In chapter 18, we learn that even the priests should tithe, and in chapter 19, we learn about the Water of Cleansing and the red heifer's ashes. Death was the strongest of defilements because it was the final result of sin in the Old Testament....death made you unclean if you were in the presence of it. Therefore, the cleansing ritual was very important.
The Isrealites wander for 37 years and the Bible doesn't tell us much about it....we are getting into a new generation...Miriam and Aaron (the High Preist role goes to Aaron's son Eleazar) die in Kadesh. Something critical happens...a turning point for Moses. The people are complaining because there was no water in the community. The Lord tells Moses to speak to a rock and it will pour out water....Moses says, "Listen you rebels, must WE bring you water out of this rock?" and then he struck the rock twice with his staff. Because of this, Moses will not be able to lead the people to the promised land.....
1) God did the miracle...Moses said "WE"
2) God told Moses to speak to the rock, but he struck the rock twice....by doing this he disobeyed a direct command of God.
3) Moses was a leader and a role model that the Lord selected, because of this, the Lord could not let him off lightly.
The Edomites deny Isreal passage in their wanderings........remember who the Edomites descended from? Esau...he was born red, remember......who did the Isrealites descend from? Jacob...Two brothers became the ancestors of two nations......remember this...the Lord will deal with the Edomites later......
Look what comes up from the depths of the sea.
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OK.....confused again....why did God want Aaron to be stripped of garments and die?
ReplyDeleteWell, the old generation was not to go to the Promised Land because of their disobedience and Aaron was part of the old generation...it was simply his time. The significance of stripping his clothes was that they were the garments of the one and only High Priest of those times (Jesus is ours now) and God was blessing the transition of power (so to speak) to Aaron's son Eleazar.
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