Numbers 20:22-29: a reflection

22They traveled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. 23The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying, 24“Aaron shall be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah. 25Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; 26and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron shall be gathered, and shall die there.” 27Moses did as the LORD commanded. They went up onto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

When Aaron's life comes to its end, God has him climb Mount Hor with Moses and his son Eleazar; there Aaron's priestly garments are taken off him and put on Eleazar, and Aaron dies. The garments pass from father to son; the priesthood does not die with Aaron but continues in Eleazar. The people mourn Aaron thirty days; but the ministry he carried goes on, taken up by the next generation. God's work did not depend on Aaron alone; when he was gone, the work continued, the priesthood passing to his son. The ministry outlasted the minister. This is how God's work goes on: it does not end with any one person, however important; when one is gone, the work passes to others, and continues. God's purposes are not tied to the life of any single servant; the ministry endures beyond the one who carried it. The work of God continues beyond any of us.

Notice how God's work continued past Aaron's death: the garments, and the ministry, passed to Eleazar. Aaron died; but before he did, his priestly garments were placed on his son, and the priesthood went on. The people mourned, and rightly; but the ministry did not die with the minister. God's work continued, carried now by the next generation. This tells us that God's work does not depend on any one person, however central they seem. When a servant of God is gone, the work does not end; it passes to others and continues. No one is so essential that God's purposes end with them; the ministry outlasts the minister, the work outlasts the worker. This is both humbling and comforting: humbling, because we are not indispensable; comforting, because God's work will go on beyond us, in others' hands. The passing of one servant is not the ending of God's work, which he continues through those who come after. God's purposes are larger than any single life.

That is worth taking to heart, for God's work continues beyond any one person, passing to others when one is gone. We can feel that God's work depends on us, that it would end if we were gone, or grieve as though the loss of an important servant were the end of the ministry; but Aaron died, and the priesthood passed to Eleazar and went on. God's work does not depend on any one person; it continues beyond us, in others' hands. This is both humbling and comforting. Do not think God's work depends on you alone, nor despair when an important servant is gone; the work continues beyond any one person, as the priesthood passed from Aaron to Eleazar. Trust that God's work continues beyond any one person, passing to others when one is gone, as Aaron died on the mountain and his priestly garments and ministry passed to his son Eleazar; for God's purposes are not tied to the life of any single servant, however central, and when one is gone the work does not end but passes to others and continues, which is humbling because we are not indispensable and comforting because God's work will go on beyond us.

Lord, when Aaron's life comes to its end, you have him climb Mount Hor with Moses and his son Eleazar; there Aaron's priestly garments are taken off him and put on Eleazar, and Aaron dies. The garments pass from father to son; the priesthood does not die with Aaron but continues in Eleazar. The people mourn Aaron thirty days; but the ministry he carried goes on, taken up by the next generation. Your work did not depend on Aaron alone; when he was gone, the work continued. The ministry outlasted the minister. Show me how your work continued past Aaron's death: the garments, and the ministry, passed to Eleazar. Aaron died; but before he did, his priestly garments were placed on his son, and the priesthood went on. The people mourned, and rightly; but the ministry did not die with the minister. Your work continued, carried now by the next generation. This tells me that your work does not depend on any one person, however central they seem. When a servant of yours is gone, the work does not end; it passes to others and continues. No one is so essential that your purposes end with them. This is both humbling and comforting. Take that to my heart, for your work continues beyond any one person, passing to others when one is gone. I can feel that your work depends on me, that it would end if I were gone, or grieve as though the loss of an important servant were the end of the ministry; but Aaron died, and the priesthood passed to Eleazar and went on. Keep me from thinking your work depends on me alone, and from despairing when an important servant is gone; help me trust that your work continues beyond any one person, Lord, as the priesthood passed from Aaron to Eleazar, for your purposes are larger than any single life.