Two important things happen right away. The first is that Miriam, Moses' and Aaron's sister, dies. She passes away and is buried in one sentence, even though you'd think it would be a pretty big deal. The second is that there's no water and, unfathomably, the Israelites rail against the brothers. Given the current state of the world it's no surprise that no one learns anything from the past.
We've heard the complaints before: why would God bring the Israelites into the desert only to let them die? Why did God lead them out of the plentiful land of Egypt into the barren wasteland where they are no figs or pomegranates? How is it that Run-DMC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame four years before Rush?
Uncharacteristically, God decides to listen for once and not go off half-cocked. He gives Moses and Aaron a rod and instructs them to speak to a rock. The rock will then spill forth water for everyone to drink. Sounds simple enough. Maybe they should have written down the instructions instead of acting like one of those waiters who shows off by memorizing your order only to bring you an open face turkey sandwich instead of the turkey club, the idiot.
The pair gather everyone together for the show and use the rod to strike the rock, which then spills forth water. God, ever the nitpicker, punishes them both harshly for striking the rock instead of talking to it, even though Aaron didn't do a thing: they will not be allowed to enter the Promised land.
Can you believe that shit? These poor guys mess up one tiny thing, an act so inconsequential that no one in their right mind could be angry about it, and now they have to stay in the desert forever? Why did God give them a stick in the first place? If God was going to be so anal about the whole thing why didn't He cut out the middle prophet just make water come from the rock? It's inconceivable.
Moses' and Aaron's problems don't end there. When their unlucky band reaches the edge of Edom Moses sends messengers to ask the king for permission to walk through town on their way to the place he and his brother can no longer enter. The messengers relay their sad story to the king, who, you may have guessed, is less than sympathetic. The king refuses to let the Israelites walk through his city, threatening to kill anyone who steps into Edom. The messengers promise to stick to the highway and even offer to pay the king for any water the cattle might drink and promise to adopt the highway and pick up litter on their way. No dice.
Faced with he prospect of having to go completely out of their way in the desert, the Israelites trudge on to Mount Hor, where God instructs Moses to strip Aaron and give his clothes to Eleazar. Aaron promptly dies on the mountaintop. the Israelites mourn his passing for thirty days, which is more than they did for poor Miriam.
Showing posts with label Aaron. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aaron. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
Numbers 17, 18, 19
God wants the Israelites to stop complaining. To accomplish this He commands the twelve princes of Israel--including Aaron, who heads the Levite clan--to write their names on rods so He can play a game of pickup sticks and choose the most favored family. Because choosing one child as your favorite is the best way to stop siblings from complaining.
Moses lays the twelve rods in the tabernacle and the next morning one of the rods has blossomed and borne almonds. And whose rod was that? Aaron's, of course. Stupid Aaron, who gets to do all the cool stuff with God anyway. Everyone I'm sure will be happy to hear that bit of news.
The Levites are charged with caring for the tabernacle, which I think they are already in charge of. They now manage the offerings--wave, heave, grain, etc--and can even eat a tenth of all of them, which surely won't bother any one of the hundreds of thousands of people going hungry in the long march through the desert. The Levites can't own any land but since they will receive food on a regular basis, what difference does it make? They get food and don't have to work the land. Win win!
There are catches, though. If strangers approach the tabernacle, all of the Levites will die. If any Levite helps himself to any gifts or sacrifices--which are someone different than offerings--then he will die. And as long as the Levites follow all of these rules exactly God will never again punish the Israelites. No pressure, Levites. But given the Israelites' track record on keeping God's commandments I'd start preparing now for some major punishments.
The Lord then tells Aaron and Moses to procure for the Aaron's son, the priest Eleazar, a red heifer without blemish, one that has never been under a yoke. Eleazor should kill the cow and sprinkle its blood seven times before the tabernacle. Someone else must then burn the carcass in Eleazar's sight. Both men have to wash their clothes and bathe; they are still considered unclean until the evening. My suggestion would be to kill the cow close to dinner so they'll only be unclean for a little while.
The cow's ashes are to be swept up, mixed with water, and used to purify anyone who comes into contact with a dead body. Oddly, the person who sprinkles the ashy water onto the unclean person is now himself considered unclean. You can see how this kind of thing can go on forever in a recursive loop, where the person purifying the unclean person needs to be cleansed by someone who will them be considered unclean, and on and on and on. That basically guarantees that one person will always be unclean, just like in the NBA.
Moses lays the twelve rods in the tabernacle and the next morning one of the rods has blossomed and borne almonds. And whose rod was that? Aaron's, of course. Stupid Aaron, who gets to do all the cool stuff with God anyway. Everyone I'm sure will be happy to hear that bit of news.
The Levites are charged with caring for the tabernacle, which I think they are already in charge of. They now manage the offerings--wave, heave, grain, etc--and can even eat a tenth of all of them, which surely won't bother any one of the hundreds of thousands of people going hungry in the long march through the desert. The Levites can't own any land but since they will receive food on a regular basis, what difference does it make? They get food and don't have to work the land. Win win!
There are catches, though. If strangers approach the tabernacle, all of the Levites will die. If any Levite helps himself to any gifts or sacrifices--which are someone different than offerings--then he will die. And as long as the Levites follow all of these rules exactly God will never again punish the Israelites. No pressure, Levites. But given the Israelites' track record on keeping God's commandments I'd start preparing now for some major punishments.
The Lord then tells Aaron and Moses to procure for the Aaron's son, the priest Eleazar, a red heifer without blemish, one that has never been under a yoke. Eleazor should kill the cow and sprinkle its blood seven times before the tabernacle. Someone else must then burn the carcass in Eleazar's sight. Both men have to wash their clothes and bathe; they are still considered unclean until the evening. My suggestion would be to kill the cow close to dinner so they'll only be unclean for a little while.
The cow's ashes are to be swept up, mixed with water, and used to purify anyone who comes into contact with a dead body. Oddly, the person who sprinkles the ashy water onto the unclean person is now himself considered unclean. You can see how this kind of thing can go on forever in a recursive loop, where the person purifying the unclean person needs to be cleansed by someone who will them be considered unclean, and on and on and on. That basically guarantees that one person will always be unclean, just like in the NBA.
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