Scripture: And they journeyed from Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, “Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor. And strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron shall be gathered to his people and shall die there.” Moses did as the LORD commanded. And they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had perished, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.
Numbers 20:22-29 ESV
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Observation: Recapping yesterday’s Daily Focus, the timeline shifts from decades to months as they approach the Promised Land. Instead of making speed along the coastal highway into Canaan, thanks to the spies’ fear-mongering report, Israel reroutes on a forty-year southern circuit to the eventual north. Approaching Canaan from the west, the nation seeks passage along the King’s Highway through the territory of Edom. So Moses sends messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom to humbly request that the king grant access along this segment of the King’s Highway that divides Edom, with the assurance that Israel would neither stray from the path nor obtain resources from the land without compensation. But the king would have none of it and dispatched a large army as a show of force. So Israel loops around Edom’s eastern border northward toward Moab.
Today’s text completes a chapter bookend of Moses’ siblings’ dying that begins with Miriam’s death (v.1) and closes with Aaron’s (above verses). Their passing marks the transition of the first generation of wilderness wanderers to the second in preparation for entering the Promised Land. Having circumnavigated Edom, they now draw near to the Jordan in south-central Moab. At the base of Mount Hor, the Lord speaks to Moses and Aaron and informs them that the time has come to gather Aaron to his people. So Yahweh commands Moses to take Aaron and his son Eleazar up the mountain, where Aaron will vest Eleazar in his holy garments. After completing the ceremonial transfer of priestly leadership, the Lord takes Aaron to his heavenly home. Then, upon returning to the base camp without Aaron, they wept with the nation for thirty days over their deceased high priest in honor of his nearly forty years of service.
Takeaway: Amid mourning over the loss of his only two siblings, Moses also grieves the missed opportunity to lead his people into the land flowing with milk and honey. Still, he witnesses his Lord’s merciful act of kindness in peacefully transitioning Aaron from his earthly home to his eternal resting place. He also observes God’s grace in granting Aaron the privilege of vesting his son to carry on the mission before his passing. And this sacred ceremony took place at the height of a glorious mountaintop. Indeed, this would give Moses a sense of solace, knowing that his Lord would soon pour out his mercy and grace on him. Indeed, as mentioned in a recent Daily Focus, Yahweh would draw near his faithful servant in his sunset of life and show him the Promised Land from the vantage of Mount Nebo before gathering him to his people (Deuteronomy 34:1-8).
Our takeaway? While most of us will not have a say in how we will die, we can make provisions for how we will leave a legacy—how we will bless others in our passing. And we can lead ourselves well in those last days and moments of our lives by leaning on the comfort of our Holy Spirit and the solace of our community of believers, particularly our loved ones. For example, Christian recording artist and writer Michael Card shares how his dear friend and mentor, Dr. William Lane, relocated to Michael’s commune fellowship in Tennessee to witness to the community how a Christian can lean on the Lord and the company of believers in dying well. Dr. Lane and the community experienced the mercy and grace of the Lord through this bittersweet season of life.
Our Part? We will not succeed if we submit to fear over faith and isolate ourselves. In a 2023 podcast, Dr. Tim Keller, who underwent therapy for pancreatic cancer, stated that the real battle was not with cancer but with sin: succumbing to his fears over trust in God’s goodness. Keller, a pillar of our faith, offered refreshing candor about his struggles. For Tim, talking them out and bringing them into the light disempowered those internalized thoughts that led to sin. And if we do the same, we will bless others who may secretly struggle like us. So cry out to God and seek the comfort of his Holy Spirit and that of trusted friends and loved ones. When we do, we will find the strength to hold fast to our faith over fear, trusting in our Lord’s goodness, grace, and mercy—even in our last days and hours.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, who modeled trust in your goodness with every step of his mission to his last breath. And we thank you that he exhibited transparency in his final hours in the Garden of Gethsemane, working through anticipated separation from you when soon bearing our sins in his body. Still, many of us fear suffering in our dying. So, please help us lean on you, your Holy Spirit, and the community of believers in exercising our faith over fear as you one day prepare us to transition to your eternal home with abundant mercy and grace. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling