EGYPT’S HATRED TOWARDS THE SABBATH See Exodus 5: 4-14.
Long before the Ten Commandments were written on two tables of stone by the Creator’s own finger and given to Moses atop Mt. Sinai, the Sabbath day observance and worship was already a point controversy even while Israel was still slaves in Egypt— the first atheistic empire!
Moses and Aaron tried to teach the Israelites to observe the Sabbath day in Egypt. But resting on the Sabbath angered the pharaoh and he issued a DECREE that made Sabbath-keeping impossible in Egypt.
A correction needs to be made as we move on, and with it, gain more valuable insights into the joint work, peerless and profound experiences of Moses and Aaron in jointly leading ancient Israel to earthly Canaan. From these, both those in leadership positions and congregants of spiritual Israel today may derive instruction and inspiration. In our October 10, 2014 issue on Number Two–Part V, titled “Moses and Aaron,” my last sentence of the first paragraph stated: “At the end of their earthly sojourn, Aaron died first, cradled in the arms of Moses on Mount Hor where Moses buried him, alone.”
That was inaccurate. On this singular sad occasion, Moses was not alone. Eleazar, Aaron’s third son (Exo. 6: 23) was with them. He served as priest with his father and brothers during the wilderness wanderings (Exo. 28: 1, 44; Num. 3: 4; 16: 39; 19: 3). He outlived his elder brothers, Nadab and Abihu, whom God destroyed with divine fire for offering “strange fire before the Lord” (Lev. 10: 1-7). Eleazar, whose name means “God has helped,” was divinely-appointed to succeed Aaron. From father to son, man to man.
Teamwork, works. Two brothers, Moses, three years younger than Aaron, sons of Amram and Jochebed, devout Levites, were raised and empowered by God to do a special work and mission for His people with clearly defined separate areas of responsibilities. The first earthly sanctuary with its accompanying detailed, yet simple services teaching the plan of redemption, patterned after the great original in heaven, was built by Moses.
God fitted Moses for the greatest work in his time. It was Christ who appeared to him in a burning bush. At the end of their earthly sojourn, Aaron died first, cradled in the arms of Moses on Mount Hor where Moses buried him, alone.
