XV. MISHAEL, ELIZAPHAN AND THE DEED NADAB AND ABIHU

Another coincidence suggests itself, arising out of this same portion of history, whether, however, founded in fact or in fancy, be my readers the judges. From the 9th chapter of Numbers, v. 15, we learn that the Tabernacle was erected in the wilderness preparatory to the celebration of the first Passover kept by the Israelites after their escape from Egypt. From the 40th chapter of Exodus we find, that it was reared on the first day of the first month (v. 2), or thirteen days before the Passover [Lev. 23:5.] , and that at the same time Aaron and his sons were consecrated to minister in it (v. 13). In the 8th and 9th chapters of Leviticus are given the particulars of their consecration (8th, 6, 12, 30), and the ceremony is said to have occupied seven days (v. 33), during which they were not to leave the Tabernacle day or night. On the eighth day they offered up sin-offerings for themselves and for the people. It was on this same day, as we read in the 10th chapter [See ch. 9:8. 12; 10:19.] , that Nadab and Abihu were cut off because of the strange fire which they offered, and their dead bodies were disposed of as follows:—“Moses called Mishael and Elizaphan the sons of Uzziel, the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. So they went near and carried them in their coats out of the camp.” (10:4.) All this happened on the eighth day of the first month, or just six days before the Passover.

Now in the 9th chapter of the Book of Numbers, which speaks of this identical Passover (v. 1), as will be seen by a reference to the first verse of that chapter (indeed there is no mention of more than this one Passover having been kept in the whole march [See also Josh. 5:9, 10.] ), in this 9th chapter I am told of the following incidental difficulty:—that “there were certain men who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the Passover on that day—and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day—and those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man, wherefore are we kept back that we may not offer an offering to the Lord in his appointed season among the children of Israel.” (v. 6, 7.) The case is spoken of as a solitary one.

Now it may be observed, by way of limiting the question, that the number of Israelites who paid a tax to the Tabernacle a short time, and only a short time, before its erection, was 603,550, being all the males above twenty years of age, the Levites excepted [Exod. 38:26.] —at least this exception is all but certain, that tribe being the tellers, being already consecrated, and set apart from the other tribes, and it not being usual to take the sum of them among the children of Israel [See Num. 1:47. 49, and 26:62.] . Moreover, the number is likely, in this instance, to be correct, because it tallies with the number of talents to which the poll-tax amounted at half a shekel a head. But shortly after the Tabernacle had been set up (for it was at the beginning of the second month of the second year), the number of the people was again taken according to the families and tribes [Num. 1:46.] , and still it is just the same as before, 603,550 men. In this short interval, therefore (which is that in which we are now interested), it should seem that no man had died of the males who were above twenty, not being Levites—for of these no account seems to have been taken in either census—indeed in the latter census they are expressly excepted. The dead body, therefore, by which these “certain men” were defiled, could not have belonged to this large class of the Israelites. But of a case of death, and of defilement in consequence, which had happened only six days before the Passover, amongst the Levites, we had been told (as we have seen) in the 9th chapter of Leviticus. My conclusion, therefore, is that these “certain men,” who were defiled, were no others than Mishael and Elizaphan, who had carried out the dead bodies of Nadab and Abihu. Neither can anything be more likely than that, with the lively impression on their minds of God’s wrath so recently testified against those who should presume to approach him unhallowed, they should refer their case to Moses, and run no risk.

I state the conclusion and the grounds of it. To those who require stronger proof, I can only say, I have none to give; but if the coincidence be thought well founded, then surely a more striking example of consistency without design cannot well be conceived. Indeed, after it had been suggested to me by a hint to this effect, thrown out by Dr. Shuckford, unaccompanied by any exposition of the arguments which might be urged in support of it, I had put it aside as one of those gratuitous conjectures in which that learned Author may perhaps be thought sometimes to indulge—till, by searching more accurately through several detached parts of several detached chapters in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, I was able to collect the evidence I have produced; whether satisfactory or not—be my readers, as I have said, the judges. For myself, I confess, that though it is not demonstrative, it is very persuasive.