Numbers 33:36-39 (ESV)
And they set out from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin (that is, Kadesh). [37] And they set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom. [38] And Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of the LORD and died there, in the fortieth year after the people of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. [39] And Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.
From Numbers 20 we remember that Miriam had died in the wilderness of Zin in the fortieth year in the first month, and we see here that Aaron also died in the fifth month of the same year. Aaron and Moses were not allowed to enter into the promised land because in Kadesh they obeyed not the commandment of the Lord at the waters of Meribah. Aaron had to die on this side of the Jordan.
Many things we can learn from the death of Aaron. Firstly, it shows the weakness of Aaron's High Priesthood. Aaron was the High Priest of Israel, but could not continue his office due to death. Death was his stumbling-block. But Jesus Christ, since He lives forever, He is forever our High Priest:
Psalm 110:4 (KJV)
The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Jesus came to this world to be a Priest for us, that is, to make atonement for us and forgive our sins:
Matthew 9:6 (KJV)
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
This Priest is altogether more wonderful than Aaron, because: 1) He is God and not only man, 2) He has no sins of His own to atone for, 3) He assures forgiveness by offering His own blood, and 4) death does not stop His work, but He rose from the dead to continue being our priest for those who believe, forever and ever. Aaron was a faulty priest, who had sinned and died, and therefore was not able to take Israel over the Jordan. But we have Jesus, who died, not for His sins, but to make offering for our sins, and rose from the dead, offered His blood to God, and by His Spirit makes us to cross the river of death and to brings us to heaven.
Why did God make Aaron to die on the mount? It was perhaps that, as with Moses's body, God prevented Aaron's body from being idolized by Israelites (Jude 1:9). But mainly, it was to show again the difference between Christ and Aaron. Christ went up the Mount of Olives to ascend into heaven victoriously, so that He may be at the right hand of the Father, to always intercede for our sins. But Aaron goes up to the Mount Hor to die, having to hand over his position to his son. And it was Eleazar that came down from the mount instead of Aaron. But Christ handed over His position to nobody. He Himself is still the only Intercessor and the Mediator between God and man. He never gave His position as High Priest to Peter, nor to John nor to any man. It is He Himself who will descend the same way He went up to Heaven, that He may judge every man:
Acts 1:11 (KJV)
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Here we are reminded by Aaron's death that no human reign or rule lasts forever. Human rule is always interrupted by death, and needs to be handed down from father to son, but even that lasts not forever, and go from families to families, dynasties to dynasties. But the Kingdom of God is God's and Christ's forever and ever. It's ownership is not handed down to any other heir but Christ, the only begotten Son of God. And even Christ the Heir does not take ownership of the kingdom, but attributes it as His Father's:
Matthew 26:29 (ESV)
I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
God's kingdom lasts forever, and is forever His Kingdom. There is no internal turmoil or sin that will hinder the Kingdom of God, for the Father loves the Son, and the Son loves and honors the Father forever. God is eternal, and lives forever, so no one ever will be seated in His throne after Him. There is no Kingdom that can come against His Kingdom, for His Kingdom is like the Rock that comes to suddenly destroy all kingdoms that oppose Him. Therefore King Nebuchadnezzar, whose kingdom was destroyed only in his son's reign, spake in awe of the eternality of God's Kingdom:
Daniel 4:34 (ESV)
At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
It is interesting to read that Aaron died "at the command of the Lord". Moses also died at the commandment of the Lord. It is by the command of God whether we live or die. No matter how healthy we may be or how strong our will to live, when God commands, it is time to die. Death comes, whether or not we are prepared, whenever God wills. It is God who gave us our lives by His will, and it is God who takes them back according to His own will:
Luke 12:20 (ESV)
But God said to him, ''Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?''
Even Christ died at the commandment of the Lord, at the exact time when God willed:
Philippians 2:8 (ESV)
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Matthew 26:18 (ESV)
He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ''The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.''"
If Christ, who did not even deserve death, died at God's commandment and the exact time that He had prepared, then we shall not escape.
How much must we also prepare for our own departure. When God calls us out of Sodom of this world into the place that He has prepared for us, we must be able to look forward to Heaven, and not even look for one moment behind us, lest we be turned into pillars of salt. When that day of our death comes, let us by faith climb our mountains of Hor, expecting God to receive our spirits as God received Christ's. We have a Saviour who has gone through the death that we will go through, that He may sympathize with us. Let us, then, not be afraid of our death, but let us declare with Paul:
Philippians 1:21 (ESV)
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Death is gain for us believers because God has given us the hope of resurrection, just as Christ rose from the dead. By the Cross God has freed us from the fear of death, by giving us hope of Paradise instead of eternal torment for our sins. Though our bodies must die because of sin, we know that our spirit will live because we have been justified, and we know our bodies shall live again like Christ's. Let us live in this hope, and let us not fear death, for we know that Christ has gone through this journey before us, that we may have courage. Blessed be God.
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