Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control – for Aaron had let them get out of control . . .   Exodus 32:25

Out Of Control – It was a sad day for Israel.  Moses was up on the mountain with God, receiving the summary of God’s constitution for the governance of His people.  In his absence, these recently-liberated slaves demanded that Aaron produce a physical representation of God.  Aaron succumbs to their request and the golden calf is fabricated.  When Moses discovers the idolatry, terrible consequences result.  The text tells us that the people entered into pagan fertility cult practices in their revelry.  There is little doubt that their “worship” involved sexual activity, the same sort of activity that God absolutely condemned in the Canaanite religion.  God’s judgment was swift.  Thousands died.  But amazingly, Aaron did not.  There is something very odd about this because it is Aaron who actually shoulders the blame for the actions of the people.  Aaron let them “run wild.”  He actively participated in the idolatry.  But instead of dying with the rest, he is forgiven and elevated to the office of high priest.  How can this be?  In an age when Christians routinely shoot their wounded, what can we learn from this incident?

Two lessons emerge from the treatment of Aaron.  The first is obvious.  God is full of mercy and grace.  Those who repented, including Aaron, were spared and reinstated into a relationship with YHWH.  Of course, forgiveness was not automatic.  Confession (something Aaron struggled to do) and repentance were absolutely necessary.  In addition, even after repentance and forgiveness, the relationship with YHWH changed.  Read the story again.  Following this incident, the presence of God remains outside the camp until the completion of the Tabernacle.  The people recognize this breach.  They are allowed to experience the grief that follows infidelity until the pain of separation is indelibly impressed.  Nevertheless, this event demonstrates God’s amazing grace.

But what about Aaron the high priest?  It seems to me that this incident underlines the problem of sin, even in the high priest.  Aaron is not the holiest of men, chosen by God because of his blameless righteousness.  In fact, Aaron is a moral failure just like the rest of us.  He knows what it means to deny the Lord.  He knows what it means to lie about his complicity.  He knows what it means to stand before God by grace alone.  When God chooses Aaron for the task of high priest, God makes it abundantly clear that this high priest can’t save anyone, not even himself.

And that points us forward to another high priest, a high priest who does not come from the line of Aaron, who is not from the tribe of Levi and whose standing is of the order of Melchizedek – a different order entirely.  Yeshua shouldn’t even be a high priest, according to the requirement of Levi.  But He is, by another means.  Nevertheless, there is something that connects these two high priests.  They both know temptation.  Yeshua is not insulated or immune from the very temptations that lead us astray.  He knows Aaron’s failure, just as He knows mine.  But He didn’t let the people run wild.  He didn’t fall into sin as the order of Levi did.  He knows what it means to struggle with human self-will, but He isn’t part of that choice.  His is the true priesthood of grace.

Aaron points.  Yeshua delivers.

Topical Index:  high priest, Aaron, Exodus 32:25, Hebrews 4:15