Aaron

*Aaron’s story is told in Exodus 4-Numbers 20

Who is Aaron?

  • Brother of Moses and Miriam, and a son of Amram and Jochebed.
  • He belonged to the tribe of Levi, one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
  • Served as a spokesperson for his brother, Moses.
  • Helped Moses bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
  • Played a significant part in performing miracles before Pharaoh.

Strengths and Accomplishments

  • Aaron served as Moses’ mouthpiece, assisting him in his mission because of his eloquence (Exodus 4:10-16).
  • Aaron was chosen by God to be the first High Priest, initiating the Levitical priesthood (Exodus 28:1).
  • Aaron’s staff was used in several miracles, including turning into a snake before Pharaoh and initiating the plagues (Exodus 7:9-12).

Weaknesses and Mistakes

  • Aaron gave in to the people’s demand to make gods for them while Moses was on Mount Sinai, resulting in the creation of the Golden Calf (Exodus 32:1-6).
  • Along with Miriam, Aaron questioned Moses’ unique relationship with God (Numbers 12:1-2).

Lessons from His Life

  • The importance of obedience to God: Aaron’s actions during the Golden Calf incident demonstrate the dangers of straying from God’s commandments.
  • The consequences of doubt and envy: The story of Aaron and Miriam challenging Moses teaches us about the dangers of envy and doubting God’s chosen leadership.
  • The power of redemption and service: Despite his mistakes, Aaron served faithfully as High Priest, showing us that we can move past our errors and serve God dutifully.

Key Verses

  • Exodus 4:14-16 (NIV) – “*Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, ‘What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well…'”
  • Exodus 32:2-4 (NIV) – “Aaron answered them, ‘Take off the gold earrings… 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…”
  • Numbers 12:1-2 (NIV) – “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.”