THE LIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS #134 | THE LIFE OF MOSES #115
Pastor Christopher Choo
Lesson 3819
THE LIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS #134
THE LIFE OF MOSES #115
MOSES AT MT. SINAI #14
Aaron and the Golden Calf #3
What lessons can we learn from the relationship between Moses and Aaron?
The Bible does not give a detailed account of the early years of these two famous brothers.
Aaron is best known for his role in the Exodus and for being the first of the Levitical, or Aaronic, priesthood.
He was born to a family of Levites during Israel’s enslavement in Egypt and was Moses’ older brother, three years his senior (Exodus 7:7).
We are first introduced to Aaron in Exodus 4 when God tells Moses that He will send Aaron, Moses’ brother, with him to free the Israelites from Pharaoh.
When God spoke to Moses through a burning bush, calling him to go back to Egypt and demand that Pharaoh free the Israelites (Exodus 3—4), Moses gave reasons why he was not a good choice for the job. Moses eventually requested that God send someone else (Exodus 4:13). "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 4:14).
God went on to tell Moses that Aaron would be Moses’ spokesperson (Exodus 4:15–17).
God also spoke to Aaron, telling him to meet Moses in the wilderness. Aaron obediently went. Moses told Aaron what God had said, including God’s instructions about the signs they would perform in front of Pharaoh.
In Egypt, Moses and Aaron gathered the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron told them what God had said to Moses (Exodus 4:27–31). It is interesting to note how quickly Aaron responded to God in obedience and how he quickly believed what Moses told him. Aaron seemed to be up to the task to which God called him without question, willingly helping his brother and speaking to the people on his behalf.
Aaron perhaps also served as an intermediary between Moses and the Israelites, since Moses had been living apart from his people all his life—first in the Egyptian courts and then as a fugitive in Midian.
In a day when elder brothers were respected and held a place of honor in the family, God flipped that expectation upside down. God chose the younger brother to be exalted to a place of leadership, and He chose the elder brother to be the assistant. In this arrangement, Aaron seemed to work well. Just once did he reveal a resentment against his brother, when Aaron and Miriam “began to talk against Moses” (Numbers 12:1–2). God dealt with that situation, and both Aaron and Miriam were forgiven.
Through the years, Aaron was indispensable to Moses.
Together they faced Pharaoh, brought the ten plagues on Egypt, and led the Israelites out of captivity (Exodus 7:1–2). God spoke to Moses, Moses spoke to Aaron, and Aaron presented the messages to the people.
Together Moses and Aaron were the vessels the Lord used to bring His people out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land.
Aaron, along with a man named Hur, held up Moses’ hands in a battle with the Amalekites, so that the Israelite forces miraculously prevailed (Exodus 17:10–13).
When Moses went up Mt. Sinai to meet with God, he left Aaron in charge of the Israelites. Within a few days, the people became restless, and Aaron demonstrated that he was not the effective leader that his brother was. Aaron quickly caved to the people’s demands for a golden idol (Exodus 32). When Moses came down the mountain, he was horrified to see the people engaging in pagan worship around a golden calf. Aaron tried to pretend he had nothing to do with it, but God brought a plague on the Israelites for their terrible sin.
Moses and Aaron worked in tandem as the leaders of God’s people. Moses was God’s chosen prophet, and Aaron was God’s chosen high priest (Exodus 28:1–2). In fact, Aaron was the first high priest, and it was from his descendants that future high priests were chosen.
Both Moses and Aaron were guilty of unbelief and disobedience at Meribah (Numbers 20:8–11), and both were prohibited from entering Canaan (verse 12).
We learn from the relationship between Moses and Aaron that God knows our hearts and our capabilities, and He places us in positions suited for us.
Aaron as the older brother had to humble himself to accept God’s choice, and Moses had to accept the help. By working together, the brothers accomplished much more than either of them could do alone.
By serving faithfully as the spokesman for Moses, Aaron compensated for his brother’s weakness and feelings of inadequacy.
Aaron, in turn, was given “dignity and honor” (Exodus 28:2). Because of their cooperation with each other and with the Lord, the nation of Israel survived a difficult and challenging time.
