Perpetuating the Priesthood (Num. 20:23-29)

1/24/2009 1:56 PM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                              Focus:  Perpetuating the priesthood

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Numbers 20:23-29

            Message of the verses:  “23  Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying, 24  "Aaron will be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.  25  "Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up to Mount Hor; 26  and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar. So Aaron will be gathered to his people, and will die there."  27  So Moses did just as the LORD had commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.  28  After Moses had stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on the mountain top. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

29  When all the congregation saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.”

            These verses conclude chapter twenty of the book of Numbers and there were many things that happened in this chapter.  Miriam died at the beginning of the chapter and now Aaron dies at the end of the chapter.  Aaron died on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after the children of Israel left Egypt as he too was not permitted to enter the Promised Land because of his participation in the sin at the waters of Meribah.

            God tells Moses to take Aaron up to Mt. Hor with his son Eleazar where Aaron would take off his High Priestly clothes and put them onto Eleazar in order that the priesthood would go on.  John Wesley used to say, “God buries His workmen but His work goes on.”  The work of the priesthood would go on through Aaron’s third son, Eleazar for the first two sons were killed for offering up strange fire.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  During difficult times “Victorious Christian service, like the victorious Christian life, is a series of new beginnings.  No matter what mistakes we’ve made, it’s always too soon to quit.”  (Quoted from “Be Counted.)

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1. Continue to get to know God better through the reading and studying of His Word and also the reading and studying of good Christian books.  To memories parts of the Scripture so I can use that to know God better.
2. To continue to learn contentment.
3. To continue to trust the Lord to guide my path.

1/24/2009 2:19 PM