Exodus 4

“And it will be, he shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be for a mouth to you. And you shall be to him as God” (Exodus 4:16).

Interesting verse. God tells Moses that he shall be to Aaron as God. The study of the life of Aaron is very interesting. Let us take a look at this person, as he will play a big role in many chapters to come.

Aaron is chosen through Moses’ lack of faith. The fact that Aaron was to be the High Priest of Israel was always part of God’s plan. Aaron relates to the people. There is a picture God is painting here. Aaron, being chosen as a spokesman was part of the permissive will of God. Aaron compromises, God does not. This means that God allowed it, though it was not what He had intended. From now until Chapter 8 God would speak directly to Moses and Aaron. He would use Aaron’s rod to perform miracles. As we see the demeanor of Moses change, we find God looking over Aaron and going directly to Moses, as He had always intended. In Plagues two and three, God tells Moses “Say to Aaron…” Finally, plagues four and beyond God skips over Aaron altogether. Moses represents judgment, and judgment does not compromise.

What was God’s intension for Aaron? The answer is priesthood. The priest was to be a man who built bridges. What types of bridges? It would be a bridge between God and man. Consider the ultimate High Priest Jesus, who built the perfect bridge for us to get to heaven. What did the High Priest have to have more so then anything else? The High Priest had to relate to the people. Moses did not have this. Moses was the giver of the law, not the priest! Moses represented the unrelenting, straight and narrow path of the law. If you failed to obey the law, Moses would be there to tell you.

Aaron was known for being the people’s guy. He heard everyone out. Think of the picture. Jesus became just like us that He might be the perfect giver of empathy. Aaron was the same to Israel. It is said that the mourned far longer over the death of Aaron than for the death of Moses. Aaron was truly the perfect picture of a High Priest.

Finally, Aaron’s fate was tied to that of his master’s. Who was Aaron’s master? It was Moses, who was to be to him as God. Moses struck a rock when he was supposed to touch it. This prohibited him from entering into the Promised Land. Interesting that, because Moses struck that rock Aaron would suffer the same punishment. Aaron would no longer be allowed to enter the Promised Land, because his master was the law himself.

Priests and Servants to the Most High God, you are bridge-builders. Go out, build bridges, that they might know their High Priest, Jesus Christ. Remember, your fate is tied to that of your master’s. If Jesus is your master, expect persecution and expect rejection, but also expect Heaven and life and love over the edge. If Moses (the law) is your master, expect rules and expect religion, but expect it to one day fall short of the glory of God and keep you from the Promised Land. Finally, if anything in this world is your master, it will only lead you down the wrong path, the path back to Egypt.