Chapters 5 & 6

CONSEQUENCE OF SIN

DEATH OF NADAB & ABIHU

On Nisan 1 of the second year after the Exodus from Egypt, the Tabernacle was completed and consecrated. On that same day, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu died for offering unauthorized fire before the LORD.

Leviticus 10:1–2 —
*“Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.”*¹

This event occurred on the very day God’s presence entered the Tabernacle.

The Date in History

The incident recorded in Leviticus took place on the day the portable sanctuary (Mishkan) was officially dedicated.

• Hebrew Calendar Date:
  Nisan 1, year 2448 from Creation, according to the traditional      Jewish calendar²
• Approximate Gregorian Equivalent:
      Commonly estimated around 1312 BCE, though some chronologies place the Tabernacle’s construction closer to 1455 BCE or 1512 BCE,      depending on the Exodus dating model used³

Regardless of the exact Gregorian equivalent, the biblical date is fixed:

Nisan 1 — the first day of the first month.

Nisan 1 on the Modern Gregorian Calendar

Because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, Nisan 1 does not fall on a fixed Gregorian date. It always occurs in March or April.

Examples of recent and upcoming dates for Rosh Chodesh Nisan include:

• 2024:  April 9
  (sundown April 8 – sundown April 9)
• 2025:  March 30
  (sundown March 29 – sundown March 30)
• 2026:  March 19
  (sundown March 18 – sundown March 19)

This reinforces that Nisan 1 consistently marks a transition point—a beginning—on God’s calendar.

The Significance of “Unauthorized Fire”

The seriousness of Nadab and Abihu’s offense lies not merely in ritual error, but in direct disobedience to God’s explicit instructions regarding worship.

Their sin is described as offering “unauthorized,” “strange,” or “profane” fire—fire the LORD had not commanded.

Key aspects of its significance include:

Violation of Divine Command

God had given detailed instructions for Tabernacle worship, including the source of the fire used for incense. The fire was to come only from the altar, which God Himself had ignited.⁴

Nadab and Abihu acted on their own initiative, using an unauthorized source—or possibly an improper incense mixture—rather than following God’s command.

Irreverence and Presumption

Their actions demonstrated a lack of reverence for God’s holiness. They attempted to worship God according to personal preference, rather than obedience.

In doing so, they treated a sacred space and solemn responsibility as if it were ordinary.

Upholding God’s Holiness

The immediate judgment—fire coming from the LORD—served as a public and unmistakable declaration:

God’s holiness must be honored, especially by those who draw nearest to Him.

This moment established a non-negotiable precedentfor the newly inaugurated priesthood and Tabernacle worship.

Leadership Accountability

Nadab and Abihu were:

• Aaron’s firstborn sons
• Newly consecrated priests
• Public leaders meant to model obedience

Their failure carried greater weight because their example had the potential to lead the entire nation astray.

Distinguishing the Holy from the Common

Following this incident, God gave a direct command to the priests:

“You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean.”
— Leviticus 10:10⁵

This command underscores the central lesson of the event:
God alone defines what is holy.

Conclusion

The deaths of Nadab and Abihu occurred on Nisan 1, the same day:

• God’s presence entered the Tabernacle
• The priesthood officially began
• Israel’s worship system was inaugurated

This was not coincidence.

From the very beginning, God made it clear that redemption does not eliminate reverence, and grace does not remove obedience.

God determines how He is approached.
Human improvisation in worship is not harmless—it is serious.

The day God came near, He also drew a line.

References — Chapter 5 (NKJV unless noted)

1. Leviticus 10:1–2

2. Traditional Jewish chronology (Seder Olam Rabbah)

3. Exodus dating models (early and late Exodus views)

4. Leviticus 16:12; Leviticus 9:24

5. Leviticus 10:10 

EZRA'S RETURN FROM BABYLON

LAW OF MOSES RE-ESTABLISHED

Ezra the priest began his journey from Babylon to Jerusalem on Nisan 1, the first day of the first month. Depending on the Jewish calendar system used, this date corresponds to either March 27, 457 BC, or April 8, 458 BC.¹

Most scholars place this event in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes I, who ruled the Persian Empire from 465 BC to 424 BC.² Artaxerxes authorized Ezra to return to Jerusalem with the explicit purpose of restoring the Law of Moses and reorganizing the Jewish community.³

Ezra and those traveling with him journeyed for four months, arriving in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month (Av) of that same year.⁴

Ezra, both priest and scribe, returned around 458 BC to lead a major spiritual reform and to re-establish the Torah as the central legal and spiritual authority of the Jewish people.

Why Ezra Was Returning

Ezra’s return marked the second major wave of exiles coming back from Babylonian captivity. This occurred decades after Zerubbabel’s earlier group had rebuilt the Temple.

Ezra’s mission focused not on construction, but on restoration of covenant faithfulness.

His primary objectives included:

To Teach God’s Law

Ezra had a clear and defined calling:

“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”
— Ezra 7:10⁵
 

Upon arriving in Jerusalem, Ezra discovered that many Jews lacked knowledge of the Torah and were no longer living in obedience to it.

To Purify the Community

Ezra was deeply distressed to find that many Jewish men—including priests and leaders—had married women from surrounding nations.⁶

These marriages were prohibited under the Torah because they risked drawing Israel into idolatry.

A central part of Ezra’s mission was to address these sinful marriages, calling the people to repentance and separation in order to preserve the covenant and purify the community.

To Administer Funds and Establish Justice

King Artaxerxes provided Ezra with:

• Large amounts of silver and gold for the Temple 
• Authority to appoint judges and magistrates skilled in God’s law 

Ezra was empowered to enforce obedience to the Law of Moses throughout the province.⁷

To Fulfill Prophecy

The return from Babylon was understood as the fulfillment of God’s promise, spoken through prophets such as Jeremiah, that Israel would return to the land after seventy years of exile.⁸

Ezra’s return represented a continuation and completion of this prophetic restoration.

Why Nisan 1 Matters

Ezra’s decision to depart on Nisan 1 carries deep theological significance.

Nisan 1 was already established in the Torah as:

• The beginning of the religious year 
• The month of the Exodus from Egypt
  (Exodus 12:1–2) 

Beginning this journey on Nisan 1 intentionally echoed Israel’s original redemption.

A Symbol of New Beginnings

Just as God formed Israel into a nation during the Exodus that began in Nisan, Ezra was inaugurating a renewed and purified community, once again centered on the Law of God.

The pattern repeats:

• Redemption
• Restoration
• Re-commitment to covenant 

All beginning on Nisan 1.

Divine Providence and God’s “Gracious Hand”

Ezra repeatedly emphasizes that the success of the journey was due to God’s gracious hand upon them.⁹

From receiving authorization from a pagan king to traveling safely for four months across dangerous territory, the timing underscored God’s sovereign guidance.

Foundation of Post-Exilic Judaism

Ezra’s reforms reshaped Jewish life.

By publicly reading, teaching, and enforcing the Torah, Ezra redirected the focus of the people from reliance on the physical Temple alone to obedience to the written Law.

This shift established Judaism as a portable faith, able to survive outside the land—a foundation for what is commonly called Second Temple Judaism.¹⁰

Conclusion

Ezra’s return on Nisan 1 was not accidental.

It marked:

• A new beginning after exile
• The restoration of God’s Law
• The re-formation of a covenant community
   

Once again, God used Nisan 1 to begin renewal.

References — Chapter 6 (NKJV unless noted)

1. Ezra 7:9; Jewish calendar calculations 
2. Persian chronology of Artaxerxes I (465–424 BC)
3. Ezra 7:11–26
4. Ezra 7:9
5. Ezra 7:10
6. Ezra 9–10
7. Ezra 7:25–26
8. Jeremiah 25:11–12; Jeremiah 29:1 
9. Ezra 7:6, 9, 28
10. Nehemiah 8: development of Second Temple Judaism