In Numbers 20, God tells Moses to strip his brother of his priestly garments. Aaron had betrayed God with the golden calf, and Moses had rebuked him and defended God's holiness before the people. Aaron had also watched his sister turn leprous for speaking against their brother, and then asked Moses for forgiveness because of the joining in. He fell on his face (as was his custom) when Korah (from among his own tribe) revolted against Moses, as instruction from the Lord was sought after by both men.
And he was falling on his face with Moses once again, but this time he rose with his brother's anger and not obedient humility.
This time, Moses spoke to the people when God said,"Speak to the source of your water".
This time, Aaron agreed with Moses that a statement had to be made against the defiant. And this time, Aaron would die for it.
God told Moses and Aaron to go to Mount Hor. Moses would strip his brother of his priestly garments and put them on Aaron's son, Eleazar. (I looked up the word for"strip" in the Hebrew Word Study, and I found that it means: "a plundering or invading of a defeated enemy"). Aaron had been defeated. The weapons of warfare God had given him for the battle (the garments of a priest), had not been worn well. He had not served his God when his brother had acted defiantly; when his brother had despised the the word of the Lord and broken His commandment.
I have to ask myself, "What does this look like for me today?"
I think it means that there are soldiers in God's army today who are equipped for the battle, yet stand on the sidelines and do not lift their sword or shield in the crucial moment of a brother or sister. Peter tells the church that we are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that we might proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2).
Aaron was the priest of Israel. He was told to "bear the guilt" of the nation, and this would include his own brother.
His rod had stood above the rest as a sign against all those who would rebel against the Lord.
This would include Moses.
Aaron was to make atonement for the sinner--for the intentional, as well as the unintentional sin.
So Aaron died on that mountain; a priest who would bear the guilt for his people...for his own brother.
He was stripped, plundered, and defeated, because he didn't stop the sin; because he didn't say no to the anger.
Was it out of love for his hurting brother? Yes.
Was it for the contempt of a nation that was wearing its leader out from all of the complaining? Yes.
Was he caught up in that moment when you know you should say something, but you don't want to offend the victim? Yes.
Yes to all of these.
But who gets left out in those moments?
Who receives the blasphemy when you're delivering fellowship alongside the angry and hurt?
Who is not seen as Holy?
Scripture tells us to speak the truth in love; to season our words with grace and salt, so that we might lovingly preserve the spirit that has been crushed by the previous words of the one who wanted to harm.
Scripture tells us to speak, yet it never tells us to say what is contrary to His truth.
I know this: I don't want to wear all of this priestly attire God has equipped me with for the battles I must face without purpose.
And I don't want to be stripped in defeat because I did not wear His armor well.
The faith-shield is heavy, and partnered with the sword the weight of the two can seem to be too much.
But my King is worth it, and I will not allow myself to be stripped in a battle I am confident my King will win.
The sword is for the battle against the enemy, and it must be used to strike against anything that stands against Holy.
We speak against the words that do not proclaim His excellence. We speak against anything that despises our Lord and breaks His commandments. We speak for our King.
Brothers and sisters, I beseech you, wear the armor well.
