The Righteous Aaron was the son
of Amram and Jochebed, and the elder brother of the Prophet Moses the God-seer, and also of Miriam. He was a direct descendent
of Levi by both parents. God called him “the Levite” in Exodus 4:14, when He appointed Aaron to be the spokesman
for Moses, who was “slow of speech,” before the people. Later, he would also speak on behalf of Moses before Pharaoh
in Egypt (Ex. 4:30; 7:2). Aaron was married to Elisheba, the daughter of the Prince of Judah (Ex. 6:23), who bore him four
sons.
Moses was
eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh and asked that the Hebrews be released from their slavery.
The Lord told Moses that Pharaoh would ask them for a miracle, and that Aaron should throw down his rod before him, and it
would become a serpent (Ex. 7:9). When Pharaoh would not allow the Hebrews to leave Egypt, God told Moses to have Aaron stretch
forth his rod over the Nile River, and it would turn to blood.
Following a succession of plagues, Pharaoh relented and let the people go, then Moses
led them on their long journey to the Promised Land. In Chapter 17 of Exodus, the Hebrews fought Amalek in a battle at Rephidim.
Moses stood atop a hill with the rod of God in his hand. As long as he raised his hand, the Hebrews prevailed, but when he
became tired and lowered it, Amalek prevailed. Aaron and Hur sat Moses on a rock and held up his hands, one on each side.
This was a prefiguration of the suffering of Christ, because the arms of Moses formed a cross. In the Greek Septuagint, the
names Aaron and Hur begin with the letters Alpha and Omega, another reference to Christ (Revelation 1:8).
Aaron and his sons were anointed and sanctified
to serve God as priests (Exodus chapter 29). In chapter 32, Aaron fell into temptation when Moses went up on Mount Sinai to
receive the Commandments. Since Moses was taking a long time, the people grew restless and asked Aaron to make them a golden
idol in the form of a calf so that they could offer sacrifices. He gave into them, and Moses was angry when he returned and
saw them dancing and singing before the calf. He threw down the tablets on which God had written the Ten Commandments, and
then he burned the golden calf and ground it to powder. He scattered the powder on the water, and he made the people drink
it. When Moses asked those who were on the Lord”s side to gather around him, the Levites came to him. He ordered them
to take their swords and slay their sons, companions, and neighbors. About three thousand people were killed that day.
Later, Aaron and Miriam criticized
Moses for marrying a Cushite woman (Num. 12:1). God was angry with them, so He punished Miriam with leprosy. She was healed
by God seven days after Moses interceded for her.
In chapter 17 of Numbers, the people murmured against Moses and Aaron, so God commanded that the
leaders of the twelve tribes should have their names inscribed on their rods and placed in the tent of testimony. One would
be chosen to make the people cease their grumbling against Moses and his brother. Aaron”s rod bloomed miraculously in
the tent of the testimony, to show that he had been chosen for this purpose.
Aaron reposed atop Mount Hor when he was one hundred and twenty-three years
old. One of his descendants was St. Elizabeth, the mother of St. John the Baptist (Luke 1:5).
