Dr Paul Allen

Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh (painting by Benjamin West) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) According to the genealogy of Ex. 6:14 ff., Aaron was one of the two sons of Amram and Jochebed (the other being Moses ) and third in line of descent from Levi (Levi-Kohath-Amram-Aaron); according to Ex. 7:7 he was 3 years older than Moses. Miriam, their sister, was older still, if she is Moses’ unnamed ‘sister’ of Ex. 2:4, 7 ff. Aaron first appears in the Exodus narrative as ‘Aaron the Levite’ who went to meet his brother Moses on the latter’s return to Egypt after the theophany at the burning bush; because of his superior eloquence he was to be Moses’ spokesman to the Israelites and to Pharaoh (Ex. 4:14 ff.). Throughout his career he was very much a lay figure alongside his dynamic brother; on the one occasion when he acted independently of Moses’ instructions he acted wrongly (Ex. 32:1–6). In addition to being Moses’ spokesman he also filled a thaumaturgic role: it was he who wielded the rod...

English: The Sin of Nadab and Abihu, illustration from a Bible card published in 1907 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) There is an incident in the biblical record that causes abiding consternation for many of God ’s people. It is the story of how two of the sons of Aaron , Nadab and Abihu , were slain suddenly by God. Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron,  “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace. ( Lev. 10:1–3 ) Aaron, of course, was the older brother of Moses and the first high priest of Israel . God had consecrated Aaron and his sons to the holy vocation of the priesthood. It was in the context of their ...