GiGi's Numbers Chapter 20 comment on 6/23/2023, 10:34pm...
NUMBERS CHAPTER 20
CONT...
Job knew that. Abraham knew that. Moses knew that. Aaron knew that. Miriam must have known that. Physical death will come to us, but eternal life will continue our life after death. This eternal life is from God and not a natural life that everyone has. Only the elect.
Some people do know that they will soon die. The very aged, those with a terminal illness, those who face martyrdom, or who are engaged in combat. Each person will face this reality in different ways, but God continues to desire for the salvation of people, so He continues to work in the hearts of all people until death takes them. If they turn to God, they will be saved forever. if they refuse to do so, they will be damned forever. So, it is important for us to minister to those near death until the end, if we are able to be involved in the process with them. We are to continue to pray for them until the very end, as David did for his infant son. But when death takes the ones we love, we then entrust them into God's wise and just hands believing that he will always judge rightly. We do not need to pray for these loved ones once they have died. But we can certainly pray and minister to the ones left behind. There can often be open doors for proclamation of the gospel at such times. Sensitivity is important, but we should also be bold enough to speak as the Spirit leads us to do so.
Miriam and Aaron had easy deaths, it seems. The text does not say that either had illnesses or other factors that would lead to death. Just their advanced age and God's decree that they would die in the wilderness. The 40 years was up, as God had ordained. They must have known that they would die soon and that the people would enter the promised land soon without them. They were gathered to their people-to Abraham, to Job, to Noah, to Isaac, to Jacob, to Joseph, and all of the others who had gone before them believing God. And their faith was counted unto them as righteousness (Romans 4).
GiGi's Numbers Chapter 20 comment on 6/23/2023, 10:20pm...
NUMBERS CHAPTER 20
Cont...
The next section tells of Moses sending messengers to the king of Edom (Esau's descendants) asking for permission for the Israelites to pass through their lands on the way to the place they would go to enter the promised land. This would be going north on the eastern side of the Jordan River where Canaan and Edom bordered one another. Edom's king refused to allow this passage, coming out against the nation of Israel keeping them from passing through. The people travel from Kadesh eastward to Mount Hor.
The narrative shifts to God speaking to Moses that Aaron would soon die and therefore, Aaron must pass the rights, vestments, and obligations of the High Priesthood onto his son, Eliazar. So the three went up upon the mountain. Moses took the garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar. Then Aaron died right there. He knew he was going to die. He knew his time in this life was up. He, too, must have looked forward to Christ as Moses did, knowing that there is an eternal land ahead for him.
It says that Aaron was to not enter the physical land because of sinning with Moses at the event when the water came from the rock again miraculously. But I do think also that Aaron was of the generation that was to die in the wilderness and not enter the land. Only Caleb and Joshua were said to be the ones of their generation to enter the land. So, neither Moses, nor Aaron expected to enter the physical land because they believed what God had prophesied to them on this matter.
When the people were informed of Aaron's death they mourned him for 30 days. Aaron must have been buried by Moses and Eleazar with the rest of the Israelites not knowing where his grave was located since only the three went up the mountain.
This chapter reminds me that we will all die. We do not know how much time we have left. But we can be confident that we will live eternally with God, even if we die physically. We know we will be resurrected on the last day.
View All Numbers Chapter 20 Discussion...
GiGi's Numbers Chapter 20 comment on 6/23/2023, 10:34pm...
NUMBERS CHAPTER 20
CONT...
Job knew that. Abraham knew that. Moses knew that. Aaron knew that. Miriam must have known that. Physical death will come to us, but eternal life will continue our life after death. This eternal life is from God and not a natural life that everyone has. Only the elect.
Some people do know that they will soon die. The very aged, those with a terminal illness, those who face martyrdom, or who are engaged in combat. Each person will face this reality in different ways, but God continues to desire for the salvation of people, so He continues to work in the hearts of all people until death takes them. If they turn to God, they will be saved forever. if they refuse to do so, they will be damned forever. So, it is important for us to minister to those near death until the end, if we are able to be involved in the process with them. We are to continue to pray for them until the very end, as David did for his infant son. But when death takes the ones we love, we then entrust them into God's wise and just hands believing that he will always judge rightly. We do not need to pray for these loved ones once they have died. But we can certainly pray and minister to the ones left behind. There can often be open doors for proclamation of the gospel at such times. Sensitivity is important, but we should also be bold enough to speak as the Spirit leads us to do so.
Miriam and Aaron had easy deaths, it seems. The text does not say that either had illnesses or other factors that would lead to death. Just their advanced age and God's decree that they would die in the wilderness. The 40 years was up, as God had ordained. They must have known that they would die soon and that the people would enter the promised land soon without them. They were gathered to their people-to Abraham, to Job, to Noah, to Isaac, to Jacob, to Joseph, and all of the others who had gone before them believing God. And their faith was counted unto them as righteousness (Romans 4).
GiGi's Numbers Chapter 20 comment on 6/23/2023, 10:20pm...
NUMBERS CHAPTER 20
Cont...
The next section tells of Moses sending messengers to the king of Edom (Esau's descendants) asking for permission for the Israelites to pass through their lands on the way to the place they would go to enter the promised land. This would be going north on the eastern side of the Jordan River where Canaan and Edom bordered one another. Edom's king refused to allow this passage, coming out against the nation of Israel keeping them from passing through. The people travel from Kadesh eastward to Mount Hor.
The narrative shifts to God speaking to Moses that Aaron would soon die and therefore, Aaron must pass the rights, vestments, and obligations of the High Priesthood onto his son, Eliazar. So the three went up upon the mountain. Moses took the garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar. Then Aaron died right there. He knew he was going to die. He knew his time in this life was up. He, too, must have looked forward to Christ as Moses did, knowing that there is an eternal land ahead for him.
It says that Aaron was to not enter the physical land because of sinning with Moses at the event when the water came from the rock again miraculously. But I do think also that Aaron was of the generation that was to die in the wilderness and not enter the land. Only Caleb and Joshua were said to be the ones of their generation to enter the land. So, neither Moses, nor Aaron expected to enter the physical land because they believed what God had prophesied to them on this matter.
When the people were informed of Aaron's death they mourned him for 30 days. Aaron must have been buried by Moses and Eleazar with the rest of the Israelites not knowing where his grave was located since only the three went up the mountain.
This chapter reminds me that we will all die. We do not know how much time we have left. But we can be confident that we will live eternally with God, even if we die physically. We know we will be resurrected on the last day.
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