In Wednesday's study we learned that two of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, offered incense to the Lord at the tabernacle in a sinful manner. They were immediately struck by fire and they perished. This is where we pick up in Chapter 10 today.
The bodies of Nadab and Abihu are still at the tabernacle and this situation has to be dealt with at once. "Moses summoned Michael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, and said to them, 'Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp, away from the front of the sanctuary.' So they came and carried them, still in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses ordered." (Leviticus 10:4-5)
Normally the closest family members of the deceased would be the ones to deal with the bodies after death. But Nadab's and Abihu's closest relatives are Aaron and his other two sons who are all priests. If they handle dead bodies they will be ceremonially unclean for the rest of the day and won't be able to carry out their duties at the tabernacle. This is why Moses calls for cousins to come and remove the bodies from the tabernacle. The bodies are removed still dressed in their priestly robes. Any priests who replace these two will, presumably, have new robes made for them. Though these garments have only been worn for a short time, they won't be used again, either because they've been rendered ceremonially unclean by encasing dead bodies or because the fire that killed the two men damaged their tunics.
Moses forbids Aaron and his two remaining sons to carry out any mourning rituals for the two dead men. "Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, 'Do not let your hair become unkempt and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or you will die, because the Lord's anointing oil is on you.' So they did as Moses said." (Leviticus 10:6-7)
A person in mourning would tear the sleeves of their robes and observe days of weeping and fasting, days in which they didn't change their clothes or comb their hair or anoint their heads or faces or bodies with things like grooming products or perfumes. I am sure Aaron and Eleazar and Ithamar mourn the dead in their hearts but they aren't allowed to put on any public displays of mourning under these special circumstances in which they find themselves. Some scholars think that to do so would be to give the impression to the people that they didn't feel God was right to strike Nadab and Abihu dead. On top of that it would be unseemly for the priests to tear the beautiful robes they were just given in their ordination ceremony in Chapter 9. Other scholars think that observing the typical mourning period would have prevented the remaining priests from serving at the tabernacle and ministering to the people for a period of time. I think it could be a combination of all these factors.
The priesthood has just been established and the priests were just ordained in our previous chapter and the tabernacle has just now been opened for use. Religious life would come to a standstill if Aaron and his other two sons went into mourning and I believe that's the worst thing that could happen to the congregation of Israel right now. Aaron and his sons must continue to honor the Lord and lift up His name and serve Him in the sight of the people. The people must continue to have access to the fresh new tabernacle they've just been blessed with. In view of the tragedy that just occurred, the people need to gather together in worship where they'll find comfort in the encouragement of one another and where they'll find comfort in the presence of the Lord.
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