Numbers 16:46-50: a reflection

46Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD! The plague has begun.” 47Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the middle of the assembly. The plague had already begun among the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people. 48He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, in addition to those who died about the matter of Korah. 50Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.

When a plague breaks out among the people, Moses tells Aaron to take his censer with incense and run into the midst of the assembly to make atonement; and Aaron does something arresting: he stands between the dead and the living, and the plague is stayed. He stood between the dead and the living, the account says; and the plague was stayed. Aaron, the priest, placed himself in the gap, between those already struck down and those still alive, making atonement, and the plague stopped at him. This is a striking picture of a mediator: one who stands in the gap, between death and life, between judgment and the people, to make atonement and stay the destruction. Aaron standing between the dead and the living foreshadows a greater Mediator, Christ, who stands between us and death, between judgment and his people, making atonement, so that the destruction is stayed. The one who stands between the dead and the living, making atonement, points to Christ our Mediator. Aaron stood in the gap; Christ is the Mediator who stays death. A mediator stands between the people and destruction; Christ fulfills it. Standing between the dead and the living, making atonement, points to Christ.

Notice the image of Aaron in the plague: standing between the dead and the living, making atonement, staying the destruction. The plague was sweeping through the people; Aaron ran into its midst with the incense of atonement, and placed himself between those who had died and those still living, and there the plague stopped. He stood in the gap, as a mediator, between judgment and the people, and by making atonement, halted the destruction. This is a clear foreshadowing of Christ, our great Mediator. For Christ too stands in the gap between us and death, between the judgment our sin deserves and ourselves; and by his atonement, made on the cross, he stays the destruction, standing between the dead and the living. As Aaron's atonement halted the plague, so Christ's atonement halts the judgment against us, standing between us and death. To have such a Mediator, one who stands between us and destruction and makes atonement for us, is our salvation. Christ stands between us and death as Aaron stood between the dead and the living. The Mediator who makes atonement stays the judgment against us. Christ, our Mediator, stands in the gap and stays death. In Christ we have a Mediator who stands between us and destruction.

That is worth resting in, for we have in Christ a Mediator who stands between us and death, making atonement, as Aaron stood between the dead and the living and stayed the plague. We can feel exposed to the judgment our sin deserves, with nothing between us and destruction; but as Aaron stood in the gap and stayed the plague by atonement, so Christ, our great Mediator, stands between us and death, and by his atonement stays the judgment against us. We are not left exposed; Christ stands in the gap for us. When you feel exposed to judgment, remember that Christ, your Mediator, stands between you and death, having made atonement. Rest in the truth that Christ, our Mediator, stands between us and death, making atonement and staying the judgment against us, as Aaron stood between the dead and the living with the incense of atonement and the plague was stayed; for we are not left exposed to the destruction our sin deserves, but have in Christ a great Mediator who stands in the gap between us and death, and by his atonement made on the cross halts the judgment against us, as Aaron's atonement halted the plague, so that in Christ we have one who stands between us and destruction, making atonement for us, and this is our salvation.

Lord, when a plague breaks out among the people, Moses tells Aaron to take his censer with incense and run into the midst of the assembly to make atonement; and Aaron does something arresting: he stands between the dead and the living, and the plague is stayed. He stood between the dead and the living, the account says; and the plague was stayed. Aaron, the priest, placed himself in the gap, between those already struck down and those still alive, making atonement, and the plague stopped at him. This is a striking picture of a mediator: one who stands in the gap, between death and life, to make atonement and stay the destruction. Show me the image of Aaron in the plague: standing between the dead and the living, making atonement, staying the destruction. He ran into its midst with the incense of atonement, and placed himself between those who had died and those still living, and there the plague stopped. He stood in the gap, as a mediator, and by making atonement, halted the destruction. This is a clear foreshadowing of Christ, our great Mediator. For Christ too stands in the gap between me and death, between the judgment my sin deserves and myself; and by his atonement, made on the cross, he stays the destruction. As Aaron's atonement halted the plague, so Christ's atonement halts the judgment against me. Let me rest in that, for I have in Christ a Mediator who stands between me and death, making atonement, as Aaron stood between the dead and the living and stayed the plague. I can feel exposed to the judgment my sin deserves, with nothing between me and destruction; but as Aaron stood in the gap, so Christ, my great Mediator, stands between me and death, and by his atonement stays the judgment against me. When I feel exposed to judgment, help me remember that Christ, my Mediator, stands between me and death, Lord, having made atonement, as Aaron stood between the dead and the living and the plague was stayed, so that I am not left exposed but have in Christ one who stands in the gap for me.