The Death of Aaron

​The Death of Aaron

The whole community of Israel left Kadesh and arrived at Mount Hor. 

There, on the border of the land of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 

“The time has come for Aaron to join his ancestors, in death. 

He will not enter the land, which I am giving the people of Israel, because the two of you rebelled against My instructions, concerning the water at Meribah. 

Now, take Aaron and his son Eleazar …up Mount Hor. 

There, you will remove Aaron’s priestly garments …and put them on Eleazar, his son. 

Aaron will die there and join his ancestors.” 

So, Moses did as the Lord commanded. 

The three of them …went up Mount Hor, together, as the whole community watched. 

At the summit, Moses removed the priestly garments from Aaron …and put them on Eleazar, Aaron’s son. 

Then, Aaron died, there, on top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar …went back down. 

When the people realized that Aaron had died, all Israel mourned for him …thirty days. 

A reading from the Christian Bible: The Book of Numbers, Chapter 20:  Verses 22–29 

(in the New Living Translation)

So it was that Aaron, like Moses, was not permitted to enter the promised land of Canaan, with the new generation of Israelites. 

The two brothers had shown impatience, at Meribah (also known as Kadesh), in the last year of the desert pilgrimage, when Moses brought water out of a rock, to quench the people's thirst. 

Although they had been commanded to speak to the rock, Moses struck it, with the staff, twice …which was, of course, a lack of deference to the LORD. 

Aaron had also enabled the people to build and worship an idol calf, at Mt Sinai, when the wilderness journey was just beginning. 

Aaron was an imperfect man, who lived an imperfect life …and would have to wait until eternity, to reap his perfect reward, for the imperfect service and spotty obedience, that he rendered Adonai Elohim YHWH.

Praise be to God!


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