Aaron: Mount Hor & The Anointing of Eleazar Creation to Kings | Episode 8
For forty years since the rebellion at Kadesh Barnea
when they rejected the opportunity to go into Israel
and doubted God's power,
the Children of Israel had been wandering in the wilderness.
Now with the forty years almost up they once again made an approach,
but they had to make a detour.
The Edomites, who were relatives of theirs,
being descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother,
refused to let them pass through their land,
so they had to go around Edom.
God instructed that they shouldn't bother the Edomites for refusing their request,
but leave them alone because their ancestors were brothers.
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As they walked through the wilderness, Mount Hor towered above them.
Its summit was to be the place of Aaron's death and burial,
and Moses was instructed to take Aaron and Eleazar up to the top
and to take the priestly garments off Aaron and give them to Eleazar.
These two aged men, as they walked up the mountain,
were both now at least 120 years old.
They had experienced the deepest trials and had the greatest honors
that had ever fallen to the lot of men.
They both had great natural ability,
but it had been developed and exalted by communion with God.
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Mount Hor is located in Petra today, in Jordan.
Reaching the top of Mount Hor right here,
they would have looked out into the plains behind me
and seen the camp of Israel spread as far as the eyes could see--
--this people, the ones for whom they had sacrificed so much
and dedicated most of their lives.
At the age of 83, Aaron had agreed to help his brother Moses in his mission,
and now his work for Israel was done.
He had held up Moses arms when they had fought the Amalekites,
he had been the high priest,
he had stayed faithful without murmur
when his own sons were killed for disregarding God's express command.
But his life was marred with one moment.
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Aaron is remembered for the grievious sin at Sinai
when he yielded to the demands of the people
and also when he united with Miriam
in envy and murmuring against his brother Moses,
and along with Moses for the sin at Kadesh
when they both angrily struck the rock instead of speaking to it.
It was due to the exalted nature of the office that they both held
that made their sin of such a great magnitude.
It was with deep sorrow that Moses took the priestly garments from Aaron
and put them on his son Eleazar.
Aaron was not to offer the first sacrifice in the promised land.
That privilege would fall to his son instead.
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The biblical record says,
'There Aaron died and there he was buried.' Deuteronomy 10:6.
This monument behind me, built in relatively recent times,
was built to commemorate what is believed to be the spot of his death.
One of the most illustrious men who has ever lived
had only his son and his brother at his funeral,
in stark contrast to some of the lavish and ostentatious funerals we see today
for people of high position.
As Moses and Eleazar came down the mountain on their own,
the people sorrowed for Aaron,
yet none would feel the loss so much as Moses
for he now knew that his own end was near.
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Aaron has a special place in Israelite history,
for he was the first high priest.
He was a faithful leader of Israel,
standing side-by-side with his brother
and communing with God daily.
God has a special place for Aaron,
but his life illustrates that there are consequences for our actions.
Aaron was forgiven by the mercy and grace of God for his sin at Kadesh
but forgiveness does not always remove consequences.
May we humbly accept God's plan for our lives
and be patient when we continue to bear consequences
for sins that we have been forgiven of.