March 31,1997
Dear Br. Stapleton:
As I look upon human nature, I am impressed that nothing has changed since the times of the Old Testament. God left on record an example of every type of temperament and personality, characteristic and nature as a witness for and against us. We would do well to study, not just the theology of the Bible, but its characters to learn lessons that may benefit us in our lives today.
Take for example the life of Aaron. Here was a man whom God honored
above almost all other men. He was invested with the priesthood
of ancient Israel, and through him God desired to teach the Israelites
and the modern Israel of God (Christians) lessons of divine instruction.
But Aaron was weak-willed and compliant. He lacked force of character
and preferred, instead, as many say today, to go with the flow
or drift with the current.
In another less favored man, perhaps this trait could be tolerated,
but Aaron was elevated to a high position in both the civil government
and church organization of the time. His timidity in rebuking
sin and setting a stern course of right and honor lead many people
in Israel to sin.
Perhaps, one of the most famous misdemeanors of Aaron was the
sorry spectacle created by the demand of the people, of Aaron,
to make a golden calf that they could worship it. This incident
occurred only weeks after God gave the ten commandments from Mt.
Sinai amid thunder and smoke. Moses had been called up into the
mountain by God, leaving Aaron in charge of the civil and religious
affairs of the nation. During his prolonged absence, the people
grew wrestles and desired a visible symbol or representation of
God.
Here was a time for boldness and courage to rebuke national and
church sins. Here was an opportunity for Aaron to distinguish
himself and honor the Lord. But, instead, he yielded to the popular
demand and, as a consequence, thousands died in the plague that
consumed the congregation when the Lord punished this national
sin.
How often do we see the same sin and consequences reenacted today
in both civil and religious affairs. How often do civil and religious
leaders, entrusted with their office by God himself, fail of rebuking
sins in those over whom they exercise leadership. In the mistaken
belief that it is unkind and restrictive to enforce civil or religious
rules or commandments, these leaders yield to the popular will.
While the singular manifestations of God’s displeasure do
not meet their sin in quite the same fashion as it met Aaron’s
sin, many people will loose eternity because they are led to believe
that God is not very particular about sin or sacred things. This
same yielding disposition is witnessed among many men who claim
leadership within their families. Children, desiring to test the
limits of parental restraint, often find, to their secret dismay,
the same disposition in their parents as was manifested by Aaron.
God invested Aaron and his four sons with the religious leadership
of the nation. Because of his calm, unruffled disposition, he
failed to discipline his sons and, as a consequence, they lost
sight of the sacredness of their religious office. What to us
might seem a trivial thing, using fire obtained from an ordinary
wood burner, rather then the fire obtained from the alter which
was set alight by God himself, two of his sons took this so called
“common fire” into the temple to burn incense, a practice
that God had expressly condemned. When God destroyed them by fire
for this flagrant disregard of his specific directions, Aaron
was forbidden to grieve or cry for his children. The Lord would
not give the Israelites any occasion to complain over God’s
apparent harshness in rebuking sin.
How many ministers, religious leaders, and fathers, in general,
make the same fatal mistake today. Fearing to discipline their
children, preferring to let them go as they please, fathers fail
to teach their sons and daughters of the sacred responsibilities
devolving upon them as children of God. Especially is this disposition
seen in the children of ministers. It is the responsibility of
fathers to discipline their children, especially their strong-willed
sons and teach them respect for the holy things of God and for
God himself and prepare them to lead their own families in righteousness.
While Aaron sinned greatly and was denied entrance into the promised
land, along with Moses, on account of his great sin, he repented
of his sins and, because of his repentance and faith in Christ
as his Savior, he is highly honored in the Bible. But how many
fathers, when they realize the consequences of their mistaken
fondness and tenderness for their children and the ruin, misery,
and unhappiness it has caused them fail to repent of their misdirected
tenderness, and, instead blame others, their own children, or
even God for their own failures. The position of leadership, be
it the President of the United States, the minister of a local
church, or the father of a family of rebellious children, is not
an enviable one. It often requires a stern disposition and firm
discipline to guide the family, church, and community correctly,
especially in the face of determined opposition. Our children
will seldom thank us for being forth right in our training of
them, but their self-controlled, well-disciplined, and Godly lives
testify to the success of our efforts.
God has given it to men to discipline their families in love,
but genuine, righteous love will never yield the parental authority
to another as Aaron did when the people demanded a golden calf.
The true father and husband regards his obligations to the Lord
as paramount and will never bend before criticism, censure, bitter
words, rebellious looks, angry words, or overt hostile acts. He
favors the approval of God over the approval of disobedient children
or willful parishioners or rebellious citizens. God calls upon
all men to critically examine our attitudes and demeanor. This
careful self-examination may spare our children from misery, suffering,
or even death. Had Aaron remained true to God, his two sons need
not have burned to death. Their deaths were directly attributable
to his lax and easygoing ways.
Let us as fathers sternly rebuke ourselves, least our children,
our parishioners, or the citizens of this great nation suffer
the consequences of our misguided actions. May the Lord bless
you, my dear brother, with a correct estimation of your own character
and the courage to change it if necessary. Your brother in Christ.
Allen A. Benson