AARON (3)

1. Uncover Bible Names 

a) The Bible is an historic record of real people and places. Find out and learn who's who, their relationships, and the meaning of their names.

2. Aaron

a) To give further evidence of the divine appointment of Aaron to the priestly office, the chiefs of the tribes were each required to bring to Moses a rod bearing the name of his tribe. These, along with the rod of Aaron for the tribe of Levi, were laid overnight in the tabernacle, and in the morning it was found that while the other rods remained unchanged, that of Aaron “for the house of Levi” budded, blossomed, and yielded almonds (Numbers 17:1-10). This rod was later preserved in the tabernacle (Hebrews 9:4) as an evidence of his divine appointment to the priesthood.

b) Aaron was implicated in the sin of his brother at Meribah (Numbers 20:8-13). For this reason, he was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. When the tribes arrived at Mount Hor, “in the edge of the land of Edom,” at the command of God Moses led Aaron and his son Eleazar to the top of that mountain, in the sight of all the people. There he stripped Aaron of his priestly vestments, and put them upon Eleazar. Aaron died on the top of the mountain, being 123 years old (Numbers 20:23-29. Compare Deuteronomy 10:6; 32:50), and was “gathered unto his people.”

c) The people, “even all the house of Israel,” mourned for thirty days. Of Aaron’s sons two survived him, Eleazar, whose family held the high-priesthood till the time of Eli; and Ithamar, in whose family, beginning with Eli, the high-priesthood was held till the time of Solomon.

d) Aaron’s other two sons had been struck dead (LevitIucs 10:1-2) for the daring sacrilege of offering unholy fire on the altar of incense, contrary to God’s command.

e) The Arabs still venerate the traditional site of Aaron’s grave on one of the two summits of Mount Hor, which is marked by a Islamic chapel. His name is mentioned in the Koran, and there are many fabulous stories about him found in the writings of the rabbis.

f) Aaron was the first anointed priest. His descendants, “the house of Aaron,” constituted the priesthood in general. In the time of David, they were very numerous (1 Chronicles 12:27). The other branches of the tribe of Levi held subordinate positions in connection with the sacred office.

g) Aaron was a type of Christ in his official character as the high priest. His priesthood was a “shadow of heavenly things,” and was intended to lead the people of Israel to look forward to the time when “another priest” would arise “after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 6:20).