Aaron

LIFE LESSONS
AARON
DR. JIM DIXON
EXODUS 28:29-30, EXODUS 17:8-15, EXODUS 17:28-30
FEBRUARY 2, 2003

Aaron was the brother of Miriam, the brother of Moses. He was eloquent in speech and at times Aaron was the mouthpiece of God. He was the first High Priest of Israel, and he was the founder of the Aaronic priesthood. This morning, from his life, we have three life lessons, and I want us to focus primarily on this first life lesson which is this: Strength the weak. That’s what God has called us to do. That’s what God has called you to do. Strengthen the weak.

We come to Exodus, chapter 17, and we have really the amazing story of this great war between the Israelites and the Amalekites. It was a war fought in the desert and it was surely fought over water—not enough water for both of these people. The people of Amalek, the Amalekites, came and fought with Israel. The armies of Israel were led by Joshua. Moses and Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. Of course, Aaron was the brother of Moses. Hur is an individual rarely mentioned in the Bible and we know little about him. According to Jewish history, Hur was married to Miriam and was, therefore, the brother-in-law of Moses. We don’t know whether this is true, but we do know the three of them went to the top of the hill, Moses, Aaron and Hur.

Moses had the rod of God, the staff of God, in his hand. It was endowed with divine power. When he held it in the air, Israel prevailed in battle. When he lowered his arm, when he lowered his hand, the Amalekites prevailed in battle. The battle was long, and Moses was old. His hands grew weary. He could not hold up the rod of God, the divine power. Aaron and Hur took a rock and put it beneath him so Moses could sit. Then they came and they held up the hands of Moses, one on one side and the other on the other side. They held up his hands so that the staff of God, the power of God, would enable the children of Israel to prevail in a time of war. They strengthened him in the midst of his weakness. Because they were willing to strengthen Moses and to help Moses and to assist Moses in the midst of his weakness, Israel won the victory. They said, “Jehovah Nissi, the Lord is our Banner, the Lord gives the victory.” But, you see, the Lord tells us that victory will not be won unless we stand together, unless we help each other, unless we come alongside each other, unless we learn to strengthen each other and to strengthen those who are weak.

Of course, I know that everyone in this worship center, at some time in your life and perhaps regularly, you’ve had a Coca Cola. Coca Cola was created in 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia by a man named John Pemberton. He was a self-styled chemist. He created the first Coke in his own kitchen. When he made Coca Cola originally, it was laced with cocaine. When it was marketed and advertised, it was advertised with this statement: “Give yourself a lift,” and I believe it did!

Coca Cola no longer has cocaine in it, but the advertising is similar. They still claim that Coke can give you a lift. Every day in many nations, 300 million people buy a Coke. Perhaps they get a lift from the caffeine or from the taste, but if they do, it is brief and it is slight. All of us have times in our life when we need a lift and we need more than Coke can give. We all have times in our life when we’re weak, times when we’re weary, times when we’re depressed, times when we feel defeated and desperately need a lift.

In the body of Christ, we have been called to serve each other. In the bible, we are told to “bear one another’s burdens.” In the Bible, we are told to “encourage one another.” Of all the people in the world, there should be no people more encouraged than the body of Christ if we’re doing what Aaron did, if we’re willing to lift the arms of another person, if we’re willing to strengthen the weak.

In the year 1843, there was a marriage in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was a marriage between a man named Henry and a woman named Frances. In the course of history, there have been billions of weddings. I think it’s safe to say that rarely have two people been married who loved each other more than Henry and Frances. They were deeply in love. They were often seen taking walks together and they were always hand-in-hand or arm-in-arm. They were often seen talking and laughing. They just loved to be together.

When they were married in that year of 1843, they seemingly had everything going for them because Frances was very wealthy and she came from one of the wealthiest families in America. As a wedding present, her family gave them a mansion. As a wedding present, they were given one of the finest houses in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Also, shortly after their wedding, Henry became a professor at Harvard University. He was beginning to attain some fame, and certainly he was successful.

Right next to Henry and Frances in the neighborhood in which they lived, there was another mansion. Oliver Wendell Holmes lived in that mansion. Of course, he, too, was famous. He was worried about Henry and Frances. He was worried about them because he said it seemed as though their love for each other, if possible, was too great. He feared that their love would ultimately lead to pain. Every time Oliver Wendell Holmes walked past the house of Henry and Frances, he felt a sense of foreboding, he said.

In the year 1861, tragedy struck. Henry was in his study. He was writing and reading. Frances was in the library, which adjoined the study. She was using hot wax to put keepsakes, to seal keepsakes, into a book. We don’t know exactly how but somehow, as she was working with the hot wax, she set herself on fire. She was panicked and she could not put the fire out. She began to scream and Henry came into the room. He was in shock. The very heart of his life, the woman he loved more than anyone in the world was aflame. He tried to put the fire out. He took the rug—he took a carpet that was there— he tried to put the fire out but he could not. He got blankets. They didn’t work. He threw water. on her but there was not enough. Finally, as she just was consumed in flames, she just ran into his arms. She ran into her husband’s arms and he extinguished the flames with his own body. He himself was badly burned.

They called the doctor and the doctor came. There was little the doctor could do for Frances. All he gave her were painkillers. The next morning, she awoke. She asked Henry for a cup of coffee. He brought it to her. She said, “I love you.” Those were the final three words that Frances spoke. She slipped into a coma and on July 9, 1861, Frances died. Henry was never the same. He’d been married to her for 18 years. They had had six children but he was never the same. He could not even go to the funeral because his grief was so great and also because he had been badly burned. He tried to cover the scars on his face by growing a beard, and for that beard he became famous. But most of all, he became famous because of his poetry. Henry wrote narrative poetry such as “The Courtship of Miles Standish,” “The Son of Hiawatha.” He wrote historical poetry like “Paul Revere’s Ride”—“Listen my children and you will hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere…” We’ve all said those words. I think by now most of you know Henry was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the greatest American poet of the 19th century or at least so recognized in his time.

When he died in the year 1882, 21 years after Frances had died, they went into his house and they found in Henry’s house a poem that Henry had written. It was never published. He had only written it a month or two before he died. It was called “A Cross of Snow” and was all about Frances. It was written almost 21 years after her death, and it was all about her. Longfellow wrote that there was a cross of snow upon his heart and he wore it always. There was no summer for him, no spring, no fall. Only winter. He was in perpetual winter because Frances was gone. He bore upon his heart a cross of snow.

Maybe as you’re sitting here this morning in this worship center, you feel like that. Maybe you feel like you’ve lost a loved one and there’s no spring or summer or fall anymore. It’s perpetual winter for you. Maybe you’ve lost a loved one and you feel like you bear a cross of snow, but you see, this is the body of Christ. This is the body of Christ and we’ve been called to care for one another. We’ve been called to minister and serve each other. We’ve been called to strengthen the weak, to hold each other’s arms up. That’s what we’ve been called to, that we might win victory even in grief.

At this church, we have grief recovery groups, grief support groups. You can call the church. Please let us serve you if you are in the midst of grief and if you are bearing a cross of snow. Remember that God has called you to strengthen the weak.

When was the last time you called someone that you know has lost a loved one? When was the last time you called that person that you know is in pain? When was the last time you visited them? When was the last time you asked them out to coffee? Took them out to lunch? When was the last time you sought to strengthen the weak?

The call of God is upon us. As it was upon Aaron, so it is upon us. Of course, there are different types of weakness. Some of us are in the midst of struggles with addiction. Some of you may be struggling with sexual addiction. Some of you may be struggling with drug or alcohol abuse. Again, we have support groups and recovery groups right here at the church. We want to strengthen you. We want to minister to you. We want to help you.

On March 17th in the year 1904 in the city of London, there was a great gathering. March 17, 1904. The London Times had issued a challenge to a man named Erich Weiss. This challenge concerned handcuffs. Erich Weiss had claimed that he could escape from anything. So, these handcuffs were created that had six locks in each cuff, twelve locks in all, nine tumblers per lock, 108 tumblers in all. No one could escape these handcuffs, so The London Times issued a challenge to Erich Weiss. They sold tickets, and thousands of people gathered. Could he escape these handcuffs?

They put him in a box that came up to his waist. They chained the handcuffs upon him, and he went down into the box. The people waited. After 20 minutes, Erich Weiss came out of the box and the people cheered. Then they saw that the handcuffs were still attached. He was not free. He smiled and went back down in the box. Fifteen more minutes. After 15 minutes, he jumped out of the box and the people went crazy. They all stood up but then they saw the handcuffs were still on. He smiled again, went back in the box for 20 more minutes. Then he jumped up and the crowd went crazy! Cheering everywhere until they saw he was still handcuffed.

He went back into the box a fourth time. He stayed in the box for 10 minutes and when he came out, he was free. The handcuffs were off. He had escaped. The crowd couldn’t believe it. They were stunned and they cheered. Afterwards, The London Times asked Erich Weiss, of course his stage name was Harry Houdini, “Why did you go down in the box four times? Why did you come out when you were not free?” He said, “I needed the encouragement.” He said, “I needed to hear their cheers. I needed to hear their yells. I needed to hear their encouragement. I needed to hear their support, their motivation.”

Maybe you feel chained. Maybe you feel handcuffed. It might be by sexual addiction. It might be by alcohol. It might be by gossip. It might be by depression. God loves you. He’s called us to strengthen you and to help you find victory. That’s why we’re here. We want to support you. Again, we have these ministries at the church and they’re for you, but do not forget that God has called each of you to strengthen the weak. He’s called you to this ministry that he called Aaron to, to raise the arms of another that the victory might be won.

There’s a second life lesson from Aaron, and the second life lesson is this. We’re called to a ministry of intercession. You are called to a ministry of intercession.

Aaron was a priest. He was the founder of the Aaronic priesthood, the first High Priest of Israel. I think even today there’s a kind of mystery about the priesthood. What does it mean to be a priest? The Hebrew word for priest is “kohen.” This Hebrew word means, “to stand,” and it was used to “one who stood in the presence of God for ministry and service.” Certainly, that describes a priest.

The Greek word for priest is “hiereus.” This word means, “holy or scared.” It is related to the Greek word “hieron” which means, “temple.” Certainly, priests serve in the Temple, and they serve the sacred and the holy. The English word “priest” comes actually from the Greek word “presbuteros” which means, “elder or wise one” and certainly priests need to have the wisdom of years.

But what do priests really do? By the will of God and by the call of God, what does a priest really do? The answer is that they intercede. This is at the heart of the ministry of the priest, to intercede for the needs of people before the presence of God. That’s what a priest does. A priest intercedes for the needs of people before the throne of God. What a privilege. Did you know that biblically every one of you who believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you ARE a priest. The Bible says that the Church of Jesus Christ is a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Every single one of us is called to the ministry of the priesthood in the broadest sense. We have the privilege of intercession for people before the throne of God, that privilege is called prayer.

This is a priestly ministry which God has entrusted to the saints, to you. You are sons and daughters of God. Don’t take this ministry lightly.

One of my favorite stories concerns a Union soldier during the Civil War, a true story. It took place in the year 1863. This Union soldier received news that his father had died. He was devastated. He had already lost his three brothers during the Civil War and now his father. He knew that his mother was back home on the farm, and she was all alone. He wanted to go home to comfort his mom, to be with his mom, and to help her work the farm, but he was a soldier and he could not escape his responsibilities.

He was given a 2-week leave and he went to Washington, D.C. to appeal to President Lincoln, that he might be honorably discharged and relieved from his military obligations. He went to the White House and he was refused entry as you can imagine he would be. He was not allowed to go in. He was told the President had too much to do, was too busy, they were sorry, sure his needs were great, but he could not see the President. This Union soldier, in depression and grief, went and found a bench in a park and just sat down and wept. He cried.

As he was crying, a ten-year-old boy saw him. The boy came up to him and said, “Mister, what’s the problem?” This Union soldier just poured out his heart to a ten-year-old boy. The Union soldier said, “I tried to get in to see the President, but he wouldn’t see me.” The boy said, “Don’t worry. I’ll take you in to see him.” The ten-year-old said, “Follow me.” The Union soldier thought, “What’s going on…” but he followed the boy. They went around to the back of the White House to a private entrance there. There were guards but they looked at the boy and they just let him go right on through along with the Union soldier. They went into the back of the White House and entered the White House.

Again, the guards let this ten-year-old and the Union soldier just pass right on through. They went up to the Oval Office. This ten-year-old boy opened the door and said, “Dad; there’s a Union soldier here, a soldier who wants and needs to talk to you.”

Abraham Lincoln saw that Union soldier and he gave him an honorable discharge and released him to serve the needs of his farm and his mother. He went back and lived with his mom on the farm. It is a true story. It is a fact of history. Of course, the boy was Thomas Tad Lincoln, not Robert Todd, the older son. He died at the age of 18 but not before he did a few good deeds, not before he had a chance to intercede.

You have the privilege of intercession because you are sons and daughters of God. You have the ability to influence His heart because you are His sons and daughters. You can approach Him with regard to the needs of other people. He will listen to you and He will care because He is your Father, and you can come to Him in intercession and you can appeal for anybody and He will hear you. You have this priestly privilege.

The Aaronic priesthood was really mostly about sin and sacrifices. The priest administered the sacrifices on the Altar of Israel. The High Priest, once a year on the day of atonement on Yom Kippur, went into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the blood of animals on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant, seeking to atone for the sin of the people, appealing to God to have mercy on the people. Of course, the priestly office, in a sense, has been fulfilled in Christ, at least with regard to sacrifice for He has borne the sin of the world, your sin and mine.

He still intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father. The Bible tells us He is a High Priest forever but He has called us to the priesthood that we might intercede as well for the needs of those around us. This is the privilege of prayer. Don’t take it lightly. I hope you’re all prayer warriors. I hope some of you are praying for me. I know I’m praying for many of you, and I hope you’re willing to take the time because intercession is critical.

I know many of you have heard of a religion called Zoroastrianism. It still exists in parts of the Middle East and Asia and has hundreds of thousands of followers still. It is an ancient religion founded 3,000 years ago in ancient Persia by a man named Zoroaster. His Persian name was Zarathustra.

According to this religion, there is only one god, but under the one supreme god, there are 365 lesser gods—a god for every day of the year. In Zoroastrianism, when you pray, it takes a lot of time because your prayers have no power unless you pray by name the 365 gods. You have to pray in the name of all 365 of them by name, so it becomes a great labor. It’s no wonder the religion has shrunk tremendously through the years.

There was a time in ancient Persia where people became lazy and they decided to short-cut the whole deal. They decided they could sum up the names of all 365 gods through the word “abracadabra.” That’s where we get the word, abracadabra. So, when they prayed, instead of going through the long list of all those names, they just said, “abracadabra,” a short-cut, a lazy prayer.

We can laugh, but many Christians are no better. Lazy prayers. Don’t let it be true of you. Take the time to pray. Pray for people by name. Pray for people by need. This is your priestly privilege. It is the power of intercession.

There’s a third and final life lesson, and we’ll be brief. The third and final life lesson from Aaron is this. You are called to be light in the darkness. Sometimes we think of the priestly ministry as solely intercession, but it had to do with a broader scope of service. Intercession was at the heart of the priest’s call, but the priest was also called to be a source of light. The priest was to give Torah. He was to get instruction to the people, that they might have the light of God. We’re told in Exodus 28 that within his breastplate, sometimes called the Breastplate of Judgement, sometimes called the Breastplate of Righteousness, but within that breastplate, there was the Urim and the Thummim.

There’s great scholarly debate as to the meaning of these words and the use of the Urim and Thummim. They were stones that were used as oracles to divine the will of God for the people of God, that the priest might have light to lead the people. The etymology of these two words is difficult. The word “Thummim” perhaps comes from the word “tum” which is a Hebrew word which means, “perfect or complete.” But some think it comes from another root which means, “truth.” In the Septuagint, which is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew Old Testament, Thummim is rendered by “aletheia,” which is the Greek word for “truth.” A few scholars believe that the word “Urim” comes from “ara” which means, “curse,” but the etymology is unlikely. A few more believe that it means, “oracle” or even “Alpha,” but most Bible scholars today agree it means, “light.” It means light, and it comes from the word, “Ur.” Urim is the plural. Lights and perfections. Lights and truth.

This was the privilege the priest had to seek to bring to the people the light and truth of God. Jesus Christ sums up light and truth. He said, “I am the light of the world.” He said, “I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life.” He is the very summation of light and truth. Before He left this world, He said to those who believe in Him, “You are the light of the world,” and He says that to us this morning. He says that to each of you today. You are the light of the world, and He’s given you His word. He has given you the Gospel. They are Urim and Thummim for you, light and truth. You are to take them in the darkness that you might be light in the world. You are to take this obligation seriously. You’re not simply to seek comfort on the earth. You are to enter into discomfort for the sake of the greater cause of the kingdom of heaven. It’s not convenient to be light. It’s much easier to just blend in, but God has called you to be light and to live by this book which IS light—“A lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path”—and to share Jesus Christ with other people for He IS the Gospel and He IS the light. So, you have this call upon you as I have it upon me, and, in a sense, as Aaron had it upon him to be light.

As we close, I want to tell you a little story. It’s about a man named Alexander Duff. Alexander Duff was a Scotsman and a brilliant, brilliant scholar. He was a professor of theology at Edinburgh University. He had graduated from St. Andrews University. He received a doctorate from New York University. Most of these accomplishments were later in life.

When Alexander Duff was young, he traveled to India as the first Scottish missionary to India. The year was 1830. He did not arrive easily in India because the ship he was on, The Lady Holland, went down just before reaching shore. The people who survived had to swim to shore, and he was one of those. He had brought with him a library of 700 books because he had wanted to found a college. He was a brilliant man with a brilliant mind. Those books all went down at sea. Alexander Duff knelt on the sand on the shore of India and he prayed. He said, “Lord God, don’t let all of these books pass away. Save some.”

God did save one. It came on a piece of driftwood and it was his Bible. Amazing but true. The Bible of Alexander Duff came to shore on a piece of driftwood after he prayed. He went to Calcutta, convicted by God that the Bible was to be the center of his teaching as long as he drew breath. He sat under a Banyan tree and began to teach. Children gathered. He taught day after day and more and more children came. Pretty soon, 300 children were gathered around listening to this brilliant man teach the Bible. Adults began to come. Alexander Duff started a church.

Ultimately, Alexander Duff established the University of Calcutta which still exists and flourishes today. But, you see, in this instance he started a church, and that church was anointed by the Spirit of God—light in the darkness—and it grew. Ultimately, one thousand indigenous missionaries went forth in India from that singular church because, you see, the Book is light. The Gospel is light. Alexander Duff realized he was called to be light. Do you realize that?

The Bible says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” It WILL not overcome it. Not now. Not ever. You’ve been called to be light. So, live by the Book and share Jesus with others. Invite people to church. Be a bringer because that’s part of being light too, that we might be all that God wants us to be.

We have these three life lessons from Aaron. The first life lesson is that we’re called to strengthen the weak. The second life lesson is that we’re called to a ministry of intercession, and the third is that we are called to be light. Let’s pray that God would make us clay in the Potter’s hands, that all of these things would begin to characterize our lives. Let’s pray.