Amazing grace

 Grace – the free and unmerited favour of God. God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense.  Saved by grace – unearned yet freely given. As New Testament believers we wonder afresh at God’s mercy and grace to us.  God is so good to us and we are so undeserving. However it is always good to look at grace in the Old Testament where it flowed just as freely to equally undeserving people as it does to us today.

Aaron, Moses’ brother, is a wonderful example of grace.  Aaron’s story like Moses does not start until he is an old man.  He is called to work alongside Moses and be his spokesman.  Aaron is at the centre of God's workings through the plagues to release Israel from Egyptian slavery.   He sees firsthand all the workings of God. All the way it is Moses and Aaron though gradually Moses, too fearful at first to speak on God’s behalf to Pharaoh or anyone else, takes his role as leader of the Israelites. 

Even after the miraculous passage through the Red Sea and into the desert, the people complain about Moses and Aaron and together they sort out the lack of bread and meat (Exodus 16).  All this time, Moses’ role becomes clearer and Aaron must have thought he would always just be Moses’ right hand man. God however had a role for him that was unique but it was not yet time for it to be revealed

Three months after they left Egypt, the Israelites camped at the foot of Mount Sinai.  Moses was called up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments and other laws.  First though Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders were invited up the mountain to ‘meet’ God. ‘But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God and they ate and drank’ (Exodus 24:11).  Afterwards Moses entered the cloud on the top of the mountain and was not seen again for 40 days. 

Despite all that Aaron had seen and experienced, at the first sign of discontented people, Aaron caved in and made them a golden calf to worship (Exodus 32).  Moses was up the mountain receiving from God the Ten Commandments and all the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle and the institution of the priesthood  and down below, the man chosen by God to lead the worship and offer sacrifices on behalf of the nation, was leading them all into idolatry. 

It is at this moment that most people would rapidly change their plans for priestly personnel and the last person to become chief priest would be Aaron.  The Levites honour and zeal for the Lord contrasted strongly with Aaron’s weak leadership.  3000 died by the Levites sword and the Lord sent a plague amongst the people for their diosbedience.  Moses interceded with God for the nation and God spared them and Aaron. 

Nine months later (Exodus 40:2) the tabernacle had been made and was consecrated and Aaron and his sons are ordained as priests.  Why did God not destroy Aaron after the episode of the golden calf?  Why did he still continue with his plans to make Aaron and his family chief priests?  The only answer is grace. 

None of us get what we deserve.  None of us deserves to be saved or used by God.  No one deserves to be a priest unto Almighty God and yet each of us is called to the honour. Because of God’s love and amazing grace, we get what we don’t deserve.  Paul is keen to remind us that grace is not a license to sin (Romans 6: 1 – 2) but grace encourages us to love and serve God with faithful and thankful hearts and to show grace to those who may have failed or disappointed us. 

Today let us be thankful afresh for God’s grace.