Commentary: Was God’s punishment of Aaron and Moses unjust?

Paul Baxter

Was Aaron under-punished for fashioning the golden calf, while Moses was over-punished for striking the rock?

Let’s begin answering this two-fold question posed to me by examining Exodus 32, where in response to Moses’ almost six-week absence the impatient Israelites prevailed upon a surprisingly weak Aaron to fashion a golden calf out of their gold rings (such an idol was quite familiar in Egypt where bulls were sacred). The result was a graven image which Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. in his commentary on Exodus reminds us was “a direct violation of the second commandment … so recently given to (the Israelites, p. 478).”

Aaron realized his grave error and tried to redeem the situation; we read in Exodus 32:5: “When Aaron saw this (the people worshipping the golden calf), he built an altar in front of it and made an announcement: ‘There will be a festival to the Lord tomorrow.’” Although he directed the people’s attention to God who had delivered them from slavery in Egypt, after they offered “burnt … and fellowship offerings … the people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to party.” Walter Kaiser elaborates, “After making an attempt to honor the Lord with their offerings, the people satisfied their own desires and proceeded to ‘indulge in revelry.’ The verb sahaq signifies drunken, immoral orgies and sexual play” (p. 478); all of which God saw, and is spelled out succinctly in Exod. 32:7,9: “The Lord spoke to Moses (up on the mountain): Go down at once! For your people you brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly … I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.”

God’s language conveys how the Israelites deserved to be disowned, to no longer be God’s people, because of their stiff-necked ways, like an animal unwilling to turn in the way he is directed to go. We are not told how God feels toward Aaron until Deuteronomy 9:20: “The Lord was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him.” But Moses interceded for his brother.

We read Moses’ words: “I prayed for Aaron at that time also (while interceding for the people as a whole). Moses also punished them; he tells us in v.21: “I took the sinful calf you had made and burned it. I crushed it, thoroughly grinding it to powder as fine as dust.” We read in Exodus 32:20 how he mixed it with water and “forced the Israelites to drink the water.”

We can well imagine that Aaron was the first one to drink it! Moses angrily confronted his brother with his sin, asking, “What did these people do to you that you have led them into such a grave sin” (v.21)? Aaron responds, possibly with buckling knees, “Don’t be angry, my lord,” and then offers some inexcusable excuses about how the Israelites were “intent on evil” and how they did not know what had happened to Moses on the mountain (for almost six weeks). We can be sure Aaron suffered at the hands of his angry brother, and was very much a part of the other Levites who were given the tougher than tough task to “take up their swords and march through the camp, slaying those who apparently were still leading the wild celebration even if in so doing they had to kill brothers, companions, and neighbors” (Lee Haines, Exodus, p. 273).

In the midst of all this, Moses interceded three times with God on behalf of his brother and his people. What really stands out in bold relief is Moses’ self-sacrificial prayer recorded in Exodus 32:31-32. “Oh, these people (we note he calls them ‘these’ people not ‘his’ people because though he is praying for them he is still angry and disgusted with them) have committed a grave sin … Now, if you would only forgive their sins. But if not, please erase me from the book you have written.” Aaron, who had his brother accusing him of caving into pressure and appealing to God on his behalf, suffered some consequences for his sins by being held accountable, drinking the ground-up idol, and participating in judging the recalcitrant Israelites. He was the first high priest who learned from experience the importance of repentance for one’s own sins and praying for the sins of others and helping them to repent and experience forgiveness.

Moses’ anger was an issue for him in dealing with both Aaron and the Israelites at Mt. Sinai; and his anger eventually got him in trouble at Meribah. We read in Numbers 20:7-13 where God said to Moses, “Take the staff and assemble the community (that had just gathered together against Moses and Aaron because there was no water in this desert of Zin). You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will yield its water. You will bring out water for them from the rock …” Moses took the staff, summoned the people, and said, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of the rock for you?” He followed up his angry words by doing what he was not commanded to do.

Although he had received crystal clear instructions to speak to the rock, he chose to do otherwise: “Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, and the community and their livestock drank.” In the classic commentary, Barnes Notes, F.C. Cook writes: “The act of smiting (the rock), and especially with two strokes, indicates violent irritation on the part of Moses, as does also his unseemly addressing the people: ‘Hear now, ye rebels’” (p. 226). God responds, “Because you did not trust me to demonstrate my holiness in the sight of Israel, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.”

What is God’s message wrapped up in this punishment? It is a message not just for Moses and Aaron but for the Israelites and everyone who seeks to trust and obey God! Certainly, uncontrolled anger is a most common and destructive human weaknesses, especially for any leader. What is much worse is for anger to take control of a leader who is speaking for God and supposed to be setting example for his people.

There is no doubt that Moses allowed his temper to get the best of him and bring out the worst in him. What is perhaps a more subtle lesson is seen when Moses asked: “Must WE (Aaron and I) bring water out this rock for you?” F.C. Cook comments how “must we” directs the people not to God as their deliverer, but to Moses and Aaron personally. Moses did not ‘sanctify God in the eyes of the children of Israel’” (p. 226). They were not the real “providers,” God was!

Were they not usurping God’s involvement, His holy grace, by referring to themselves? Cook adds, “Aaron might have checked the intemperate words and acts of Moses, and did not” (Cook, p. 226). We must never forget that spokesmen for God, who are called to teach people the importance of trusting and obeying God, cannot afford to mislead people into thinking they can take matters of God into their own hands. However, God well understood how infuriating “His” people could be, and in the final analysis Moses had completed his assignment and could now “rest from his labors” after being given a view of the Promised Land.

All things considered, neither Moses was over-punished nor Aaron under-punished. God is not only just but merciful, inspiring both Moses and Aaron to pray for the forgiveness of others when they were deserving of judgment.

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