Have you thought of what a book this Bible is? It tells not only of a holy God, who must punish sin, but of His love to sinners. It tells of how much He has done for His creatures to make them happy, and happy in His presence, and tells of those creatures of His, ourselves, who so often displease Him, and so ready to do that which is a dishonor to Him.
He gave the lovely garden of Eden, and Eve listened to Satan’s life. Adam followed in her sin. This was early in Genesis.
God let Himself be known to Moses on the mountain top, and the people were making a golden calf at the base of the mountain, and calling it their god. This was in Exodus. And now what? No sooner had God shown His glory (end of chapter 9), and fire came out from His presence, and burnt up the sacrifice lying on the altar. than Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu. bring on themselves the quick and unsparing judgment of God by offering strange fire. They knew what had been ordered by Him, and they chose to do something else, and God would not allow it in those young men, so near to Him in their place as priests.
Mishael and Elzaphan carried the dead bodies outside of the camp, and Aaron and his two living sons were told that they must not give in to their grief as others would. It was too serious a thing that had happened; it was open sin, and God had to punish it. The whole camp. though, should mourn over it as the judgment of God on sin in their midst.
The priests were not to go outside of the tabernacle now (verse 7), nor could they be allowed to drink wine or strong drink, which were not suitable for the presence of God. They must act soberly there, neither excited by wine nor giving way to grief, and they must know what was holy, and what was clean.
Another error on men’s part is recorded in verses 16-18, where the two living sons of Aaron were blamed. Failure was now complete, but these two were permitted to live.