.
1. He was not to partake of the common acts of mourning for the dead (Leviticus 21:10And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;
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2. He was not to go in to any dead body (Leviticus 21:11Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
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3. He was not to go out of the sanctuary or profane it.
3. They were not allowed to uncover their heads (Leviticus 10:6And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.
   See All...).
4. They were not allowed to rend their clothes (Leviticus 10:6And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.
   See All...).
2. Let your brethren do the mourning for the dead (Leviticus 10:6And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.
   See All...).
4. Make a Difference between Holy and Unholy (Leviticus 10:8-11 [8] And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, [9] Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: [10] And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; [11] And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.
   See All...).
1. Drink no wine or strong drink when you enter the tabernacle (Leviticus 10:8-9 [8] And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, [9] Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
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1. The Lord speaks these words directly to Aaron (Leviticus 10:8And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,
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2. This statement makes it look as though Nadab and Abihu were drunk when they offered the strange fire (Leviticus 10:9Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
   See All...).
2. Make a difference (Leviticus 10:10And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;
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1. The two classifications
1. Between the holy and unholy
2. Between the unclean and clean
2. Taught to the people (Leviticus 10:11And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.
   See All...; 2 Chronicles 15:3Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
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CONCLUSION: Many today do not take the work of God seriously. This is exactly the sin of Nadab and Abihu. They wanted to serve God according to their own methods. If we are going to serve God in an acceptable way, we will have to serve Him on His terms and not our own.