The Yale expositor., 1907-08-09
THE SIN OF NADAB
AND ABIHU
Sunday School Lesson Tor Aug. IL. 1907
Specially Prepared fer This Paper
Specially Prepared fer This Paper

verse g.
GOLDEN TEXT.-''wine is a mocker.
strong drink is raging, and whatsoever is
! deceived thereby is not ise."-Prov.
/ 901.
TIME.-Aprll b. C. 1870 Common chro-
/ nology); on the afternoon LEV. 1912. 1877
IF the first day that the priests entered
| Ipon the regular sacrifices of the taber-
lacle Qev. 1888; 9:D, eight days after the
completion of the tabernacle. our last
| lesson. Nearly a year after the exodus
! PLACE.-In the tabernacle near Sinai
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Misunderstanding was near
/ y prepared for the onward march to-
ward the promised land. There had
/ been nearly year of instruction and
| training in the wilderness experiences
and at Sinai. The tabernacle had been
| set up on the first day of the first
month. The priests had been pre-
| pared and trained IN their duty OF
leading the people in true worship. In
40 days, the goth of the second month.
/ they were to break up their long en-
campment and begin their journey
| eek. 40:17; Lev. 81; Mum. 10:11-13).
The moral law had been given. The
ritual law had been announced and
taught. The divine fire shone over the
Holy of Holes, like the sunlight,
peace, comfort, brightness, beauty.
life to those who use it Alright, but a
consuming fire to those who despise
and misuse it's power The divine fire
had kindled the fuel on the altar; a
perpetual flame Gev. 6:13) ito be
continually fed with the fuel especially
provided by the congregation, and
with the daily burnt offerings" Ira
dition assures us that it never was
quenched till the destruction Of the
temple by Northumberland" - DR..
Ginsburg. The ceremonial of religion
as appointed by God, to continue as
the best method of worship and relig.
ious education of the people, was be-
gun.
V. /. "Nadab and Abihu, the Sons
OF Aaron" His eldest sons lex. 6:23D
just indicted into the exalted office OF
priests, next TO their father, the high
priest, in the line of succession to tho
highest Office of religious leadership
and influence in the nation. A glorious
opportunity was before them.
They had passed through three great
portals of usefulness and happiness.
Cd Their parentage was fine advan
tage. Moses was their uncle. Their
exalted family had given them great
privilege of association with the best
in the nation. (2) Their education
was remarkable. They had spent a
year in Gods wilderness training
school, receiving the lessons of the
riven rock, the quails, the mamma, the
law written on the tables of stone.
Moreover, they had had the exalted
privilege of beholding with their own
eyes the glory of God upon the holy
mount Eek. 24:1. 8, 10). CD They
had passed through the portal of
glorious calling. They had been ded-
icated to a scored and most honorable
trust They wore the garments that
separated them, in the eyes of all men,
TO the priests life of holiness and
obedience. Before each of them was
even the thrilling possibility of becom.
ing high priest some day.
Their sin was a direct, public, mex
cusable disobedience to their God and
leader. 1t partook of the nature OF
treason. They doubtless did it thought
lessly. but there are occasions when
thoughtlessness is a crime.
The Necessity of the Punishment.
II was the same as the necessity for
all punishment,-in it's justice, in it's
measurement of the evil of the sin.
and it's prevention of crime. No gov
eminent of imperfect people can exist
or does exist without IL. "As has Just
been pointed out, the ritual system
had been inaugurated on that very
day. All was new and strange, easily
dislodged, deprecated, or corrupted,
and therefore needing special guard
ing. The bud needs, and has protec-
ton from rough husks, which the flow
er can do without. This swift death
of offenders against the new order has
its parallel in the swift death of
Ananias and Sapphira, which is to be
indicated on similar grounds. There.
too, the necessity was stringent for in
slant removal of a springing root of
bitterness, by which many might be
defiled, and for saving the young life
of the community from disease, which,
unchecked, might infect its whole fu-
ture.
One Cause Of the Trasedy.-vs. Oil.
8. do not drink wine nor strong
drink" The nearness of this injunc-
ton to the story of Nadab and Abihu
implies that their sin was due, partly.
II not wholly, to intoxication. The
Palestinian Chaldee adds here, as thy
sons did who died by burning fire."
-Ginsburg. When we go into the
tabernacle"
The reasons given for this prohibit
ton are two: % The tendency of
wine drinking is to obscure the ". 1O)
difference between holy and unholy"
or common: and CD they would be
better prepared to ". ID teach
all the statutes"
Practical Points.
Disobedience TO Gods laws is the
road to death, whether IL be disobedi-