The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-07-13

the fire in their censers by other fire than
that now burning, and to continuously
burn, on the Lrazen altar This offence
was committed in a solemn service, when
the eyes of all the sons of Levi, who were
permitted to come into the temple court,
were fixed upon them; and when the eyes
of the whole host were turned in wonder
and prayer toward the sanctuary.
That such senseless profanity could
have been enacted by men who were in
their sob senses is not probable. The
circumstances favor the truth of the state
ment made in one of the ancient versions
of Exodus, that this shallow hilarity, this
burlesque of the solemn worship, was the
immediate effect of indulgence in strong
drink. Nadab and Abihu may have been
victims of vicious habit; or they may
have fortified their sham courage for an
intended sacrilege by unusual rotations.
When they had completed their fool
hardy act of rebellion and defiance, they
came out into the open court.
1t was at this time that the strange thing
occurred. There came forth fire from be-
fore the Lara, and devouyed them, and
they died 6efoye tie LORD. From what
follows we can easily believe that Moses
was the agent of this divine fire. 1t was
the divine fire of Moses indignation. 1t
may have been command that the desc
orators of the tabernacle be instantly
killed. The fire that s'devoured" them did
not, at least, burn their priestly garments.
1t was like Moses to promptly and am
ply avenge such profanity and treason;
and the old annalist, in recording the event,
used such hgurative speech as Mrs. Howe
employed when she sang of the Union
army of emancipation:
GOD hath loosed the ateful lightning of his terri
BILE swift word"
2. Mourning Forbidden to the
Remaining Priests,-vs. 6, ?.
These corpses in the court polluted the
sanctuary. Whosoever hands touched
them would be polluted. But Moses COM
manded that two Levites, whose duty it
was to serve the priests in the tabernacle,
should remove the dead bodies. To Mish-
ael and Elzaphan, second cousins of the
dead men, fell the sorrowful duty In the
phrasing of the ancient East they were
"brethren" of the ones who had thus come
under the Divine condemnation. Neither
the father nor the blood-brothers of Nadab
and Abihu could be allowed to touch the
corpses; it would have made them cere-
monially unclean, therefore incapable of
the priestly duties which they could now
al i
out of the camp,-beyond the village of
tents ard booths of the children of Israel,
and buried with their priestly robes upon
them. 1t was the custom, we are told, to
make the cast-of robes of priests into
wicking for the lamps of the holy place;
but these robes had been rendered unfit
for such sacred use.
Moses commanded Aaron, the father,
and Eleazar and Ithamar, the brothers of
the stricken men, to refrain from public
worship. They were not to appear dis
heveled, or with their clothing rent open
over their hearts, which were the custom
airy signs of intense personal bereavement.
They were, instead, as anointed priests, to
fulfil their public duties in apparent disre-
gard of their private sorrow. They were
to remain in the sanctuary during this day
of celebration; they were not to mingle
with the people. in seeming appeal for
sympathy.
And they did aecoydixe to the zVord of
Noses The reason for such stern severity
is that the Nervousness of the offence of
Nadab and Abihu might be emphasized.
There were undoubtedly private scoffers
among the people, who were in virtual
league with Nadab and Abihu as open
scorners of the sanctuary. Such a rebel
lious spirit must receive no encouragement
at the hands of the priests. Aaron and
his sons were to atone, so far as it might
be done by added devotion of their own,
for the loss of their kinsmen. Mourning
however was not prohibited to the people;
they might well bewail the proclamation of
the tabernacle, the cause of the burning
sVAfch tie Lord kind2ed
3. Wine and Strong Drink Pro-
hibited,-vs 8-II.
The command of the Spirit to Aaron,
Do not drink 7Of1te, nor thy sons 7Otfh kaes,
sVAen ye 90 into tie tabernacle of the con-
gyegafion, lestye die, is a plain implication
that Nadab and Abihu had committed
their sin while under the influence of
strong drink. That such was the fact is
directly stated in one of the ancient YER
sions. But this was not an excuse for
these offenders. That they had made
strong drink their ally in their contempt
and profanity of the tabernacle service,
did not decrease their personal response
bility.
Thus, in its very establishment, the wor-
ship of Jehovah was by statute freed from
the intemperance and excuses which had
characterized so largely the ancient pagan
worship.
The solemnities of the tabernacle and
temple could not be properly performed by
person who was in any degree under the
influence of intoxicants. Who in our
day, would see drunken minister in the
pulpit
And if the use of strong drink, in even
its slightest beginning, is wisely prohibited
to those who are to lead the people in wor-
ship, does not the same rule prohibit it to
all who are under anv IF life's GREAT re-