A Person of Second Chances

And I'm studying Jonah and we read on Aaron.  And then today in one of my other daily readings I read that every Moses needs an Aaron.  Do you want me to think on Aaron, God?

I'm not a Moses y'all.  So am I an Aaron?

It's Sarah I identify with.  How she jumped ahead of God.  My guilt lays heavy on my cross before God – my always questioning of His timing. Then His answer and I am not listening and I decide to do His work for Him – because He’s too slow. A sin continually forgiven.

So there's Aaron and I'm not ready to quit on what God desires me to hear from Aaron. I’ve never given Aaron my time - given God my time through His servant Aaron’s story.

Even when Aaron had been allowed to climb the mountain he could not approach God. Moses went higher. Aaron’s command was to worship from a distance.

He said to Moses, “Climb the mountain to God, you and Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. They will worship from a distance; only Moses will approach God. The rest are not to come close. And the people are not to climb the mountain at all.” Exodus 24: 1-2

Moses was set apart and how must that have made human Aaron feel?

Do we ever feel set aside instead of set apart?

Moses goes to the top to talk with God. To have an audible conversation with his Maker, the lover of his soul. God. And this was before Jesus came to be our bridge to God. This was before the gift of the Holy Spirit to speak and guide us.

Did Aaron feel left out? Did Aaron desire to speak with God as Moses did -

. . . face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. Exodus 33:11.

And Moses is on the mountaintop with God. We learn in Exodus 28 God’s plans for Aaron. God is telling Moses what to do to make Aaron, whom God loved and was pleased with, His High Priest. How to dress Aaron and set him apart.

“Get your brother Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites to serve me as priests . . . “ Exodus 28:1

And where is Aaron?

He had been left below. Maybe his human self felt left behind?

Left to control the people. An assignment from Moses – but a purpose given to Aaron by his Father God.

And time passed and the people grew tired and restless.

“When the people realized that Moses was taking forever in coming down off the mountain, they rallied around Aaron and said, “Do something. Make gods for us who will lead us. That Moses, the man who got us out of Egypt – who knows what’s happened to him?” Exodus 32:1

Oh y’all, I’m hurting for Aaron at this time. God has me thinking about him – not just reading his story again. God has me thinking about myself.

Was Aaron like us today? In our mission? Maybe not recognizing our usefulness to God? Do we sometimes feel this way – useless in our purpose? Unimportant compared to others?

Aaron was hearing this person and that. This need and that desire. Voices all around him. Unsatisfied voices telling him to go here or do this. His own voice? Voices like we hear? Voices like our own?

And then what did Aaron do?

So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters and bring them to me.” They all did it. . . He took the gold from their hands and cast it in the form of a calf, shaping it with an engraving tool. . . Aaron, taking in the situation, built an altar before the calf. Exodus 32: 2-4

Where was Aaron while Moses was on the mountaintop hearing God’s plan for his servant Aaron? Aaron was below building the golden calf. Carving and sculpting an abomination to God.

And in all of Aaron’s goodness, his courage and strength during the troubled days past, the miracles he had seen and participated in – in all of this he still lost faith. He lost his courage for God.

And in all of Rie's goodness, her courage and strength during the troubled days past, the miracles she had seen and participated in - in all of this she still lost her faith.  She still lost her courage for God.

I am so much an Aaron, and a Sarah, and a Saul, and a Peter, and . .

Aaron was gift to Moses. God knew what He was asking of Moses. God knew the depth of this journey He was asking His servant to walk in. Lead in.

God knew Moses could not complete this task of leading His people out of Egypt and into the promised land alone. Aaron, as a brother to Moses and child of God, was instrumental in this plan.  So Aaron was gift to Moses.

Aaron had a purpose. And even if we see him playing second or third fiddle to Moses, we see how much God’s plan needed Aaron.

So God does not need us. Everything He desires will be accomplished without you or me. But His plan’s need us. And we need Him. And He answers this need by interrupting our lives to help us see our purpose. Over and over again He does this in His goodness and love to us. Over and over again until we see.

My purpose is not grand, y’all. Mine’s not physically going on top of a mountain and seeing God in His glory and hearing God face to face. Mine’s not speaking and leading thousands of people to Christ – to their own promised land. An Aaron and not a Moses?

But it’s still my purpose. And it is grand in the eyes of my Father. And as I'm studying God's people of second chances I see myself. For Aaron was forgiven and became God’s first High Priest. God knew the mistakes Aaron would make beforehand – and He still planned his purpose.

And I search for God’s face.

He will accomplish in spite of me – not because of me.

For I am a person of second chances.