Chapter 18 opens with the rhythms of a phrase we are used to in the Book of Numbers, but with a new ending. So far, most of these chapters have opened with “the Lord said to Moses,” but here, in 18:1, for the first time, it says, “The Lord said to Aaron.”
What an amazing concept! Put this in the context of what happened back in Chapter 12. Aaron and sister Miriam had been stirring up gossipy talk about Moses, openly questioning the concept that the Lord could only speak through Moses, and that surely God was speaking through them as well! God put Aaron in his place for such brashness. Aaron had demonstrated that he was very shallow, calling Moses’s authority into question because he had married someone who was of an inferior race.
But Aaron seemed to learn from his chastisement and later demonstrated a great deal of selflessness to intercede and intervene on behalf of the rebellious, complaining Israelites. He demonstrated a much greater depth of character. This is ultimately affirmed in God organizing the ritual in Chapter 17, where he miraculously demonstrated his choice of Aaron as the high priest by making Aaron’s shepherd’s staff “sprout” and bear fruit.
It turns out here, Aaron will realize just how much he needs that depth of character as a foundation.
Verses 1-7 convey the burdensome task left for Aaron and his family. At the end of chapter 17, we had left the Israelites dumbfounded and distraught. Their pain was real. And it seemed like the people were actually starting to consider accepting responsibility for their sin. But there was an overwhelming sense of despondency. They knew that their rebelliousness, as seen in the rejection of the Manna, the bigoted attitude against Moses because of his wife, the refusal to move into the land of promise out of doubt fear, and then, the capstone – Korah’s rebellion because of deep-seated jealousy and personal ambition (presented as if it was a reasonable request) – has led to death on a massive scale, and the demolition of an entire generation’s share of God’s promises. This reaction of the people is actually quite predictable. It’s similar to the reaction my grandson has when he thinks he’s offended his parents. He laments that “I’m in trouble” and starts to cry, apparently giving up at the concept of trying to do right. The problem with that kind of reaction is that it’s actually self-centered, focusing on themselves rather than on God’s mercies. The Israelites have also gone off the deep end, fearing they will all end up dead, struck down by God for violating his holiness.
And there is a modicum of truth in this assumption. The despondency of the people, and their fear that if they stepped out of line again they would die, was very real. The holy meeting place of the Lord and his people had been grievously sinned against, and it was now clear that such violations would be judged by death. Chapter 18opens with the Lord bringing Aaron in on his plans, letting him know that his family had been chosen by God to “bear the responsibilities for offenses connected with the sanctuary,” with offenses against the priesthood itself being the responsibility of Aaron and his sons alone.
This was indeed an incredibly heavy responsibility for Aaron, his family, and the Levites. If anybody had the idea that being a priest in the temple was “light duty” when compared with being a farmer, shepherd, or fighting in the army, everyone can now see just how risky running the worship really was. But for the rest of the people, living out their day to lives as farmers, shepherds, and soldiers, this arrangement was a blessing. The Lord's mercy in providing a legitimate priesthood was actually an aspect of His grace, because it was the people's only hope for deliverance from judgment. In Psalm 99:6-8, we see God’s power and the exaltation of who he is and what he does was meant to flow through the priesthood. Moses and Aaron (along with Samuel) are presented as people who were intermediaries with God’s people in times of great crisis. The Lord provided these intermediaries who interceded with God on behalf of the faltering people and were given knowledge of God’s character and will so they could instruct the people. Ultimately, this office was fulfilled in the person of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who bore the sin of humanity in a manner and place where the people could not have gone – not even taken one step towards—and redeemed humanity from hopelessness.
God therefore establishes Aaron as a foreshadowing of the Messiah, a prototype for Jesus. But because Jesus was both fully God and fully human, he could both serve as high priest AND offer himself as the sacrifice for the violations against God’s holiness.
If we look closely at many of the episodes taken from the scriptural narrative of the Exodus and the journey to the promised land, we find this as a common theme. The liberation of Israel from slavery in Egypt, the covenant given at Sinai, and the struggles in the wilderness all assist in foreshadowing of the coming of Jesus.
-John Russell
