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Aaron |
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Effective teamwork happens when each team member uses his or her
special skills. Ideally each member’s strengths will contribute
something important to the team effort. In this way, members make up for
one another’s weaknesses. Aaron made a good team with Moses. He provided
Moses with one skill Moses lacked—effective public speaking. But while
Aaron was necessary to Moses, he needed Moses as well. Without a guide,
Aaron had little direction of his own. There was never any doubt as to who
God’s chosen and trained leader was. The pliability that made Aaron a
good follower made him a weak leader. His major failures were caused by
his inability to stand alone. His yielding to public pressure and making
an idol was a good example of this weakness.
Most of us have more of the follower than the leader in us. We may even be good followers, following a good leader. But no leader is perfect, and no human deserves our complete allegiance. Only God deserves our complete loyalty and obedience. We need to be effective team members in using the skills and abilities God has given us. But if the team or the leader goes against God’s Word, we must be willing to stand alone. 1- Strengths and accomplishments
2- Weaknesses and mistakes
4- Lessons from his life
5- Vital statistics
6- Key verses "Then the Lord became angry with Moses. ‘All right,’ he said. ‘What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? He is a good speaker. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. And when he sees you, he will be very glad.… Aaron will be your spokesman to the people, and you will be as God to him, telling him what to say’" (Exodus 4:14, 16). Aaron’s story is told in Exodus—Deuteronomy 10:6. He is also mentioned in Hebrews 7:11.
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(1) Aaron Eldest son of Amram and Jochebed, of the tribe of Levi. We first read of him when Moses was excusing himself from being sent to deliver Israel from Eygpt because he was ‘slow of speech.’ Jehovah declared that his brother Aaron who was coming to meet him could speak well and should be his spokesman. Aaron accompanied Moses in his interviews with Pharaoh, and with his rod some of the miraculous plagues were called forth. He with Hur held up the hands of Moses on the Mount when Israel fought with Amalek. #Ex 17:12. Aaron with his two sons Nadab and Abihu with seventy of the elders, went with Moses into the mount where "they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness." #Ex 24:9,10. When Moses retired higher into the mount, he left Israel in charge of Aaron and. Hur. #Ex 24:14. Aaron, alas, had not the stability of his brother, {1} but at the request of the people, and apparently without a protest, made for them the golden calf: he also built an altar before it, and made proclamation of feast to Jehovah on the morrow. He was thus engaged while God was directing Moses respecting the tabernacle and its offerings, and declaring that Aaron and his sons were to be the appointed priests. Their appointment stood, shewing how marvellously God’s grace abounds over sin, and that none are chosen because of their inherent goodness. {2} Aaron with Miriam (priest and prophetess) spake against Moses, with whom as mediator God had established His covenant for Israel in sovereign mercy, #Ex 34:27; and to whom God spake ‘mouth to mouth’ at that time. Their excuse was that he had married an Ethiopian woman (sign of the same sovereign grace that goes out to Gentiles who have no claim to it). Aaron humbled himself and interceded for Miriam. #Nu 12. Aaron also sinned with Moses at the waters of Meribah, and was not allowed to enter the promised land. #Nu 20:10-29. He was stripped of his robes, which were put on Eleazar his son, and he died and was buried on Mount Hor. Viewed officially Aaron is a striking type of Christ. In his consecration he was clothed with the priestly garments, with the breastplate, the mitre and the crown, and then was anointed with oil, type of the Holy Spirit. It was only in connection with his sons that there was any washing spoken of, or any sacrifice, even as Christ identified Himself with the priestly company, His brethren. #Ex 29:4,10,19,20 Heb 2:11-13. {1} Moses was with God—Aaron with the people. The stability of Moses was dependent upon the fact, that he was sustained by sovereign grace in communion with the thoughts of God: while Aaron below fell in with the thoughts of the people. {2} Aaron’s rod that budded had more to do with the tribe of Levi being chosen for the priesthood than with Aaron as an individual. #Nu 17:8. (2) Aaron The eldest son of Amram and Jochebed, a daughter of Levi #Ex 6:20 Some explain the name as meaning mountaineer, others mountain of strength, illuminator. He was born in Egypt three years before his brother Moses, and a number of years after his sister Miriam #Ex 2:1,4 7:7 He married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab of the house of Judah #Ex 6:23 1Ch 2:10 by whom he had four sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. When the time for the deliverance of Isarael out of Egypt drew nigh, he was sent by God #Ex 4:14,27-30 to meet his long-absent brother, that he might co-operate with him in all that they were required to do in bringing about the Exodus. He was to be the "mouth" or "prophet" of Moses, i.e., was to speak for him, because he was a man of a ready utterance #Ex 7:1,2,9,10,19 He was faithful to his trust, and stood by Moses in all his interviews with Pharaoh. When the ransomed tribes fought their first battle with Amalek in Rephidim, Moses stood on a hill overlooking the scene of the conflict with the rod of God in his outstretched hand. On this occasion he was attended by Aaron and Hur, his sister’s husband, who held up his wearied hands till Joshua and the chosen warriors of Israel gained the victory #Ex 17:8-13 Afterwards, when encamped before Sinai, and when Moses at the command of God ascended the mount to receive the tables of the law, Aaron and his two sons, Nadab and Abihu, along with seventy of the elders of Israel, were permitted to accompany him part of the way, and to behold afar off the manifestation of the glory of Israel’s God #Ex 19:24 24:9-11 While Moses remained on the mountain with God, Aaron returned unto the people; and yielding through fear, or ignorance, or instability of character, to their clamour, made unto them a golden calf, and set it up as an object of worship #Ex 32:4 #Ps 106:19 On the return of Moses to the camp, Aaron was sternly rebuked by him for the part he had acted in this matter; but he interceded for him before God, who forgave his sin #De 9:20 On the mount, Moses received instructions regarding the system of worship which was to be set up among the people; and in accordance therewith Aaron and his sons were consecrated to the priest’s office #Le 8:1ff. #Le 9:1ff. Aaron, as high priest, held henceforth the prominent place appertaining to that office. When Israel had reached Hazeroth, in "the wilderness of Paran," Aaron joined with his sister Miriam in murmuring against Moses, "because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married," probably after the death of Zipporah. But the Lord vindicated his servant Moses, and punished Miriam with leprosy #Nu 12:1ff. Aaron acknowledged his own and his sister’s guilt, and at the intercession of Moses they were forgiven. Twenty years after this, when the children of Israel were encamped in the wilderness of Paran, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram conspired against Aaron and his sons; but a fearful judgment from God fell upon them, and they were destroyed, and the next day thousands of the people also perished by a fierce pestilence, the ravages of which were only stayed by the interposition of Aaron #Nu 16:1ff. That there might be further evidence of the divine appointment of Aaron to the priestly office, the chiefs of the tribes were each required to bring to Moses a rod bearing on it the name of his tribe. And these, along with the rod of Aaron for the tribe of Levi, were laid up overnight in the tabernacle, and in the morning it was found that while the other rods remained unchanged, that of Aaron "for the house of Levi" budded, blossomed, and yielded almonds #Nu 17:1-10 This rod was afterwards preserved in the tabernacle #Heb 9:4 as a memorial of the divine attestation of his appointment to the priesthood. Aaron was implicated in the sin of his brother at Meribah #Nu 20:8-13 and on that account was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. When the tribes arrived at Mount Hor, "in the edge of the land of Edom," at the command of God Moses led Aaron and his son Eleazar to the top of that mountain, in the sight of all the people. There he stripped Aaron of his priestly vestments, and put them upon Eleazar; and there Aaron died on the top of the mount, being 123 years old #Nu 20:23-29 Comp. #De 10:6 32:50 and was "gathered unto his people." The people, "even all the house of Israel," mourned for him thirty days. Of Aaron’s sons two survived him, Eleazar, whose family held the high-priesthood till the time of Eli; and Ithamar, in whose family, beginning with Eli, the high-priesthood was held till the time of Solomon. Aaron’s other two sons had been struck dead #Le 10:1,2 for the daring impiety of offering "strange fire" on the alter of incense. The Arabs still show with veneration the traditionary site of Aaron’s grave on one of the two summits of Mount Hor, which is marked by a Muslim chapel. His name is mentioned in the Koran, and there are found in the writings of the rabbins many fabulous stories regarding him. He was the first anointed priest. His descendants, "the house of Aaron," constituted the priesthood in general. In the time of David they were very numerous #1Ch 12:27 The other branches of the tribe of Levi held subordinate positions in connection with the sacred office. Aaron was a type of Christ in his official character as the high priest. His priesthood was a "shadow of heavenly things," and was intended to lead the people of Israel to look forward to the time when "another priest" would arise "after the order of Melchizedek" |