Numbers 20:28

New International Version (NIV)

Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain,

For meditation

It is so easy to read some of these scriptures and just move on without giving a thought to them. They seem normal and ordinary, parts of those narratives that require no special attention. But they hold so much for our edification, if we pause to meditate on them. We can feel the tension of those moments and draw comfort and encouragement from them.

Imagine how Moses felt when God told him to take Aaron to Mount Hor, where Aaron would die, because of their rebellion at Maribah (Nu. 20:24). It gets more interesting when you remember that Moses knew he was the main culprit in the offense for which his brother was going to die (10).

Again, visualize the moment Moses had to remove Aaron’s garments to prepare him for his death (28). Imagine the memories that may have flooded Moses’ mind – the joyful, the regrettable, and the painful ones – and there were many to remember.

Now, picture the time Moses looked into his brother’s eyes for the last time before God took Aaron away. Imagine Moses, perhaps, sitting on the ground with his brother’s limp body in his arms and sobbing with much pain and grief.

Indeed, some things are difficult, and some moments are extremely painful to endure. Unfortunately, they are all part of life.

Some of you may have experienced moments like that of Moses before; though not exactly the same, but equally difficult and stressful. It may have been the time you had to helplessly sit through the dying moments of a parent, child, sibling, or close friend. It may have been in a hospital, in an accident before the paramedics arrived, or at home by their bedside. The experience was painful to endure, and the memories are still fresh and difficult to bear. But in all of them, God has been there with you every second of the time. Never forget that.

I do not see how Moses could have gone through all that without the grace of God. It was the grace of God that carried him. In our times of grief, God’s presence comes with emotional strength and mental fortitude to carry us through them. And when it’s all over, His grace continues to comfort and encourage us. He works to remove the bitterness and pain associated with our loss, and replaces them with the fond memories we can cherish the rest of our lives.

1. Are you going through a difficult time with a loved one on their dying bed?
2. Have you suffered through the pain of watching the last moments of someone you loved?
3. When you simply read that “Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain,” after Aaron’s death (29), do you know the grace that carried them?
4. Do you know that the same grace will carry you through your grief, if only you allow it?
5. Are you aware that God has already released a flood of it to heal your wounds?

I pray you will receive it and be healed.

So: May you find strength in Jesus to endure your pain; and may His joy embrace you this minute, as you look to Him who is the author and perfecter of your faith (Heb. 12:2).

“Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5 NLT).

Shalom