black and brown bee on top of purple flower

Misplaced Love

black and brown bee on top of purple flower

Exodus 4:14-16; Exodus 4:27-31

He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen. [Psalm 105:26]

Aaron was a man of amiable disposition, whom God selected to stand with Moses and speak for him… God might have chosen Aaron as leader; but He who is acquainted with hearts, who understands character, knew that Aaron was yielding and lacked moral courage to stand in defense of the right under all circumstances, irrespective of consequences. Aaron’s desire to have the good will of the people sometimes led him to commit great wrongs… The same lack of firmness for the right in his family resulted in the death of two of his sons… Nadab and Abihu failed to reverence the command of God to offer sacred fire upon their censers with the incense before Him…

Here is seen the result of loose discipline. As these sons of Aaron had not been educated to respect and reverence the commands of their father, as they disregarded parental authority, they did not realize the necessity of explicitly following the requirements of God… Contrary to God’s express direction, they dishonored Him by offering common instead of sacred fire. God visited them with His wrath; fire went forth from His presence and destroyed them.

Aaron bore his severe affliction with patience and humble submission. Sorrow and keen agony wrung his soul. He was convicted of his neglect of duty. He was priest of the most high God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. He was priest of his household, yet he had been inclined to pass over the folly of his children. He had neglected his duty to train and educate them to obedience, self-denial, and reverence for parental authority. Through feelings of misplaced indulgence, he failed to mold their characters with high reverence for eternal things. Aaron did not see, any more than many Christian parents now see, that his misplaced love and the indulgence of his children in wrong was preparing them for the certain displeasure of God… His gentle remonstrance, without a firm exercise of parental restraint, and his imprudent tenderness toward his sons were cruelty in the extreme.

Similar Posts

  • Disgraceful Monuments

    [Ecclesiastes 10:5,6] There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: folly is set in great dignity.

  • Only Jesus Knew

    [Matthew 26:24] The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

  • Fretting and Fussing

    [Luke 10:41, 42, N.E.B]. The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are fretting and fussing about so many things; but one thing is necessary. The part that Mary has chosen is best; and it shall not be taken away from her.”

  • Let Us Build

    [Nehemiah 2:18] Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me … and they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work

  • A Chance to Choose

    [Genesis 2:17] But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

  • Profitable Bonfire

    [Acts 19:18,19] And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men.