MY DEAR LITTLE FRIENDS, — I am glad to get in my Corner again to speak with you. William Branford has given us a good paper on our subject as you will see.
Aaron, The High Priest.
AARON, the brother of Moses, of the tribe of Levi. His father’s name was Amram, and his mother’s Jochebed (Ex. 6:2020And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years. (Exodus 6:20)). He was three years older than Moses (Ex. 7:77And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh. (Exodus 7:7)). He married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, by whom he had four sons, — Nadab, Abihu, Eleazer, and Ithamar. Of the life of Aaron, until he was more than eighty years of age, we know but little. He was born in Egypt, and lived there oppressed with his people. We first read of him in Exodus 4:14,14And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. (Exodus 4:14) where the call of Moses is recorded. At the same time Aaron received a Divine command to go and meet his brother, who was about to return for the deliverance of Israel. God said Aaron could speak well; but, more than that, God promised that he would be with Moses, mouth and Aaron’s. Aaron obeyed God, and went and met his brother on the Mount of God (Horeb, I think), and Aaron kissed Moses. They went at once to Egypt, and gathered all the elders together, and did the signs in the sight of the people, and the people believed, and they were pleased and whipped — the miracles confirmed what they heard. In Egypt Aaron was the chief speaker to Pharaoh. The Lord revealed to Aaron and his brother bow they were to bring out the people from their bondage; they obeyed God, and they were led through the Red Sea into the wilderness (Ex. 15:2222So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. (Exodus 15:22)). In the wilderness the people murmured (Ex. 16:22And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: (Exodus 16:2)). Aaron was specially designed for the priestly office; he was the first high priest; it was he, therefore, who laid up the pot of manna (Ex. 16:3333And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations. (Exodus 16:33)) to be kept as a memorial (Heb. 9:44Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; (Hebrews 9:4). He, with Hur, held up the hands of Moses during the combat with Amalek. Aaron partly ascended Sinai, and saw the manifestation of Israel’s God when Moses went up to receive the law— he and his sons being named as the priests of Israel (Ex. 28:1, 40:13,14). But at the very same time that Moses was on the mount, Aaron was tempted to commit a grievous sin by making a golden calf for the people to worship; he was severely rebuked, but he repented, as he was not long after consecrated with his sons as the priests of the Lord (Lev. 8:22Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread; (Leviticus 8:2)). This office was of Divine appointment. I think it was not Ione; offer this two of his sons took strange fire before the Lord, for which they were destroyed. Moses went to Aaron with a message concerning the priests, saying, “God will be sanctified in them that come nigh him.” “And Aaron held his peace.” Soon after leaving Sinai, Aaron was again tempted to transgress, and he joined with his sister Miriam against his brother (Num. 12:11And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. (Numbers 12:1)); but he was again forgiven. He in turn had to bear the complaints of the people as well as Moses (Num. 14:11And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. (Numbers 14:1)), when Koran, Dathan, and Abiram rebelled, and the people followed their murmuring, and the plague devoured them. Aaron was their intercessor before God (Num. 15), and the plague was stayed. He was surely of Divine appointment, as the budding, blossoming, and fruit-bearing of his rod proved (Num. 18), He was nevertheless excluded from the Land of Promise because he did not sanctify God at Meribah (Num. 20:1212And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. (Numbers 20:12)). Shortly after this Aaron was stripped of his robes by Divine corn mend on Mount Hor, where he died, being one hundred and twenty-three years old: the people mourned for him thirty days. His name is honorably mentioned later in the scriptures of truth, (Psa. 106:1616They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord. (Psalm 106:16)), where he is called a saint, and in Ps. 133; mentioned in connection with unity. In the New Testament (Luke 1:55There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. (Luke 1:5)), the mother of John the Baptist is spoken of as “of the daughters of Aaron.” His faults are spoken of as well (Acts 7:4040Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. (Acts 7:40)), for God’s word is always truth. Aaron was the first high priest according to God’s appointment. He was a type of Christ in that he stood between a holy God and transgressors. But what a very great contrast! Aaron was compassed with infirmity, but Christ is perfect (Heb. 5:99And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Hebrews 5:9)) and without sin (Heb. 4). There were many priests by reason of death; but Christ liveth to make intercession. The Aaronic priesthood needed daily to offer sacrifices; but Christ needed to make but one sacrifice for sins.
W. BRANFORD, aged eleven years.
Station Hill, Farnham., Surrey.
This is perhaps one of the most precious themes for our hearts to dwell upon, as it brings Jesus before us in the precious character of High Priest who entered the holiest of all by His own blood, and now lives for us.,. We have had some happy hours together in our Corner, and I, for one, am looking for the time when we shall see each other in heaven with the Lord. May we live for Him down here is the real desire of your affectionate friend
DOT.
54, Paternoster Row, E. C.