The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. You have killed the LORDs people, they said. But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared. Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting, and the LORD said to Moses, Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once. And they fell face down. Then Moses said to Aaron, Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has started. So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped. The gaping earth was scarcely closed, before the same sins are again committed, and all these warnings slighted. They called the rebels the people of the Lord, and find fault with Divine justice. The obstinacy of Israel notwithstanding the terrors of Gods law, as given on mount Sinai, and the terrors of His judgments, shows how necessary the grace of God is to change mens hearts and lives. Love will do what fear cannot. Moses and Aaron intercedes with God for mercy, knowing how great the provocation was. Aaron went, and burned incense between the living and the dead, not to purify the air, but to pacify an offended God. As one tender of the life of every Israelite, Aaron made all possible speed. We must render good for evil. Observe especially, that Aaron was a type of Christ. There is an infection of sin in the world, which only the cross and intercession of Jesus Christ can stay and remove. He enters the defiled and dying camp. He stands between the dead and the living, between the eternal Judge and the souls under condemnation. We must have redemption through His blood, even the remission of sins. We admire the ready devotion of Aaron: shall we not bless and praise the unspeakable grace and love which filled the Saviours heart, when He placed himself in our stead, and bought us with His life? Greatly indeed had God commended His love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 11:18:24 +0000