When you think of the great men and women of faith in the Bible, do you think about Aaron? Who was Aaron? Aaron was the elder brother of Moses; sons of Jochebed. He was in the ancestry line of the Levites (also known as the priests).
When I think of an "Aaron" I think of a "team-player", one who works for the good of the overall. As a wise orchestra conductor said once, "You can't all be first chair, but we need all of you to make music." In sports, you could liken this to say, "You can't all be first string" or "There's only one quarterback". I see Aaron as a person who is behind the scenes making things happen. He allows others to shine and is not a glory seeker, but is simply happy to just be a part.
Although he is viewed as more feeble in character than his illustrious brother, God used him in so many ways!
The Mouthpiece:
Aaron stepped up to the plate and walked with Moses as a team-player to lead Israel out of captivity from Egypt. He was divinely appointed by God, as seen in Exodus 4:13-17;
"But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else."Then the Lord became angry with Moses. “All right,” he said. “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you. Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do. Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say. And take your shepherd’s staff with you, and use it to perform the miraculous signs I have shown you.”
An Illustration of Intercession (Spiritually Holding Others Up) :
He supported (along with Hur) Moses' hands during Joshua's battle with Amalek.
Exodus 17:11-13 (NLT) tells us, "As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle."
Anointed:
It was Aaron who was anointed by Moses to be set apart: ears to hear, hands to work, feet to service (Exodus 29:19-21) and later illustrated further in Leviticus chapter 8.
A Man Who Saw the Miracles of God (The Rod and Staff)
Aaron's staff became a serpent as a miraculous sign to Pharaoh in Exodus 7:4. Aaron's staff performed most of the miraculous signs found in Exodus.
When Korah led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, it was Aaron's rod that was made to bud (Numbers 17:1-13). That budded rod was one of the miraculous items placed in the Ark of the Covenant, along with the tablets of 10 Commandments and a jar of manna.
With that in mind, doesn't it bring new light to the verse, "Your rod and your staff, they comfort me?"
They were testimony to the miraculous power of God!
Human Side:
Of course, Aaron had his downfalls . He allowed the children of Israel worship the golden calf while Moses was up on the mountain receiving the ten commandments. He was also striped of his priestly robes by divine appointment and they were transferred to his son, Eliezar.
BUT, even this side of Aaron can teach us valuable lessons:
1.) Those who are appointed for God's service are not above sin. They still need to watch their lives closely. We see this in other men of God who fell to sin, such as David.
2.) God would tell all of us to guard our character.
3.) Continue the race, as Paul says, in such a way that we may receive the prize. Don't give up when you get toward the "end"; the end of your life, the end of ministry, the end of a work, whatever... just don't fizzle out.
Conclusion:
We all need an Aaron in our lives; people who will uphold our interests, invest themselves into our ministries, jobs, etc. We need others to accomplish what God has called us to do in life.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 tells us, "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble." (NLT)
Who has been an "Aaron" to you? Think about the people in your life today that inspired you or became a para cleat and helped you reach places you would have never been able to alone. Even Jesus had his inner circle of friends... Peter and John were noted in Scripture as His beloved.
Are you an Aaron?
I pray for you constantly," Ephesians 1:16 (NLT)
Some of the Police Team with Chief as "Coach"- He sure looked like one!
Speaking of team-playing, the kids and I went to Pete's Police Basketball game last night. We faced off against the teachers and faculty of one of the local High Schools. Some of the players on the school team were former professionals. I don't know if Pete said they were X-NBA or what exactly, but they sure were GOOD. We weren't "skunked" like we thought we would be, but Police lost. Here's the final score....
Ah, so close, yet so far away! Way to go, guys! We're still proud of our POLICE!!!
