"Aarons story"

Aaron was the son of Amram and Jochebed, the brother of Moses and Miriam, and the first priest of Israel. God appointed Aaron to be Moses' spokesman in his audiences with the unnamed Pharaoh of Exodus. As a symbol of his office, Aaron received a magical rod. He turned the rod into a snake - the first in a series of signs, by which he and Moses hoped to persuade Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt. Aaron also used the rod to call down three of the plagues that followed this first sign (polluting the Nile, frogs and gnats). God also caused the rod to blossom and bear ripe almonds, as a sign that Aaron's descendants would inherit the priesthood.
God summoned Aaron to be present when Moses received the Ten Commandments. But Aaron did not stay on Sinai. Instead he agreed to oversee the casting of an idol (a golden calf) for the Israelites who had rebelled against the authority of the absent Moses.
Aaron was generally a supporter of Moses, but took him to task for his marrying a Cushite wife. For this God rebuked Aaron (and Miriam). His role as priest was critical when he made atonement for the Israelites and stayed the plague that had followed the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram. Exodus and Leviticus give a detailed account of the vestments and duties of Aaron and of his sons.
Aaron's elder sons, Nadab and Abihu, died early but the younger pair, Eleazar and Ithamar, succeeded him in the priesthood. When Aaron was a hundred and twenty three, God instructed him to go up onto Mt. Hor, where he died. Aaron figures prominently in Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Numbers, and is named in other books of both Old and New Testaments.

How would you act if God had called you unto His own to do His works, enabling you to make important changes with a Rod? More so, why do you think Aaron turned His back on God and went on to create an idol? Have you turned your back on God, taken something He has given you and used it for other purposes? Let’s look further into what Aaron may have been thinking.

Aaron was a faultless servant with his brother, at least at first. At Rephidim, when Moses overlooked the battle with the Amalekites from a nearby hill with the rod of God in his outstretched hand, it was Aaron and Hur (his brother-in-law, Miriam's husband), who held up Moses' tired arms until Israel's forces under Joshua won the battle (Exodus 17:8-13).
Aaron's greatest lapse in judgment occurred while Moses was away on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments from God. For whatever reason, Aaron gave in to the people's demands, and made that now-infamous golden calf for the people to worship (Exodus 32:4). When Moses returned, Aaron was sternly rebuked, but was forgiven by God after Moses prayed for him. Aaron came very close to being killed for that incident (Deuteronomy 9:20)
Aaron was appointed directly by God to be the first high priest. He and his sons were consecrated to continue the priesthood through time (Leviticus 8 and 9).
Aaron again displayed a failure in good judgment at Hazeroth when he and Miriam spoke out against Moses for marrying a Cushite (Ethiopian) woman. Once again, The Lord vindicated Moses, and punished Miriam, who had led the minor rebellion, with leprosy (Numbers 12:1-16). After Aaron acknowledged his and Miriam's error, at the intercession of Moses they were forgiven by God.
Aaron's career seemed to blow hot and cold. He certainly had his low points (i.e. the golden calf), but overall he remained a steadfast ally of his brother. During the Korah rebellion, Aaron stood courageously with Moses (Numbers 16:1-50). Not long after that, the miraculous sprouting of his staff was used to demonstrate that he was indeed the high priest to those who were questioning his authority (Numbers 17:1-13). That staff was afterwards preserved in the Tabernacle (Hebrews 9:4)
Neither Moses nor Aaron were permitted to enter the Promised Land, Aaron was involved in the water-from-the-rock incident at Meribah (Numbers 20:8-13), and for that presumptuous disobedience to God's instructions both were not permitted to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20:24).

This is a story that is hard for me to wrap myself around, time and time again God forgave Aaron, even after he created the golden calf, and He was given the high priesthood, but why and what happened at the rock at Meribah. Will you be able to withstand the punishment for your everyday sins, and how will you get God’s forgiveness, what are your plans for the Promised Land?

I give all my sins over to Jesus and I ask you Jesus to please wash them away with you bloodstained hands and may I find mercy at your feet, please forgive me all my sins, for I know I am a sinner. Thank you for this understanding and for all the blessings you have bestowed on me. Thank you for this timely study of Aaron, May we all find answers in his story and the great story of how you loved both him and Moses so much, so thank you Father In Jesus name Amen!