There is something unusually arresting and impressive in the way in which Aaron received the heavy stroke of divine judgment.--"_Aaron held his peace._" It was a solemn scene. His two sons struck dead at his side--smitten down by the fire of divine judgment.[20] He had but just seen them clothed in their garments of glory and beauty--washed, robed, and anointed. They had stood with him before the Lord to be inaugurated into the priestly office; they had offered, in company with him, the appointed sacrifices; they had seen the beams of the divine glory darting from the shekinah; they had seen the fire of Jehovah fall upon the sacrifice and consume it; they had heard the shout of triumph issuing from an assembly of adoring worshipers;--all this had but recently passed before him; and now, alas! his two sons lie at his side in the grasp of death. The fire of the Lord, which so recently fed upon an acceptable sacrifice, had now fallen in judgment upon them, and what could he say? Nothing. "Aaron held his peace." "I was dumb and opened not my mouth, because Thou didst it." It was the hand of God; and although it might, in the judgment of flesh and blood, seem to be a very heavy hand, yet he had only to bow his head in silent awe and reverent acquiescence. "_I_ was dumb ... because _Thou_ didst it." This was the suited attitude in the presence of the divine visitation. Aaron doubtless felt that the very pillars of his house were shaken by the thunder of divine judgment, and he could only stand in silent amazement in the midst of the soul-subduing scene. A father bereaved of his two sons, and in such a manner, and under such circumstances, was no ordinary case. It furnished a deeply impressive commentary upon the words of the Psalmist, "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him." (Psalm lxxxix.) "Who would not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name?" May we learn to walk softly in the divine presence--to tread Jehovah's courts with unshod foot and reverent spirit. May our priestly censer ever bear upon it the one material--the beaten incense of Christ's manifold perfections, and may the power of the Spirit kindle up the hallowed flame. All else is not only worthless, but vile. Every thing that springs from nature's energy, every thing produced by the actings of the human will--the most fragrant incense of man's devising--the most intense ardor of natural devotion, will all issue in "strange fire," and evoke the solemn judgment of the Lord God Almighty. Oh for a thoroughly truthful heart and worshiping spirit, in the presence of our God and Father, continually!