Aaron, the brother of Moses and the first high priest of Israel, was a central figure in the Exodus narrative and the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites. Despite his leadership role and close association with Moses, Aaron was not immune to criticism and murmuring from the people he served.

Context of Murmuring

The murmuring against Aaron by the people of Israel is emblematic of the broader discontent and rebellion that characterized the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. This period was marked by frequent complaints and challenges to leadership, often directed at both Moses and Aaron.

Key Incidents of Murmuring

1. The Golden Calf Incident (Exodus 32): Although not a direct instance of murmuring against Aaron, this event highlights the people's discontent and Aaron's vulnerability to their demands. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Law, the people grew impatient and demanded that Aaron make them a god to lead them. Aaron acquiesced and fashioned a golden calf, which led to severe consequences. This incident underscores the people's readiness to challenge leadership and the pressures Aaron faced.

2. Korah's Rebellion (Numbers 16): A significant episode of murmuring against Aaron occurred during Korah's rebellion. Korah, along with Dathan, Abiram, and 250 other leaders, challenged the authority of Moses and Aaron, questioning why they exalted themselves above the assembly of the Lord. The rebellion was a direct affront to Aaron's priestly role. In response, God affirmed Aaron's position by causing the earth to swallow the rebels and demonstrating His choice of Aaron through the budding of his staff (Numbers 17:8).

3. The People's Complaints (Numbers 14:2-4): After the report of the spies, the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, expressing a desire to return to Egypt. They said, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!" (Numbers 14:2). This murmuring was part of a broader pattern of rebellion and dissatisfaction with the leadership during the wilderness period.

4. The Water of Meribah (Numbers 20:2-5): At Meribah, the Israelites quarreled with Moses and Aaron due to a lack of water, saying, "Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?" (Numbers 20:4). This incident led to Moses and Aaron's disobedience when they struck the rock to bring forth water, resulting in God's decree that they would not enter the Promised Land.

Significance of the Murmuring

The murmuring against Aaron reflects the challenges of leadership in a context of uncertainty and hardship. Despite the divine appointment and miraculous affirmations of his role, Aaron faced significant opposition and criticism. These episodes highlight the tension between divine authority and human discontent, a recurring theme in the narrative of the Israelites' journey.

Aaron's Response

Throughout these challenges, Aaron's responses varied. In the case of the golden calf, he succumbed to the people's demands, while during Korah's rebellion, he stood firm alongside Moses, relying on God's intervention. Aaron's experiences serve as a testament to the complexities of leadership and the enduring struggle between faithfulness to divine calling and the pressures of popular opinion.Exodus 5:20,21
And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
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Exodus 16:2-10
And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
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Numbers 14:2-5,10
And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said to them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
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Numbers 16:3-11,41
And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, You take too much on you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: why then lift you up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?
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Numbers 20:2
And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
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Psalm 106:16
They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.
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Moses, the Mighty Intercessor
... "And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my Lord, I ... It was at Marah, where the waters were
bitter and the people grievously murmured against Moses and God. ...
/.../bounds/prayer and praying men/iv moses the mighty intercessor.htm

Answer to the Jewish Rabby's Letter.
... cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? ... the land of Canaan,
All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. ...
/.../answer to the jewish rabbys.htm

Weighed, and Found Wanting
... lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.2. And all the
children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/weighed and found wanting.htm

The Unmistakable Honesty of the Writers of the Bible Attests to ...
... Aaron and the golden calf, Solomon and the later kings being notable ... And the people
thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said ...
/.../the divine inspiration of the bible/chapter three the unmistakable honesty.htm

Ninth Sunday after Trinity Carnal Security and Its vices.
... and government equal with Moses and Aaron, and so ... They murmured against God and Moses
until God was forced ... Many of the people were consumed and a multitude ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/ninth sunday after trinity carnal.htm

Eldad and Medad
... for the fish and flesh they had enjoyed in Egypt, and murmured against God and against
Moses. ... no ordination from the laying on of hands by Moses and Aaron. ...
/.../milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/eldad and medad.htm

Proceeding to the History of Israel, Tertullian Shows that ...
... For the first People had withal reproduced the first man's ... the lost enjoyments of
Egyptian satiety, they murmured against Moses and Aaron: "Would that we ...
/.../chapter v proceeding to the history.htm

Here Next Followeth the History of Moses
... fill, for as much as ye have murmured against him; what ... Your murmur is not against
us but against our Lord ... As Aaron spake to all the company of the children of ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/here next followeth the history.htm

Ananias and Sapphira.
... favour with all the people; and that the people magnified them ... murmured for want
of flesh against Moses and Aaron, they are said to have murmured against God ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture vi ananias and sapphira.htm

Thanksgiving Versus Complaining
... We are told that "when the people complained, it ... found themselves wandering in the
wilderness, they "murmured against Moses and Aaron," and complained ...
/.../smith/the god of all comfort/chapter 15 thanksgiving versus complaining.htm

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