Not Like in the Movies

 I grew up in a time when certain movies were shown yearly, and you gathered the whole family around and watched them.  The Ten Commandments was one of those movies and Moses was the star.  Aaron, his brother, was around but basically he spent the entire movie in the background.  Somehow that movie determined how I read the Bible because I have read Exodus a bunch of times and I just found out today that Aaron had a "rod" of his own, like Moses had a staff and they were definitely co-leaders when it came to showing the power of God to Pharaoh and calling down the plagues.  

Aaron's rod was the one that turned into a snake.  Aaron's rod turned the Nile to blood.  Aaron's rod brought the plague of frogs.  Aaron's rod brought the plague of gnats.

Their is an amazing dignity and honoring that takes place when Aaron dies.  It is unlike anything in the Bible.  Moses, Aaron and Eleazar, Aaron's son who will take over the duties of the priesthood ascend Mount Hor.  All the community sees the 3 of them ascend the mountain.  At the top of the mountain Moses removes Aaron's priestly garments and puts them on Eleazar, "And Aaron died there on top of the mountain."  Now Eleazar and Moses come down the mountain and the whole community is now aware of the death of Aaron and they mourn 30 days.  

This had to be very hard on Moses and there is still a lot of the Exodus story left to tell.  Many things happen between now and the death of Moses, just before they enter the promised land.  Miriam had died a little before Aaron, so he was dealing with the death of his sister, who was a leader in the community and his brother and co-leader.  It seems Aaron is given the punishment of death for being a part of striking the rock, when he and Moses were told to just speak to the rock to get water out of it, way before Moses is.  The real punishment is not being able to enter the promises land, but death is given to Aaron way before they are ready to enter.  

Knowing how hard it is to lose a brother, I feel for Moses and how hard it must have been to just keep on, keeping on and leading this people.