Jo’s Place

​ 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 mourne...

The Budding of Aaron’s Staff The Lord said to Moses,  “Tell the people of Israel to bring you twelve wooden staffs, one from each leader of Israel’s ancestral tribes, and inscribe each leader’s name on his staff.  Inscribe Aaron’s name, on the staff of the tribe of Levi, for there must be one staff, for the leader of each ancestral tribe.  Place these staffs in the Tabernacle, in front of the Ark containing the tablets of the Covenant, where I meet with you.  Buds will sprout on the staff, belonging to the man I choose.  Then, I will finally put an end to the people’s murmuring and complaining against you.”  So, Moses gave the instructions to the people of Israel …and each of the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron, brought Moses a staff.  Moses placed the staffs, in the Lord’s presence, in the Tabernacle of the Covenant.  When he went into the Tabernacle, of the Covenant, the next day, he found that Aaron’s staff, representing the tribe of Lev...

​ Aaron performs his first priestly sacrifice   Aaron went to the altar …and slaughtered the calf, as a sin offering for himself.  His sons brought him the blood, and he dipped his finger in it… and put it on the horns of the altar.  He poured out the rest of the blood, at the base of the altar.  Then he burned, on the altar …the fat, the kidneys, and the long lobe, of the liver from the sin offering, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.  The meat and the hide, however, he burned outside the camp.  Next, Aaron slaughtered the animal, for the burnt offering.  His sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it, against all sides of the altar.  Then they handed him each piece, of the burnt offering, including the head …and he burned them on the altar.  Then he washed the internal organs, and the legs …and burned them on the altar, along with the rest of the burnt offering.  Next, Aaron presented the offerings, of the people.  He sla...

​ Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Serpent Then the Lord said to Moses,  “Pay close attention to (what I’m telling you)..  I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet.  Tell Aaron everything I command you, and Aaron must command Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his country.  But I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.  Even then Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you.  So I will bring down my fist on Egypt.  Then I will rescue my forces—my people, the Israelites—from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment.  When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”  So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them.  Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three when they made their demands to Pharaoh.  Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Pharaoh wil...

Moses and Aaron Speak to Pharaoh After their presentation to Israel’s leaders, Moses and Aaron went and spoke to Pharaoh.  They told him, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:  Let my people go …so they may hold a festival in my honor in the wilderness.”  “Is that so?” retorted Pharaoh.  “And who is the Lord?  Why should I listen to him and let Israel go?  I don’t know this ‘Lord’,  …and I will not let Israel go.”  But Aaron and Moses persisted.  “The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they declared.  “So let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness so we can offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.  If we don’t, He will kill us with a plague or with the sword.”  Pharaoh replied, “Moses and Aaron, why are you distracting the people from their tasks?  Get back to work! Look, there are many of your people in the land, and you are stopping them from their work.”  That same day Pharaoh sent this order to ...