8 Beautiful Life Lessons from Moses' Brother Aaron
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One noteworthy thing about Aaron in the Bible is that he was Moses’ older brother and mouthpiece in the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt to the promised land. God offers Moses the position of leading His covenanted people out of bondage and Moses is hesitant, unsure of himself in this role. Moses claims he is slow of speech. What follows next establishes his brother Aaron’s life purpose. Then the LORD’s anger burned against Moses and He said, 'What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you” (Exodus 4:14-17). Using Aaron to help lead the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt is God’s backup plan. Aaron is from the start an aid to his charismatic, younger brother. Aaron’s legacy increases in importance as the exodus unfolds, however.
Who Was Aaron in the Bible?
The most famous Levites born during Israel’s enslavement in Egypt were Aaron and his younger siblings, Moses and Miriam. Aaron was three years older than Moses (Exodus 7:7), yet Moses was chosen to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. Moses accepted the leadership position with the Lord’s concession that Aaron be Moses' mouthpiece.
The brothers’ first, risky assignment was to petition for Israel’s release from bondage and permission to leave Egypt. Aaron served with Moses as mediators between God and the Egyptian pharaoh. As God’s prophets, Aaron and Moses foretold of 10 plagues God would unleash on Egypt, which threatened the pharaoh into releasing the Israelites. Aaron performed the miracles God had demonstrated with Moses at meetings with the pharaoh—turning his staff into a snake, turning water into blood, and contracting and curing leprosy. The pharaoh was convinced of God’s power over Israel and Egypt when first-born Egyptian boys are killed in the tenth plague. The pharaoh then follows God’s order to Let my people go.
After the Hebrews are set free to leave Egypt, they are led through the wilderness by Moses and Aaron. God consecrates all of the Levites, one of the 12 tribes of Israel, as aides to Aaron and his sons, who are the Levite priests for the holy nation of Israel. Instead of holding land, the Levites received God’s “portion,” tabernacle offerings (Numbers 18:8), while they dedicated their lives to service in the Israelite’s Tent of Meetings (Number 3:5-10). The Levites were assistants to the priest or became priests in Jewish religious practices.
Why Did God Allow Aaron to Accompany Moses when He Went to Pharaoh?
Moses protested when the Lord asked him to speak to the pharaoh, claiming he had “faltering lips” and couldn’t even convince the Hebrew people he was their leader (Exodus 6:12). Aaron appears to be a better speaker and perhaps more confident and outgoing than Moses at the outset of the exodus. Aaron may be more dramatic as he demonstrates God’s miracles—turning his staff into a snake, turning water into blood, and contracting and curing leprosy on his own hands—in presentations to Pharaoh and his officials.
Another possible reason God provided Aaron’s brotherly support to Moses is two people may serve as witnesses to each other in a difficult situation. They may fill in gaps in each other's performance. Making a huge request of the king Pharaoh of Egypt must have been a daunting assignment. Moses and Aaron (and their sister Miriam) needed to stand together firmly to convincing the Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The Israelis had been enslaved for over 400 years and were a necessary part of the Egyptian economic system.
What Are Aaron's Biggest Accomplishments?
Aaron is much more than an assistant to Moses. Aaron inspires the pharaoh and the people of Israel from the beginning to the end of the exodus. Aaron enters God’s holy presence on Mt. Sinai with Moses. The rest of the 600,000 Hebrews have boundaries around the mountain, which they are strictly warned by God not to cross (Exodus 19:24). Aaron is perhaps poised as a witness to God’s reciting the 10 Commandments and a dozen or so other areas of social responsibility to Moses.
After the covenant of law is received, Aaron and Hebrew elders join Moses in offering a sacrifice to God and are blessed by looking at God without the punishment of death God warned of earlier. 40 days and nights pass while Moses hears God’s Jewish tabernacle requirements. At some point, Aaron goes back down Mount Sinai to the impatiently waiting Hebrew people and the real trouble begins.
Aaron’s notorious actions leading to the Hebrews creating a golden calf while Moses was up Mount Sinai, hearing and recording the 10 Commandments and the full set of laws decreed by God. Aaron met the demands of the impatient, unfaithful people by collecting gold from women’s earrings and fashioning it into a golden calf. The foolish Hebrew people exclaim, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt" (Exodus 32:4). Playing to the crowd, Aaron set up an altar and proclaimed a festival to worship the calf.
In this abomination toward God, Aaron displayed his pride and need to appease his followers. The Lord was very angry with him, and Moses exploded in rage when he came down from Mount Sinai and returned to the Hebrew camp to find them dancing around the golden calf. Aaron said, “You know how prone these people are to evil”…and Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control (Exodus 32:25). Aaron’s dutiful Levites come to Moses’ assistance, killing 3,000 golden calf worshippers.
Aaron’s Levite assistants continue to serve God throughout Jewish religious history. Aaron’s descendants assist in worship and ministry as musicians, gatekeepers, craftsmen, officials, and judges in the tabernacle, which later becomes the Jewish temple in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 23:2-5, 13). Additional tasks of the Levites were to carry the Ark of God’s Covenant, to stand in attendance upon God, and to bless His name. In a modern Jewish service, an available Levite blesses the second reading of the law.
Three items were placed in the ark of the covenant by the ancient Hebrews: a pot of manna, the 10 Commandments, and Aaron’s staff. Each item testifies to an important blessing within Israel’s exodus journey. Aaron’s staff represents how he became the founder of the spiritual priesthood leading the Hebrew people. The fact that the symbol of Aaron’s priestly calling is placed alongside the divine laws of the 10 Commandments and some of the miraculous manna which fed the wandering Israelites is a testimony to the importance of Aaron in Israel’s history.
8 Important Lessons from Aaron's Life
Whether we are front and center or helping from the side, we have a purpose in the kingdom of God.
I imagine that Aaron became a humbler man as he was led by his younger brother. This is another example of a nontraditional plan of God—younger brother Moses is the primary leader and Aaron is his accomplice. Moses had been set apart to be in charge, but Aaron had an equally valuable calling to stand by his side and support his ministry.
Sibling rivalry is alive and well.
At one point, Aaron was jealous of Moses, demanding of God, “Has the Lord only spoken through Moses?” (Numbers 12:2). Aaron didn’t want to relay prophetic messages to the Hebrews through Moses; Aaron wanted to speak directly to God. This outburst helps me understand Aaron’s people-pleasing behavior when he led his people in worshipping the golden calf. Aaron wanted the glory and popularity of Moses.
Those in faith leadership positions must remain true to the Lod’s voice and not listen to people’s popular opinions.
The golden calf episode illustrates a weak time in Aaron’s leadership when people had a stronger influence upon him than God.
With humility, we can recover from a big mistake in our faith walk.
Aaron’s blasphemous actions in creating a golden calf remind us that God can forgive and we can forgive others and ourselves. Aaron made amends to his brother Moses and God as a powerful leader of the people who did wrong.
We all need a wingman.
We all need someone to go with us to a difficult situation or talk us through it privately.
As it says in Hebrews 5:4, “And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.”
Moses is an iconic figure in the Christian faith and our common culture (if there is such a thing), but even Moses didn’t do it alone. Aaron was with Moses from the start, supporting Moses in fulfilling God’s purposes with His holy nation of Israel.
A biological or spiritual brother or sister shares our expectations and joy.
Aaron and Moses walked through the pharaoh’s court and the desert together. They brought hope to the grumbling Israelis together. They needed each other in carrying out the difficult task of moving the Hebrew people to the promised land.
We are capable of doing great things as “chronologically advanced” and worldly-wise people.
Aaron was 83 and Moses was 80 when they first approached the pharaoh in Egypt with their request to let God’s people go.
A legacy of Aaron’s life and priestly ministry is the blessing attached to his name. From God’s mouth to Aaron’s lips is this blessing from Numbers 6:22-26.
Aaron’s Blessing: The Lord Bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.
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This article is part of our People from the Bible Series featuring the most well-known historical names and figures from Scripture. We have compiled these articles to help you study those whom God chose to set before us as examples in His Word. May their lives and walks with God strengthen your faith and encourage your soul.
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