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Testimonies for the Church Volume 3
“These,” said Aaron without hesitation or shame, “be thy gods,
O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” Aaron
influenced the children of Israel to go to greater lengths in idolatry
than had entered their minds. They were no longer troubled lest the
burning glory like flaming fire upon the mount had consumed their
leader. They thought they had a general who just suited them, and they
were ready to do anything that he suggested. They sacrificed to their
golden god; they offered peace offerings, and gave themselves up to
pleasure, rioting, and drunkenness. They were then decided in their
own minds that it was not because they were wrong that they had so
much trouble in the wilderness; but the difficulty, after all, was with
their leader. He was not the right kind of man. He was too unyielding
and kept their sins continually before them, warning, reproving, and
threatening them with God’s displeasure. A new order of things had
come, and they were pleased with Aaron and pleased with themselves.
They thought: If Moses had only been as amiable and mild as Aaron,
what peace and harmony would have prevailed in the camp of Israel!
They cared not now whether Moses ever came down from the mount
or not.
When Moses saw the idolatry of Israel and his indignation was
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so aroused at their shameful forgetfulness of God that he threw down
the tables of stone and broke them, Aaron stood meekly by, bearing
the censure of Moses with commendable patience. The people were
charmed with Aaron’s lovely spirit and were disgusted with the rash-
ness of Moses. But God seeth not as man sees. He condemned not the
ardor and indignation of Moses against the base apostasy of Israel.
The true general then takes his position for God. He has come
direct from the presence of the Lord, where he pleaded with Him to
turn away His wrath from His erring people. Now he has another work
to do, as God’s minister, to vindicate His honor before the people, and
let them see that sin is sin, and righteousness is righteousness. He has a
work to do to counteract the terrible influence of Aaron. “Then Moses
stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side?
let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves
together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of
Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate
to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every
man his companion, and every man his neighbor. And the children of