Moses and Aaron
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thunderings and lightnings and earthquakes. They had heard the dec-
laration from the lips of God Himself: “I am the Lord thy God, which
have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Thou shalt not make unto
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thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the
earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I
the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that
hate Me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me,
and keep My commandments.”
Aaron and also his sons had been exalted by being called into the
mount to there witness the glory of God. “And they saw the God
of Israel: and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a
sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in His clearness.”
God had appointed Nadab and Abihu to a most sacred work, there-
fore He honored them in a most wonderful manner. He gave them a
view of His excellent glory, that the scenes they should witness in the
mount would abide with them and the better qualify them to minister
in His service and render to Him that exalted honor and reverence
before the people which would give them clearer conceptions of His
character and awaken in them due obedience and reverence for all His
requirements.
Before Moses left his people for the mount, he read to them the
words of the covenant that God had made with them, and they with
one voice answered: “All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be
obedient.” How great must have been the sin of Aaron, how aggravated
in the sight of God!
While Moses was receiving the law of God in the mount, the Lord
informed him of the sin of rebellious Israel and requested him to let
them go, that He might destroy them. But Moses pleaded before God
for the people. Although Moses was the meekest man that lived, yet
when the interests of the people over whom God had appointed him
as leader were at stake, he lost his natural timidity and with singular
persistency and wonderful boldness pleaded with God for Israel. He
would not consent that God should destroy His people, although God
promised that in their destruction He would exalt Moses and raise up
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a better people than Israel.