Due to their weakness concerning God’s judgment on Nadab and Abihu, Aaron and his sons were not fit to eat the sin offering (vv. 16-17, 19-20). This signifies that if we are weak in accepting God’s judgment on the serving ones who are intimate and close to us, we will not be able to partake of Christ as our sin offering in the way of taking His sinless life as our life supply so that we can minister Him to the believers as the life that deals with their sin.

On the one hand, Aaron and his sons were weak concerning God’s judgment; on the other hand, Aaron had a proper consideration, for he and his sons were sorrowful and unhappy, and eating the sin offering under such circumstances would not have been pleasing to the Lord. Aaron’s response pleased Moses, who represented God (v. 20). Aaron and his sons had not followed the divine regulation in a legal way, not because of disobedience but because of a positive consideration of their circumstances. This incident indicates that with respect to keeping the regulations made by God, in God’s mercy there is a margin for consideration. What Aaron and his sons did was seemingly against God’s regulation, but actually it was something done in wisdom.

See note Lev. 16:1¹.

The priests’ partaking of the sin offering to bear the iniquity of the people signifies that we, the New Testament priests, partake of Christ as the believers’ sin offering in the sense of participating in Christ’s life, the life that bears others’ sins, as our life supply that we may be able to bear the problems of God’s people. The rich enjoyment of Christ as our sin offering in the church life enables us to minister Christ to the believers as the life that deals with sin, that they may deal with their sins to restore their broken fellowship with God (cf. Gal. 6:1-2; Eph. 4:2).

See note Lev. 7:29¹.

The eating of the remainder of the meal offering, as the priests’ portion, unleavened in a holy place beside the altar (vv. 12-13) signifies that after God has enjoyed His portion (Lev. 2:2, 9), the remaining part of Christ in His humanity as our meal offering is for us, the New Testament priests, to enjoy as our portion without sin (unleavened), in a holy place (in God’s presence), and beside the cross (the altar).

The judgment of God on Aaron’s two sons did not terminate God’s mercy on His people. The giving of the meal offering to Aaron and his two sons immediately after God’s disciplinary judgment and correction in vv. 1-11 was a further expression of God’s mercy and grace.

This charge indicates that the reason Nadab and Abihu acted carelessly and without fear in offering strange fire to God might have been that they were drunk with wine or strong drink. The charge in vv. 9-11 signifies that God’s serving ones, in coming into the church life, should not drink anything of the worldly enjoyment, of the fleshly interest, and of the natural excitement that they might not suffer spiritual deadness but be able to make a distinction between the holy and the common and between the unclean and the clean, and be able to teach God’s people His regulations.

This signifies that the whole body of God’s people should grieve over the judgment of God upon the unholiness of His serving ones.

This signifies that even God’s judgment of death upon the relatives should not be an excuse for His serving ones to be disorderly in their subjection to the headship of Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 11:10, 15) and to break the perfection of their conduct (cf. note Exo. 28:2^1a and note Exo. 28:2²), that they might not suffer deadness in their spiritual life and cause God to be unhappy with His people.

This signifies that the deadness of unholiness should be kept away from the sphere of God’s holiness and also from the community, the fellowship, of God’s people.

On God’s side the fire of His judgment (v. 2) also sanctifies Him in His serving ones who come near to Him and glorifies Him before His people.

This fire was the opposite of common fire. It was from God, not from man, and it was from the heavens, not from the earth. Furthermore, it was for judgment, not for acceptance (cf. Rev. 9:24).

The strange fire offered by Nadab and Abihu was common fire, not holy fire. It was not fire from the altar (Lev. 16:12), which came forth from God, from heaven (Lev. 9:24), but fire from man, from the earth, with no base of expiation. Strange fire signifies man’s natural enthusiasm, natural affection, natural strength, and natural ability offered to God. Nadab and Abihu did something for God, but they did it in a natural way. Hence, God judged this offering by consuming the two priests (v. 2). This is a strong warning showing us that in touching the divine things we need to apply the cross to our natural life. Otherwise, our careless touching of the holy things of God will bring in spiritual deadness, and may even result in physical death (Acts 5:1-11; 1 Cor. 11:27-32; 1 John 5:16), as a judgment from the holy God. See note 2 Sam. 6:7² and note Heb. 12:29¹.

The negative situation involving Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons, took place not long after, and probably at the end of, the day of glory and blessing described in Lev. 9:22-24.