Blameless

Author: Joseph

Date: September 2, 2018

The sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, offered unholy incense before God and were consumed by His fire. Moses spoke to Aaron and said to him, “It is what the Lord spoke saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored’” (Leviticus 10:3). Moses, although he was sympathetic to Aaron, also understood that Nadab and Abihu sinned against God before the entire congregation and therefore, although he was grieved, could only explain why Nadab and Abihu perished instead of offering words of comfort.

"Great sorrow overcame Aaron..."

Two of Aaron’s cousins were summoned to remove the bodies of Nadab and Abihu, and Aaron watched as his sons – burned and dead – were carried away. Great sorrow overcame Aaron and his remaining sons. Moses knew that their grief could quickly turn their focus away from what God had previously instructed and that Aaron and his two sons that remained may die as well as a result. Moses reminded Aaron and his sons to not uncover their heads or tear their clothes, which was a sign of mourning. He also instructed them not to leave the tent of meeting. What God had commanded them to do was still in effect.

Then God Himself spoke to Aaron as well, telling him not to drink wine when entering the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons may have thought about drinking wine to soothe the pain of their sorrow (compare Proverbs 31:6), and it may have been in part of the reason Nadab and Abihu lacked judgement in their unholy offering. Although wine is not forbidden for the rest of Israel, the priests were not to be under any influence that could distort the distinction between what was holy and what was common. Their service had to be with a clear mind and they had to be blameless in their conduct.

When we have a position of responsibility and when we are able to influence others, we must also be careful to remain blameless. Even if something is not forbidden by God and there is no commandment against doing something, that does not mean the action is justified. God added a new commandment for the priests not to drink wine before entering the tent of meeting because they could easily stumble into sin and He wanted to remind the priests of His holiness as well as protect their lives. When we know that something is potentially dangerous or may wrongly influence others, we should also refrain from performing such actions. We must love our neighbors, considering the impact our actions have on them.

Do you justify behavior that takes away from the holiness of God? Are you giving your best efforts to be blameless before all people, or do you only selfishly consider what is right in your mind? Do not distort the holiness of God and the holiness of who He has made you to be with selfish actions.

Bible Passage: Leviticus 10:1-11

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB). www.lockman.org