Disregard

    With the pan epidemic a lot of people feel like it is judgment on the world.  I don't know if that is true or not.  I go back to the Bible.  There are plagues to get people's attention, but it is always clear why.  I know that disease does not pick and chose.  It finds a host and it consumes.  When it is a punishment from God, I think it will be clear.  A lot of people think the Pope got it justice.  He was just a victim of a sickness like everyone else that got sick.

    Nadab and Abihu were two of Aaron's sons.  They disregarded God's commands on their position as priest.  It was a position of power and influence given to them from God, but they let it get to their head.  This was the beginning and God need to make a clear example of the importance of the priesthood.

    God consumed the two brothers in fire as a warning to everyone else to live at a higher standard.  Leaders lose their ability to live for themselves as soon as they accept responsibility for other people.  Moses as spokeman for God would not let the priest or Aaron mourn them.  They needed to show the community that they would follow God's commands no matter what.  

    Moses also believed it would anger God to show them sympathy.  We don't need to sympathize for the dead.  Their fate is sealed.  Nothing can change it, but we can use the experience to learn from and try to do things differently for other people.  

    This is when God spoke to Aaron about not drinking wine.  Aaron needed to be able to distinguish between Holy and common clean v. unclean.  The priest were teachers that required discernment.  They did not get to dull their senses (or emotional pain) like normal people could.  They had to be alert and ready at all times for the people.  It must have been a very hard time for Aaron, but he stepped up and did as God required.  

Leviticus 10