Leviticus 10

28 May 19

Opening Remarks

I am sure when you give a new Bible to a non-believer or even a new believer, you wish they do not read these passages, until much latter ;)


Potential Discussion Questions

  • Recall, what has God been up-to, so far?
  • Here, what precisely went wrong here? Are you scared? Why even no warning? How can God be honored by this? (verse 3) But, how come other two sons not struck to death on disobedience? (Recall, when can one break a law?)
  • Are you amazed that God even did not spare Moses’s family members, given Moses was so close & dear to God? What do we learn from that?
  • How comfortable are you in explaining these kinds of passages to a new believer or a non-believer? Or, do you all-together avoid talking about these with them? #Apologetics
  • How does God bring “judgement” on a person in TODAY’s time? Also under what circumstances?
    • How does God respond to sin in TODAY’s time?
  • God Jesus consumed alcohol with people (Matthew 11:19, John 2:9). Then why did God have problem here with them drinking wine? (i.e., Leviticus 10:9, Matthew 11:18-19)
  • By the end of this Chapter, how did people back then feel about God? How do people feel about God today? Explain.


Suggested Answers To Potential Discussion Questions

  • Recall, what has God been up-to, so far?
  • Here, what precisely went wrong here? Are you scared? Why even no warning? How can God be honored by this? (verse 3) But, how come other two sons not struck to death on disobedience? (Recall, when can one break a law?)

Leviticus 10:1 says Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu "offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. ". As a result, "fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord " (Leviticus 10:2).

There could be more to the story. Read on ...

Recall, Exodus 34:6-7 - “... “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” “

Passages such as these in rest of the Scriptures suggest to me that Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu may have been walking in disobedience without showing adequate signs of repentance for a while. They must have faced this judgement after their time for reconciling with God burned out.

Some say, Nadab and Abihu may also have been drunk, when they entered the Tabernacle, which could have been a factor in this judgement (as Leviticus 10:8-9 may indicate).

Also, God's judgement is not blind. Latter on, in the passage, Aaron's other two sons Eleazar and Ithamar did NOT face God's wrath for breaking God's law (They did not eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area - Leviticus 10:17). In this case, God understood that they broke His law by not eating sin offering in the sanctuary area, because they were internally mourning for their dead brothers, as indicated by Aaron's statement in Leviticus 10:19.

  • Are you amazed that God even did not spare Moses’s family members, given Moses was so close & dear to God? (Also the deceased were sons of HIGH PRIEST himself) What do we learn from that?

First of all, recall that God refers to Himself as the "Father" to Israelites (Exodus 4:22). Hence one can say that God here killed His own close family members.

Remember that the way God sees "family relations" is very different from what it is typically in this world. Jesus clarifies this in Matthew 12:46-50 - "While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Also, God does not do "favoritism", as He is a perfectly just God. Even, though Moses was very close and dear to God and also Aaron was God's chosen High Priest (one with the highest religious position chosen by God Himself), God did not spare Moses's very nephews / Aaron's son.

No matter how close or dear you are to God - at the day of final judgement, your un-saved family members will be on their own.


  • How comfortable are you in explaining these kinds of passages to a new believer or a non-believer? Or, do you all-together avoid talking about these with them? #Apologetics
  • How does God bring “judgement” on a person in TODAY’s time? Also under what circumstances?
    • How does God respond to sin in TODAY’s time?
  • God Jesus consumed alcohol with people (Matthew 11:19, John 2:9). Then why did God have problem here with them drinking wine? (i.e., Leviticus 10:9, Matthew 11:18-19)
  • By the end of this Chapter, how did people back then feel about God? How do people feel about God today? Explain.


Closing Remarks

  • Again and again, from the ongoing study of the Bible, we are reminded that we should always try to see life from God's eyes (remember similar lesson from the "Golden Calf" episode). As, He is the one who ultimately decides what is right and what is wrong. And, He also holds all people accountable for all their actions.
  • These kinds of passages in the Bible flies in the face of many people who reject God on the grounds that they do not "like" the fact that there is a God who holds people accountable for their actions, and He is also the one who ultimately decides what is right and what is wrong. They fail to realize that Gods ways are actually perfectly good, loving, and just (Recommended read:- https://devos20xx.blogspot.com/2019/02/why-did-god-give-us-laws.html ).
  • The God who seems "scary" here will also greatly suffer & die for His people, down the line - Then people will understand much better how deeply God loves and cares about people. Again, here we see one aspect of reality, but rest of Scriptures also assure that God's people are fully secure in His love (i.e., Romans 8:31-39, John 10:28-29, Hebrews 12:6). Yes, one must not misunderstand God from such "difficult" passages.