Calling and Purpose 30—Rejecting Your Purpose—Part One--Aaron
In Luke 7:24-30, Jesus talks to the crowd about John the Baptist’s role as a prophet and as a messenger to prepare the way for the Messiah. The passage ends with two key sentences in parenthesis: (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)
The Pharisees and lawyers made the choice to veto God’s calling. There are other examples of rejection of God’s purpose, too:
Aaron’s purpose was to assist Moses in leading the Israelites. In Exodus 4, when Moses is trying to reject God’s call, and “the Lord’s anger burned against Moses,” God chooses Moses’ brother Aaron, the Levite because: “he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him” (Exodus 4:14-16).
Aaron initially steps up to that purpose. The Israelites escape from Egypt and are adjusting to freedom and following Yahweh. When Moses goes up Mount Sinai to communicate with God and receive the Law, Moses entrusts the leadership of the people to Aaron.
However, the people panic when Moses is away for what seems too much time. They beg Aaron to make them an idol that they might worship as their god, and Aaron gives them what they ask for. He orchestrates the donations and creates a golden calf and an altar. And the revelry begins.
These behaviors on the part of Aaron and the people anger God and Moses. Moses asks Aaron: “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?” (Exodus 32:21), acknowledging that Aaron’s lack of leadership was a key factor in this incident. Instead of admitting fault, Aaron blames the people for the evil and claims the calf appeared on its own. As a result of Aaron’s lapse, “the people were running wild” and “out of control” (v. 25).
Aaron is not removed from his leadership position, but one wonders if he has been compromised from this point on. We see in Numbers 12 that at a later point Aaron and his sister Miriam oppose Moses’ leadership—out of hurt pride and jealousy, saying: “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?”…“Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” (Numbers 12:2).
God’s response is to reaffirm Moses as the Lord’s humble, faithful leader and to warn Aaron and Miriam. Miriam is also struck with leprosy, for which Moses prays for healing.
Aaron dies in the wilderness. The Hebrew people do enter Canaan—The Land of Promise. Their new leader, Joshua, is faithful to the Lord: “…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15b). God’s purposes ultimately prevail.
Do you sense God calling you to something—but are resistant to pursue it? Why?
Where do you have influence and the temptation is perhaps to focus on yourself instead of God’s purpose in that arena?
If you aren’t familiar with your gifts—which help give shape and substance to your purpose and calling, take the free online assessment.
For more on these subjects, see the Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog. Check out other resources and a six-week workbook at GodGiftsYou.com.
Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and law enforcement leadership for over 30 years. Shirley has been EquipConnectServe Director at First Pres Boulder since 1999. She has worked with leaders and organizations in 47 of the United States as well as having clients outside the U.S. Contact Shirley.
Photo (c) Wallace E. Giles, All rights reserved.