1Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered strange fire before Yahweh, which he had not commanded them. 2Fire came out from before Yahweh, and devoured them, and they died before Yahweh.
3Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what Yahweh spoke of, saying,
‘I will show myself holy to those who come near me,
and before all the people I will be glorified.’”
Aaron held his peace. 4Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Draw near, carry your brothers from before the sanctuary out of the camp.” 5So they came near, and carried them in their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.
6Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, “Don’t let the hair of your heads go loose, and don’t tear your clothes, so that you don’t die, and so that he will not be angry with all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which Yahweh has kindled. 7You shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die; for the anointing oil of Yahweh is on you.” They did according to the word of Moses. 8Then Yahweh said to Aaron, 9“You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 10You are to make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean. 11You are to teach the children of Israel all the statutes which Yahweh has spoken to them by Moses.”
12Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons who were left, “Take the meal offering that remains of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire, and eat it without yeast beside the altar; for it is most holy; 13and you shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your portion, and your sons’ portion, of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire; for so I am commanded. 14The waved breast and the heaved thigh you shall eat in a clean place, you, and your sons, and your daughters with you: for they are given as your portion, and your sons’ portion, out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the children of Israel. 15They shall bring the heaved thigh and the waved breast with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before Yahweh. It shall be yours, and your sons’ with you, as a portion forever, as Yahweh has commanded.”
16Moses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burned. He was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying, 17“Why haven’t you eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is most holy, and he has given it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before Yahweh? 18Behold, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly should have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.”
19Aaron spoke to Moses, “Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before Yahweh; and such things as these have happened to me. If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been pleasing in Yahweh’s sight?”
20When Moses heard that, it was pleasing in his sight.
This passage illustrates how God expects detailed obedience. The sons of Aaron the high priest offered strange fire before the LORD. The fire was called “strange,” because God had not commanded them to offer such fire. According to Leviticus 16:11-14 (see also Exodus 30:9), the fire for the firepans ought to have been taken from the altar before the LORD. Since they took fire from another source, they were instantly consumed by fire that came out from the presence of the LORD. Despite prior instruction (Leviticus 1-9) and warnings about the consequences of disobedience, they chose to disobey (Leviticus 8:35; 9:7, 10, 16, 21).
Many more examples of God’s desire for comprehensive obedience can be cited. Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others (Matthew 23:23).” Zacharias was struck with muteness right away when he “did not believe” Gabriel’s announcement that Elizabeth would miraculously conceive John the Baptist (Luke 1:18-25). Ananias and Sapphira died immediately when Satan filled their heart “to lie to the Holy Spirit” about the price of the sale of their land (Acts 5:1-11). Herod was straight away killed by the angel of the Lord “because he did not give God the glory” when the people shouted, “The voice of a god and not of a man (Acts 12:20-23)!” Elymas the magician was smitten with blindness for a time because he was “seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith (Acts 13:4-12).” A “so-called brother” was delivered “to Satan for the destruction of his flesh,” was supposed to be removed from the local church, and Christians were “not even to eat with such a one” since he was committing adultery with “his father’s wife (1 Corinthians 5).” Some of the Corinthians were “weak and sick,” and a number had died because they partook of communion unworthily (1 Corinthians 11:20-34).