Aaron -Held His Peace

Aaron -Held His Peace

Lev. 10:1-3

Intro.

A. Aaron, the older brother of Moses (Ex. 7:7), from the tribe of Levi was the first high priest   (succeeded by the legal head of his house, unless had defects, Lev. 21:16-23). The Levitical priesthood changed (Heb. 7:11,12). He was the prophet, mouth, of Moses (Ex. 4:14-16; 7:1).

B. This lesson on the expression - “So Aaron held his peace” (v. 3).

1. Two of his sons had just been killed - in the act of disobedience to God. (“which He had not commanded them,” v. 1; Lev. 16:12).

2. God’s swift action: punished sinners, magnified the law, taught obedience and warned other generations.

3. How must Aaron have felt? He bore this cup of anguish with pious submission - he “held his peace” - stayed quiet and listened!

Body:

A. What is involved in the spirit of Aaron?

1. Not Stoicism - resolution to accept fate without feeling. He felt keenly his loss, but did not charge God foolishly. (Job - his servants killed, sheep consumed with fire, 7 sons and 3 daughters killed by a great wind - Job “tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped...In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong” 1:20-22).

2. It was entire resignation to God’s will.  Like the suffering Servant, “he was oppressed and afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth” (Is. 53:7). He did not exalt his judgment against God’s, nor express doubt of His wisdom or action.

3. It was unquestioning, un-murmuring submission to God.

B. Why was this spirit justified?

1. He respected the sovereignty of God - “But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, Why have you made me like this? Does the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?” (Rom. 9:20,21).

2. The respected the righteousness of God - Psalmist often spoke of His righteousness: “For the Lord is righteous, he loves righteousness; his countenance beholds the upright” (11:7).

Jesus committed Himself “to Him who judges righteously” (1 Pet. 2:23; cp. Ps. 96:10).

3. Any different spirit - dishonors God, shows lack of faith and accomplishes nothing good.

C. We need to be quiet and listen (Jas. 1:19-25).

1. Should be swift to hear - not just listen but heed what we hear.

a. God’s word is not just for our information, but our transformation.

b. Like soap - it is worthless unless it is applied!

2. We must - “look...continue in...do” the “perfect law of liberty” (v. 25).

a. What is it? 1:4 - patience has its “perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete” - testing has produced its desired end (surgeon has completed his schooling and internship, now ready/complete), “complete” (entire) - has all its parts (baby is whole and complete - has all his parts).

b. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (v. 17) - the gift is complete (flawless) because of the goodness of the giver. In 2:22 “by works faith was made perfect” - Abraham’s faith continued to exercise itself with works (offering his son), out of his action, faith was perfected, made complete.

3. It is a law (v. 25) - also called “the word of truth” (1:18), “the implanted word” (1:21), “the word” (1:22).

a. It is authoritative because it is from the Creator to His creatures.

b. Behind every command is God (2:8-12). We cannot refuse the word and accept the spokesman.

c. What about 1 Tim. 1:5-11? Compare “not...but” (Jn. 6:27 “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life...”) Paul was “under law toward Christ” (1 Cor. 9:21), but wrote “the law is not made for a righteous person, but...” Doesn’t mean righteous can disobey it, but the law constrains those who want to do wickedly. Like a horse - one broken/tamed does not need restraint, only direction.  If we feel “hemmed in” by God’s word, need to check our commitment (1 Jn. 5:2,3).

D. What about rebellion to God’s way?

1. Look at the rebellion of  Miriam and Aaron (Num. 12).

a. They spoke against Moses’ Cushite wife (was Zipporah dead, or was this her name?)

b. The real problem was they wanted more power for themselves.

c. God settled the issue - by what He did to Miriam (evidently she was the leader); Aaron

interceded to Moses (v. 11).

2. Look at the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, Abiram and On (Num. 16).

a. They did not like God’s arrangement (v. 3).

b. They were sincere - justified their criticism by assuming the since all the nation was holy (Ex. 19:6), the special priesthood of Moses and Aaron was unnecessary (v. 40).

c. They criticized the leadership of Moses and Aaron (v. 12-14) and enlisted other malcontents (vs. 19-21).

d. Moses announced their destruction (vs. 28-33).

e. Other complained and a plague killed 14,700 (47-50).

f. They were helpless without Aaron - he demonstrated the very authority they had questioned; they were helpless without him.

g. That priesthood was typical of Christ - our High Priest without whom we are helpless against the plague of sin. (It will kill us unless we turn to Him.)

Concl.

A. Someone said that 10% of the recorded words of Jesus are quotations of the O.T. (He expected that to settle a matter and He obviously believed that people could understand it.)

B. People who do not like preachers quoting Scripture would not have liked Jesus! Professing love for Jesus is no substitute for obeying His word - we need to hold our peace and listen!