04/06/2024
Strange Fire
On this particular eighth day, however, which was meant to be a glorious conclusion to the time of preparing for the entry of God’s glory into the mishkan (tabernacle); and the beginning of Aaron and his sons’ priestly ministry – something went terribly wrong!
Nadav and Avihu, Aaron’s two eldest sons, perished in the blink of an eye – devoured by the consuming fire of God’s wrath. Why? It is not entirely clear what brought upon their destruction (although there are indications that they ministered under the influence of alcohol) but the Torah states that they offered up ‘strange fire’ which God had not commanded.
