For the first time in the book, Leviticus is written in narrative form. Chapter eight begins and ends with the phrase, “So Moses did as the LORD commanded him” (vv. 4, 36). The installation ceremony of the priests picks up in Exodus 29. Reading that chapter in Exodus reminded me of the coronation of King Charles. An elaborate set of procedures follows, during which the priests are formally purified and sanctified for the ministry. Midway through the seventh verse, the Hebrew transitions from the plural “him,” referring to Aaron’s sons, to the singular, focusing on Aaron. What are the Urim and Thummim? Many possibilities have been considered, but the traditional interpretation associates the terms with “light” and “perfection.” Interestingly, Urim begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and Thummim starts with the last letter. They appeared to have been used as a binary response to a question posed: yes/no, guilty/innocent.
Since the men had bathed, anointing oil was a way of entering a festive state, as when, after mourning, David rose, bathed, and anointed himself (2 Sam. 12:20). The specific spices and oil used are detailed in Exodus 30:22–25. Other ancient Near Eastern parallels suggest anointing with oil was a way to ward off bad spirits or evil forces. In this case, the anointing elevates the men and instruments of the tabernacle from the common to the divine. Following the anointing oil is the blood of sacrifice. It may be best to think of the former as consecrational and the latter as a “detergent” that rids it of impurities. It’s been suggested that the ear corresponds to obedience, while the hand and toe are emblems of human agency.
After their period of consecration, the priests are now ready to prepare the tabernacle for God’s presence. Thus far, His glory has filled the tabernacle, but it’s being prepared to be regarded as akin to Mount Sinai. Each has three levels:
Sinai Tabernacle
Summit (only Moses) Holy of Holies
Partyway up (elders) Sanctuary
Bottom (people) Court
Towards the end, Aaron raises his hand and blesses the people, likely invoking the tripartite blessing recorded in Numbers 6:24–26. God, then, reveals himself through fire, consuming the sacrifice and showing divine acceptance. This same fire, we will see, will be used lethally.
Though we’ve already read about Nadab (Generous) and Abihu (He is my father), there’s more to consider in this story. Typically, they would have filled fire pans with glowing coals and not an actual fire. They introduce an alien fire, so the fire of God consumes them. The word translated as “strange” fire can also be translated as “alien” and “unfit.” Whatever this fire is and where it came from, it wasn’t consecrated for entrance into the precinct. In verse two, the exact phrase we read in 9:24 appears. God forbade ordinary mourning over what occurred, but it seems that an allowance is made at the end of the chapter. Aaron is allowed not to partake in the offering of the offense, fasting being a common practice during mourning.
A Minister's Study 