Aaron a Priest And Spokesman of Moses

Early Life of Aaron

There was a tribe whose name was Levi. From this tribe God chooses Moses and His elder brother for the betterment and goodness of people and Israelites. Moses’ older brother was Aaron. They also had a sister whose name was Miriam. Their Parents were Amram and Jochebed. It was an era of Pharaoh rule When they were born. As Aaron was the elder brother but Moses was younger. I’m repeating this for a reason. Let’s discuss it more!

So basically when Aaron was born there was the kingship of Pharaoh and he was very cruel. But the twist is that when Aaron’s mother was pregnant again and was near to have birth to a second son then Pharaoh issued a decision to kill all the newborn babies but only boys and girls would not give any harm. 

Pharaoh did this because he was told by a wise man that a boy is going to be born and he will face Pharaoh bravery and will kill his leadership and power. Pharaoh was very disturbed by this news and of course he never wanted to drown his throne so he decided to kill newborn boys. 

Aaron’s mother was very upset by this news and wanted to save her son. That’s why she put him in a basket and floated it on a river. It was the only way to save Aaron’s younger brother from Pharaoh’s operation. Then at the other river side he was caught by Pharaoh’s daughter and she brought him up.

I know I’m discussing Moses more than Aaron. Basically He is very well connected with Moses and all the events of Aaron’s life are with Moses.

(Exodus 7:7)

Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

(Exodus 6:20)

Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.

(Exodus 1:8–14)

Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”

So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.

(Exodus 1:15–22)

The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.” So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”

Aaron’s Role as a Moses’ Spokesman

As we know Moses was on Mount Sinai where he got instructions regarding feeding Israelites from slavery and operation of Pharaoh. He was talking with God when he said to Him that he can’t speak to people he didn’t have power of speaking. He should be given a partner to convey the messages to others. Then God told him that Aaron would be the best option. So he should go and tell Aaron about God’s orders and wishes.

Thus Moses went to Aaron and told him all the story. Aaron listened to him and became ready to become a spokesman of Moses. So the story is going so. When they went to Pharaoh’s court and showed many miracles, Aaron addressed Pharaoh’s with the words of Moses. They were the best combo by the way. They turn staff into snake, water into blood  and Moses’ hand also becomes luminous, mysteries?? This was the power given by God.

After many miracles and plagues Pharaoh’s let them go and on the red sea Moses also showed a miracle to tear apart the sea into two parts. Moses, Aron and Israelites were safely reached to the other seaside but Pharaoh and his army got destroyed in the sea.

(Exodus 4:13)

But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”

(Exodus 4:14)

Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you.

(Exodus 4:15–17)

You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”

(Exodus 4:27–31)

The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.

Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

Aaron’s Role in Making Golden Calf 

In wilderness Moses was leading Israelites and God bless them very much with heavenly food and drinks. But Israelites remain unfaithful to God. As for the rules and commandments of God Moses went to the mountain and asked Aaron to lead Israelites until he came. Moses went to the mountain and Aaron started to lead Israelites. Here is a big twist and disappointment due to Israelites. They wish to get something they could pray for as they can’t see God so how could they worship. They troubled Aaron to fulfill their wish. Fulfilling their wish Aaron made a golden calf and they started to worship it instead of God. On the other side God gave Moses the 10 tablets of commandments which include an order to never worship others instead of God. When Moses arrived he saw Israelites bowing and worshipping the Golden calf. He got very angry and killed them on their misdeed. This was a very disappointing thing for Moses about Aaron.

(Exodus 32:1–6)

When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”

Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

(Exodus 32:19)

When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.

(Exodus 32:20)

And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.

(Exodus 32:22-24)

“Do not be angry, my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how prone these people are to evil. They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’ So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”

Aaron’s Priesthood

Aaron belongs to the tribe of Lavi. This tribe did so much for people and God chose them for the welfare of mankind. It was a tradition that the firstborn boy will become the priest. As we know that Aaron was the elder brother of Moses that’s why he became a priest and did many works for the tabernacle.

(Exodus 28:1)

“Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests.

(Exodus 29:9)

and fasten caps on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons. The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance. “Then you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

(Leviticus 8:1-2)

The Lord said to Moses, “Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast,

(Leviticus 10:1)

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command.

(Leviticus 10:3)

Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said: “‘Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.’” Aaron remained silent.

Aaron And Miriam’s disagreement With Moses

Once Moses married a girl who was out of nation. Aaron and Miriam became very angry at the decision of Moses. According to them a person should not get married to a woman who is not a Jew but out of nation. It’s against the rule of God. Miriam thinks that Moses disobeys God and he should ask God for forgiveness. They blamed Moses and pretend that they know religion better than Moses. God was very angry at them, that’s why he punished Miriam in leprosy. Aaron was shocked by this incident. He quickly ran to Moses and requested him to pray from God for Miriam. Moses was a brother so he prayed for her. Due to his prayer God healed Miriam from disease.

(Numbers 12:10)

When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease,

(Exodus 19:24)

The Lord replied, “Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or he will break out against them.”

(Numbers 12:3–16)

(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, he said, “Listen to my words:

“When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them. When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow. 

Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease, and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.”So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!” The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back. After that, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Desert of Paran.

(Numbers 12:1–2)

Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.

Aaron With Bronze Snake Incident

We know the time when Israelites started to worship the Golden calf. On this sin God cursed and punished them. The punishment was that they had to wander in the wilderness for years. As they were stuck in the wilderness they pointed out Moses and Aaron as the main cause of this trouble. They told them God punished them due to their sin not due to Moses or Aaron but they remain stuck to their point of view. 

God again punished them with snake bites. People were surrounded by snakes. They rush to Moses and Aaron and admit that they were wrong and this punishment was due to their sin. So please Moses and Aaron begged from God for our survival and forgiveness. Moses and Aaron prayed from God then God commanded them to make a statue of a bronzer snake. He said that if they make a bronzer snake then people will automatically be healed by the sight.

So they make a bronze snake and stand it up on a pole. And due to this people got healed. There was a test in this situation for Israelites. As we all know God is providing a cure to Israelites and the serpent had nothing to do with it. If still people got astray from their faith then they will start to worship bronze serpent instead of God. After many years it happened. People start to worship this statue to get healed.

(Numbers 21:4-9)

They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

Death of Aaron 

Aaron’s son’s name was Eleazar. And on  God’s order Aaron, Moses and Eleazar went to mount hor . At this mountain Eleazar became a priest and Aaron died. Aaron had a great influence on Israelites. So at his death they mourn for about 30 days. His grave was on the top of Mount Hor. 

(Numbers 20:23)

At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

(Numbers 20:22-29)

The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor. At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor. Remove Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will die there.”

Moses did as the Lord commanded: They went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain, and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died, all the Israelites mourned for him thirty days.

(Numbers 20:26–29)

Remove Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will die there.” Moses did as the Lord commanded: They went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain, and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died, all the Israelites mourned for him thirty days.

Aaron’s Mentioning in Old-Testament

(Exodus 16:6–8)

So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”

(Exodus 16:10)

While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud.

(Exodus 16:32–35)

Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.’”

So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept for the generations to come.” As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law, so that it might be preserved. The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.

(Numbers 17:8)

The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.

Aaron’s Mentioning in New-Testament

(Luke 1:5)

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.

(Acts 7:40)

They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’

(Hebrews 5:4)

And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.

(Hebrews 9:4)

which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.

Conclusion

Aaron was spokesman of Moses and priest. He has many contributions in the way of God. As he did something wrong but overall he was a very nice and humble man. He spent his whole life with Moses as a spokesman and priest. He had a great influence on Jes, christians and Muslims. 

(Hebrews 7:11)

If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?

(Acts 7:39-41)

“But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’ That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made.

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