What Will They Write About You?

He was the eldest child (important in that culture!) He heard the very voice of God! He represented God before heads of state and before nations. He lived a long life and he saw and experienced some remarkable things. Yet most remember his flaws, his mistakes, his shortcomings.

Isn’t that the way we treat most people? No matter how remarkable, how many things are listed on our positive side of the paper, we too often focus on the negative side of the paper.

A few more things about this man … his brother is a household name. His brother is consider the GOAT of religious figureheads. His brother wrote one of the most important religious books of all times – the Torah. His brother was Moses. Talking about being in the shadow of your little bro – Aaron had that issue big time.

Now, this dude had ups and downs – as do we all …

• He partners with Moses early on
• He becomes the High Priest, the first High Priest of the Hebrew religion
• He is consecrated before God
• The Lord accepts his offering
• He is the one allowed into the very presence of God on Yom Kippur

Now some slips

• He gave into peer pressure and made a golden calf
• Two of his kids died in an illegitimate offering to the Lord
• He joined with Mariam (sister) and opposed Moses
• He was prohibited from going in to the promise land

Yes he yielded to peer pressure – but later he stood strong in the face of danger. Yes he failed as a father by evidence of unwise kids – yet later, his grandson Phinehas stood brave in the face of a plague hitting the people (killing two offenders as stopping the plague). Yes he failed as a leader, giving into peer pressure – but later stood strong in face of opposition and mob mentality.

Aaron is an example of how we can still grow after slips and mishaps. He’s no Moses, but that’s not who God called him to be. He was Aaron.

I’ve stumbled, I’ve blown it; but I can still learn, I can still grow. So can you.

Maybe in the end, me and my son – with a dear friend – will climb a mountain; but in the end – three went up, two came down. Bury me on that high mountain but letting me know my son continues to walk following the Lord – that’s a good thing to be remembered for.