On Aaron.
In my readings through Exodus and Leviticus, Aaron fascinates me. Brother of Moses, spokesman for the Lord, father of four sons, first high-priest of the Israelite nation, this guy (basically) had more power and importance than any other man of Israel, yet he's a footnote. What was he like? How did he weather being a perennial second?
The Torah doesn't give us much to go on for Aaron. So much of rich biblical history passes him by--the plagues of Egypt, the Exodus, the golden calf, the construction of the Tabernacle, Moses's law--and yet we don't see any of his motivation. WHY did he construct the golden calf when he knew it was wicked? HOW did he survive two of his sons being "consumed by the fire of God" (Leviticus 10:1-4)?
Despite his deficiencies, the day-to-day spiritual life of Israel was his to oversee: Sacrifices, Sabbath observance, dietary restriction. Moses gave the law, but Aaron was the general that oversaw its implementation. The only parallel I can see is the relationship of Jesus and Peter in the NT: Jesus was the intermediary with God, just as Moses was, and Peter was "the rock upon which he [would] build [His] church". It's an unsatsfying comparison, since Peter was a hot-headed zealot and Aaron was milquetoast, but at least the roles are similar.
The Torah doesn't give us much to go on for Aaron. So much of rich biblical history passes him by--the plagues of Egypt, the Exodus, the golden calf, the construction of the Tabernacle, Moses's law--and yet we don't see any of his motivation. WHY did he construct the golden calf when he knew it was wicked? HOW did he survive two of his sons being "consumed by the fire of God" (Leviticus 10:1-4)?
Despite his deficiencies, the day-to-day spiritual life of Israel was his to oversee: Sacrifices, Sabbath observance, dietary restriction. Moses gave the law, but Aaron was the general that oversaw its implementation. The only parallel I can see is the relationship of Jesus and Peter in the NT: Jesus was the intermediary with God, just as Moses was, and Peter was "the rock upon which he [would] build [His] church". It's an unsatsfying comparison, since Peter was a hot-headed zealot and Aaron was milquetoast, but at least the roles are similar.
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