The story of Aaron in the Bible is intertwined with the life of Moses. In this post, I will explore the characters of Aaron and a few lessons we can learn from what we know of his life.
Who was Aaron in the Bible
Aaron was the brother of Moses and Miriam. Aaron was also the first head of Levite priesthood.
Aaron in the Bible verses
Just like the story of Moses, the life of Aaron spans several books of the Bible, from Exodus to Numbers. Here is a list of some major events in Aaron’s life and the Scripture references
Aaron goes to Pharaoh with Moses – Exodus 7 – 12
Aaron makes the golden calf – Exodus 32
Aaron joins Miriam in rebellion against Moses – Numbers 12
God chooses Aaron to be the high priest – Numbers 17
Aaron dies – Numbers 20
Characteristics of Aaron in the Bible
In this brief Aaron character study, we will look at some of his strengths and weaknesses.
10 Qualities of Aaron in the Bible – Strengths and weaknesses
Aaron was courageous and faith-filled
Aaron was bold and eloquent
Aaron was a beloved, influential leader
Aaron was loyal and supportive
Aaron was obedient
Aaron had multiple gifts
Aaron did not handle pressure well
Aaron did not accept responsibility
Aaron was easily influenced
Aaron fed from the emotional energy of others
H2 Characteristics of Aaron in the Bible – Strengths
Aaron had a courageous and faith-filled relationship with God
For 40 years, Moses had been a fugitive. We do not know if he communicated with his brother, Aaron, at all during those 40 years but it seems unlikely based on what God says to Moses:
“Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. (Exodus 4:14 ESV)
It appears that God had already spoken to Aaron and he was already stepping out in faith to meet Moses.
While Moses is getting ready to go to Egypt, Scripture says:
The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. (Exodus 4:27 ESV)
Aaron didn’t seem to ask any questions when God told him to go to the wilderness to meet Moses. He heard God’s voice. He obeyed God’s voice.
Moses explained to Aaron what had transpired between Him and God. Again, Aaron does not ask any questions. He believed Moses and hopped on board with the plan immediately.
It is amazing that Aaron could hear God for himself. God did not need to send anyone to get Aaron’s attention or give him a message.
I wonder what Aaron told his family when he set off towards the wilderness to speak with his brother whom he had not seen or spoken to in four decades?
It takes courage. That’s for sure.
How do you react or respond when you hear God’s voice?
Aaron was a bold and eloquent speaker
When Moses was finding every reason in the world not to go to Egypt, God reminded him of his brother Aaron.
Moses’ primary complaint about his own speech had to do with fluency. When God recommends Aaron as his mouthpiece, God points out that Aaron does not have this struggle.
“Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well… (Exodus 4:14 ESV)
Apparently, Aaron’s speech was free and fluent. He did not feel the kind of inadequacy that Moses struggled with.
While Moses was apprehensive about going before Pharaoh, Aaron did not have those hang-ups.
Aaron was a beloved, influential leader in Israel
From the time Moses shows up to lead Israel out of Egypt, Aaron shows himself as an outstanding, influential leader among the Israelites.
When Moses struggles to win favor among his fellow Hebrews, it is Aaron who gathers all the leaders, breaks the ice and becomes a bridge between his brother and the leaders in Israel.
When God sets up the priesthood in Israel, Aaron is chosen to be the high priest. This was no ordinary position.
Working side by side with Moses, it was part of his responsibility to ensure all the appropriate offerings were made and all the correct festivals were properly observed.
And Aaron loved the people too, just like Moses loved them.
In Numbers 16, the people grumbled against both Moses and Aaron. When God was going to wipe them out in one sweep, Aaron helped Moses to make atonement in order to save their lives.
Although Aaron had his fair set of flaws (which I will talk about later), the Israelites loved him. The entire community felt his loss when he died:
And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had perished, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days. (Number 20:29 ESV)
Aaron was loyal and supportive
From the start when God set up Aaron to be Moses’ mouthpiece, they became quite the leadership duo. Aaron almost always supported Moses (except on two occasions which I was talk about later).
There is one notable event that demonstrated Aaron’s loyalty and support.
During the battle against the Amelakites recorded in Exodus 17, the Israelites were winning only when Moses held up his arms. Aaron was one of two people who held up Moses’ hand when he got tired.
Throughout the ministry that Moses had, Aaron was there with him. They served Israel faithfully together.
In fact, they both missed out on entering the promised land because they even began to mirror each other’s behaviors and emotions. (More on that later)
Aaron was obedient for the most part
From the beginning, Aaron had a track record of obeying God. Considering the time when God sends him to go meet Moses in the wilderness, we realize then that Aaron had a heart for God.
Leading Israel was no small job. Moses spent an enormous amount of time in the presence of God getting detailed instructions about what to do and how to do it.
A large part of those instructions had to do with building the tabernacle, offering sacrifices, and celebrating various festivals.
When Moses revealed to Aaron that he was to be high priest and what all that entailed, Aaron carried out the instructions God gave Moses.
Aaron did everything from allowing himself to be consecrated to wearing the required clothing to offering the sacrifices the exact way God said it should be done.
Aaron was an imperfect man but he was certainly open to God’s leading in his life.
Aaron had multiple gifts
Aaron is most known for his role as high priest. However, there was more to him than that. Before he was given that position by God, he seemed to be very skilled with crafting tools.
Exodus 31-32 tells us that Aaron was responsible for making the golden calf. He carved it out and covered it. Aaron did the whole thing.
It takes a special set of hands to do this kind of work. When it was time to build the tabernacle, God gifted men with the skills to work with wood and other precious metals.
It seems like Aaron already was quite capable in this area.
Characteristics of Aaron in the Bible – Weaknesses
Like us living today, Aaron was very much imperfect. Here is a description of a few of his flaws.
Aaron didn’t do well leading under pressure
Although Aaron was a beloved leader in Israel, he wasn’t good at influencing them to make good decisions in tough times.
When Moses went to the mountains to talk with God about the way forward for Israel, he was gone for 40 days.
The Israelites became impatient and demanded that Aaron make them a golden calf to worship.
Aaron very much gave in to them. He was probably afraid for his life. So he got to work fulfilling their demands.
What followed was a disgraceful, idolatrous, worship session that seriously dishonored God.
As a leader, Aaron contributed to the sin of the very people he loved and cherished.
Aaron did not accept responsibility for his actions
When Moses tried to get information out of him about how the golden calf was made, listen to Aaron’s response.
So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” Exodus 32:24
Did you see how he didn’t tell Moses that he himself made the calf with his own hands?
The calf just jumped out of the fire, fully carved out and perfectly covered with gold.
Aaron really had a problem with facing the music. He did not seem to like confrontations at all.
This can be very challenging for someone who is a certain level of leadership like Aaron was.
Aaron was easily influenced
The golden calf situation was not the only time Aaron fell into sin because he couldn’t resist the bad influence of others.
When Miriam became discontented with Moses as leader of Israel, she squeezed support out of Aaron to rise up against Moses.
Their point of attack was Moses’ Cushite wife. The wife wasn’t the real problem. It was just a smokescreen for the real issue – their jealousy of Moses.
They were both older than Moses. This might have been an issue too.
But when God stepped in, Miriam was struck with leprosy. Aaron might have been saved from a curse because he was just following Miriam.
It would seem like Aaron at times didn’t have a mind of his own.
Aaron fed off of Moses’ bad anger energy
We all know the story of Moses striking the rock. This act was an expression of disobedience that came because of anger. God had told Moses to speak to the rock, not strike the rock.
But, did you notice that Aaron was also guilty of disobeying God?
Yes, Aaron was right there with Moses. And it wasn’t just that they struck the rock only. It was also that both of them took the glory for themselves instead of giving it all to God.
Well, both Aaron and Moses were not permitted to enter the land of Canaan because of this incident.
So they both got the consequence of dying just before the Israelites were to occupy the promised land.
Lessons from the story of Aaron in the Bible
What can we learn from Aaron’s life? The story of Aaron is rich with lessons we can learn. Although there are more, I have only discussed four lessons.
Let’s jump in!
Learn to say no to things that do not honor God
There have been three times in Scripture that Aaron allowed himself to be influenced negatively. The first was when he allowed the Israelite mob to intimidate him into building the golden calf.
The second was when he allowed Miriam to influence him in attacking Moses’ leadership by speaking negatively about Moses’ wife.
The third time he joined Moses in getting angry and striking the rock instead of speaking to it.
Aaron seemed to have some difficulty with standing on his own two feet. This is never a good thing.
Peer pressure is not just a teenage thing. Even adults get caught up in it too. Being very sure of who you are and whose you are goes a long way in standing against the wrong.
This is especially important when you are in a position of influence like Aaron.
Use your gifts and talents to honor God
It is clear that Aaron was an excellent craftsman. He made the golden calf. Later in the story of the Israelites we learn that craftsmanship is a gift from God.
Yet, Aaron used this precious skill to create an idol.
There is nothing that we do that does not express worship. All our skills, whether we use them to make money or not, are given to us to worship God.
As believers we must be careful not to use them to lift up ourselves or bring disrepute to God’s name.
Scripture says whatever we should be done to give God glory (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Be humble and wait on God’s purpose
Aaron blundered in a major way when he joined Miriam in criticizing Moses’ leadership.
Aaron had been an influential leader in Israel. Then Moses showed up after 40 years. Now, he had to follow Moses’ lead.
Sometimes God will put us in positions of leadership but sometimes He will make us follow. Good leaders know that when this happens, humility should take over instead of pride and discontentment.
No matter how much you think you know as a leader, there is always more to learn.
Moreover, although God elevated Moses to leadership over Israel, Aaron was gifted with the position of High Priest. This was the highest position of spiritual leadership in Israel.
God knows what He is doing. If you let Him, He will place you exactly where He wants you to serve Him. Nobody will be able to contest God’s decision.
When the Israelites tried to question Aaron’s call to be high priest, God caused his staff to grow leaves and fruit overnight.
This piece of wood wasn’t planted anywhere and should not have been able to do this. But God showed up to make it abundantly clear to everyone that Aaron was His choice for this time.
Humble yourself and God will lift you up.
God’s plan and promise for your life remain no matter your mistakes
While Moses was in the mountains with Joshua, God took 40 days to describe in great details the strategic plan for the children of Israel.
During that time, God gave Moses the 10 commandments and instructions for how to build the temple and how to execute the system of animal sacrifices. God took his time.
A part of what Moses was told is that Aaron and his sons would become the first set of priests. God described everything about what they would wear, who should make their clothes, what they should do in the sanctuary, how often they were to do it. Detail upon details.
While God was telling all this to Moses, Aaron was at the foot of the mountain carving out and making the golden calf because the people asked for something to worship.
Aaron didn’t yet know what God was planning for him. But God had such grand ideas about the life of prominence and service that He wanted for Aaron as priest.
Although Moses had to beg for his life, God didn’t change His mind about making Aaron priest.
No matter what you’re doing with your life right now, God has a plan for you. His plans won’t change no matter how much you’ve messed up.
All God wants is for you to be repentant and to accept his offer of grace and forgiveness. And if you are willing to have Him, His plans for you are perfect.
Facts about Aaron in the Bible
Aaron in the Bible meaning
There are two definitions given Aaron’s name in Scripture. The first and primary meaning is mountaineer or mountain of strength. The second possible meaning is light bringer.
Who is the father of Aaron and Moses?
Amram was the father of Aaron.
Who were the sons of Aaron in the Bible?
Aaron had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Nadab and Abihu were killed by God because they offered unauthorized sacrifices.
Why was Aaron chosen by God?
It is difficult to say exactly why God chose Aaron. But, here are a few things to consider.
During the 10th plague in Egypt, God had spared the first born of the Israelites. For this reason, He reserved them for Himself (Numbers 3:11-13; 8:16 – 19). Originally, they should have served as the priests.
However, later on God took the entire tribe of the Levites in exchange for all the firstborns. Aaron was the first born son of his parents, being three years older than Moses.
In addition, Jewish scholars explain that Aaron might have been chosen as High Priest because of his very close relationship with the Israelites and his level of influence among them.
What does the rod of Aaron represent?
In ancient society, a rod was a symbol of authority. Think about the Psalm 23: “your rod and staff comfort me”.
Aaron’s rod was instrumental in the story of the Israelites. For example, it was his rod that turned into a snake and swallowed the magician’s rods that had turned snakes as well. It was Aaron’s rod that turned the Egyptian water into blood.
When the Israelite leaders grumbled about Aaron’s role as high priest, God caused Aaron’s rod to sprout, bud, blossom, and produce ripe almonds all overnight! (Numbers 17:8). This was His way of speaking clearly who was His choice.
Aaron’s rod was then placed in the Ark of the Covenant to be a permanent sign of God’s warning against those who rebelled against His choice,
What happened to Aaron in the Bible
Aaron served as high priest in Israel for approximately 40 years. Just about the same amount of time the Israelites wandered in the wilderness.
Because Aaron participated with Moses in striking the rock, instead of speaking to it, God did not allow him to enter the promised land.
Just before the Israelites entered Canaan, God told Moses it was time for Aaron to pass on his High Priest’s robe to his son. (Numbers 20:22-29)
Death of Aaron in Bible
After the ceremony in which Aaron passes on the role of high priest to his son, he dies. Aaron was 123 years old when he died. (Numbers 33:39)
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