AND now the time has come when Aaron must die. The Lord told Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, that Aaron should be gathered to his people; that he should not enter the land which the Lord had given the children of Israel, because they had rebelled against His word at the water of Meribah. The Lord also instructed Moses to take Aaron and his son, Eleazar up in the mountain and take the priestly garments off Aaron and put them on Eleazar his son. And Moses did as the Lord commanded—the- three men going up into the mountain in the sight of all the congregation. And Aaron died there in the top of Mount Hor, at the age of one hundred and twenty-three years, and after nearly forty years of wandering.
Moses and Eleazar, now priest in his father’s stead, came down from the Mount; and the people mourned for Aaron for thirty days.
Do you wonder why Aaron was punished when it was Moses who was the active one in the failure? Let us look at it and draw an important lesson from this. Aaron was to aid Moses in gathering the people together, and he stood by, without remonstrance so far as we know, when Moses in anger spoke to the people instead of the rock, and when lie smote the rock twice; and thus he was partner to the evil; and the Lord counted it so, for he was really associated with Moses in his rebellion against the word of the Lord.
People often say, “I did not do that,” and yet they stood by and sanctioned what was done, and God counts it the same as their doing it, as He did with Aaron. Again we often meet people who say they would not go to such a place, or do such a thing, when, perhaps, they are associated, or linked, with the very people who do the things they condemn, and in this way they are partakers of the evil. This is a most solemn thing; and a thing too little thought of. If, dear reader, you are associated with those who are going on with what you cannot approve, God gives for you, a very plain and simple word, and happy will it be if you act upon it. Listen, and, by the grace of God, give heed. “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall he my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
Do you say, “What! leave my friends and associates, and walk separate from them—that would be hard!”
Yes—that is what God calls you to—the separate path. Is it too much? Does it involve too great self-denial on your part for the One who gave Himself for you? Ah! you little know the joy there is in the separate path—separate, but not alone. If you will take this path, God will be to you in a special way a Father, and He will walk with you and sustain you in it. He has pledged Himself to this. If you will separate from that which is not pleasing to Him, and will cease to keep company with those who are going on with what is not according to His mind, you will find that you have gained far more than you have given up. 2 Cor. 6:14-1814Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:14‑18).
ML 08/21/1904