Numbers 20:14-29; Death of the High Priest~ 20260517~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

2026.05.17 Numbers 20:14-29; Death of the High Priest;Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20260517_numbers-20_14-29.mp3

In Numbers 20, we are in the first month of the 40^th year after the Lord set his people free from slavery in Egypt. That first generation witnessed the ten plagues, went through the Red Sea, saw God destroy their enemies, saw God reveal himself in dark cloud and fire on Mount Sinai, where he entered into a covenant with them to be their God and he took them to be his people. Before the contract was even delivered, they had been unfaithful and broken it, but he forgave and promised to be with them. They followed his instructions to build him a tent so that he could dwell in the middle of their camp. The Lord organized the tribes around his tent, organized them for the march to his promised land, and had the military age men numbered. Following God’s pillar of cloud and fire, when they arrived at the borders of the land, they sent spies, ten of whom brought an evil report, and the people rejected the Lord, his land and his leaders and desired to return to slavery. Their rejection got them what they asked for; their dead bodies would fall in the wilderness, but God would keep his promise to their children; the next generation would enter his land. Numbers 20 jumps ahead to the last of that generation falling in the wilderness. Even their leaders would die outside the land for their disobedience. Miriam died, Moses and Aaron failed to treat the Lord as holy and would join their generation falling outside the land. Only two of that generation would enter in, the faith filled spies Caleb and Joshua.

At the beginning of this chapter, Miriam died. The people complained of no water, and in an extension of amazing grace, Moses and Aaron were instructed simply to speak to the rock and it would give its water to the people to satisfy their thirst. Instead, they spoke to the people a harsh word of condemnation, took credit for God’s miraculous provision, and struck the rock twice. God in his grace met the people’s need, but the disobedience of Aaron and Moses cost them entry to the promised land. They missed an opportunity to put on display the amazing grace of God, giving the people what they don’t deserve. The Lord will defend the honor of his holiness, even when it is his chosen leaders who despise his grace.

Attempted Diplomacy with Esau/Edom

In verse 14, we see diplomatic negotiations with the king of Edom.

Numbers 20:14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met: 15 how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers. 16 And when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will go along the King's Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”

Usually addressing a king, a more humble deferential term is used, like servant or slave. But here Moses introduces the people as ‘your brother’; there is a familial tie, a family obligation. This is not a subordinate making a request to a superior, this is a sibling.

The people of Edom are the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s twin brother. Genesis 36 tells us that ‘Esau is Edom’. Edom sounds like the Hebrew word ‘red’, reminding us both of Esau’s appearance at birth, and how he sold his birthright for a bowl of red lentil stew (Gen.25:30). Later Jacob deceived his father and stole the blessing from his brother as well. The relationship between Jacob (renamed Israel) and his brother Esau had been strained ever since.

Moses recounts both their hardships and the Lord’s faithfulness to them; they were harshly treated in Egypt, but when Israel cried out to YHWH, God sent his Angel, his Messenger to deal harshly with their oppressors and set them free with his mighty hand. This could be taken as both a threat and a promise; threat of judgment on those who mistreat God’s people, and a promise of blessing on those who bless them.

The request is simple; safe passage, without any expectation of hospitality. They will not take anything from Edom, neither water nor provisions.

Numbers 20:18 But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.”

Their request is flatly rejected, with a threat of violence. But Israel gives diplomacy another opportunity.

Numbers 20:19 And the people of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.”

The terms of strict respect for property are restated with the offer of remuneration for any damages or anything taken.

Numbers 20:20 But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. 21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him.

Diplomacy failed to secure the desired direct passage to the promised land. Rather than engage in battle, Israel turned away to take a long circuitous route to the land, a route we will see in the next chapter that caused frustration and grumbling among the people.

We don’t see any prayer, any seeking the Lord’s direction for guidance in this situation. But Moses recounts in Deuteronomy 2

Deuteronomy 2:2 Then the LORD said to me, 3 ‘You have been traveling around this mountain country long enough. Turn northward 4 and command the people, “You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful. 5 Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. 6 You shall purchase food from them with money, that you may eat, and you shall also buy water from them with money, that you may drink. 7 For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.”’

The Lord had warned Moses to be careful with Edom, the people of Esau. He warned them not to contend with them. And he made clear that he would not give them any of their land. He reminds them of how YHWH God has blessed them and been with them, that he is the source of every good thing.

Deuteronomy 2:8 So we went on, away from our brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir, away from the Arabah road from Elath and Ezion-geber. “And we turned and went in the direction of the wilderness of Moab.

Later in Numbers, the pagan prophet Balaam will prophesy that Edom will be dispossessed (Nu.24:18), and in 2 Samuel 8, David subjugated Edom along with many other nations (2Sam.8:11-14).

Aaron Gathered to His People

Numbers 20:22 And they journeyed from Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. 23 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, 24 “Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor. 26 And strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron shall be gathered to his people and shall die there.”

This chapter began with the death of Miriam, in the middle even Moses and Aaron act in unbelief and rebel against the command of the Lord and are excluded from the promised land, and now the chapter ends with the death of Aaron the anointed high priest. The wages of sin is death. There are grave consequences for unbelief, for failing to treat the Lord as holy.

Moses, Aaron and Eleazar are to go up to the top of Mount Hor for this grim task. Aaron is stripped of his holy garments that designated him as high priest of the nation, the ephod with two onyx stones engraved with the names of the tribes, stones of remembrance which he bore before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance (Ex.28:12); the breastpiece with 12 engraved stones that he bore over his heart to bring the people to regular remembrance before the Lord, and to bear the judgment of the people on his heart before the Lord (Ex.28:28-30); a robe of blue with gold bells and pomegranates around the hem ‘and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the LORD’ (Ex.28:31-35); and a turban with a plate of gold inscribed with ‘holy to the LORD’ to bear any guilt and from the gifts of the people, ‘that they may be accepted before the LORD’ (Ex.28:36-38).

There was a sense of shame in this stripping of the holy garments off Aaron because of his unbelief and rebellion, and there was also a practical aspect; if he died in these holy garments, they would need to be cleansed. To remove them before he died allowed uninterrupted continuity, with Eleazar able to immediately assume the role of high priest for the nation. This was a grace for the people.

This was also grace on Aaron. He would die and be gathered to his people. This is an intimation of the hope of something beyond death. In Genesis, this was said of Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob; each was ‘gathered to his people.’ When David’s child died, he had the expectation that “I shall go to him, but he will not return to me” (2Sam.12:23). Job said

Job 19:25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!

Jesus is even more clear; he told the story of a rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16; he said

Luke 16:22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’

The righteous; those counted righteous through faith in Jesus Christ will be gathered together, comforted, while those who lived only for this life will be in anguish. To the murderer crucified with Jesus, who turned and believed in Jesus,

Luke 23:43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Hebrews 11 chronicles those who by their faith in God looked not to an earthly homeland but ‘to a better country, a heavenly one’, ‘to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God’ (Heb.11:10,13-16).

Aaron was disobedient, and died outside the land, and was gathered to his people. Although he was excluded from entering the promised land, he had a better country, a heavenly one, where he was gathered to his people.

The Death of the High Priest

Numbers 20:27 Moses did as the LORD commanded. And they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29 And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had perished, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.

The high priest of Israel died. We are told in Numbers 33 that Aaron the priest was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. Eleazar his son took his place as high priest of the nation. From this point on in Numbers it is no longer ‘Moses and Aaron’ it is Moses and Eleazar the priest; in Joshua it becomes ‘Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun’. The transition to the next generation has begun. In Judges it is ‘Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron’ (Jud.20:28).

In 1 Chronicles 6 we find this list:

1 Chronicles 6:3 The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 4 Eleazar fathered Phinehas, Phinehas fathered Abishua, 5 Abishua fathered Bukki, Bukki fathered Uzzi, 6 Uzzi fathered Zerahiah, Zerahiah fathered Meraioth, 7 Meraioth fathered Amariah, Amariah fathered Ahitub, 8 Ahitub fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Ahimaaz, 9 Ahimaaz fathered Azariah, Azariah fathered Johanan, 10 and Johanan fathered Azariah ( it was he who served as priest in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem). 11 Azariah fathered Amariah, Amariah fathered Ahitub, 12 Ahitub fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Shallum, 13 Shallum fathered Hilkiah, Hilkiah fathered Azariah, 14 Azariah fathered Seraiah, Seraiah fathered Jehozadak; 15 and Jehozadak went into exile when the LORD sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

The wages of sin is death. The priests of Israel were all sinners who died. Hebrews 7 laments:

Hebrews 7:23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office,

But the author of Hebrews is telling us that in every way Jesus is better. We have a better high priest.

Hebrews 7:23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Jesus is better, because he always lives to make intercession. His service as our great priest will never be interrupted. Jesus, being God, is eternal. He holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. When an Israelite sinned, Aaron, or his son, or his son’s son would make atonement, would intercede. Did you know that today, when you sin, Jesus, seated at the right hand of his Father in glory is praying for you? He is able to save fully, completely, entirely, all who draw near to God through him as their only intermediary.

Hebrews 7 goes on:

Hebrews 7:26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Aaron failed to honor God as holy, he was guilty, blood on his hands, he was a sinner just like the rest of Israel. He had his own sins to offer sacrifices for; he had to first be cleansed in order to be fit to offer sacrifices for others. Jesus is our better priest; he is holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He is not a sinful descendant of a long line of sinners; he is the sinless Son of God who offered himself for others.

Today, draw near to God through Jesus, our great high priest!

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2026.05.17 Sermon Notes

Numbers 20:14-29; Death of the High Priest

The wages of sin is death; Miriam, Aaron, Moses

Numbers 20:1, 12; 33:38-39; 27:13

Failed diplomacy with brother Esau (Edom)

Genesis 25:21-34; 27:1-41; 36:1, 8, 19, 43; Deuteronomy 2:1-8

Aaron stripped of the holy garments:

ephod, breastpiece, robe, gold crown

Exodus 28:2-4, 12, 28-30, 31-35, 36-38

Grace: he was gathered to his people

Genesis 25:8, 17; 35:29; 49:29, 33

2 Samuel 12:23; Job 19:25-27; Luke 16:22-26; 23:39-43

Hebrews 11:10, 13-16

The death of the high priest

Deuteronomy 10:6; Judges 20:28; 1 Chronicles 6:3-15

We have a better high priest: JESUS!

-he always lives to make intercession; able to save completely those who draw near to God through him

Hebrews 7:23-25

-the sinless Son of God who offered up himself

Hebrews 7:26-28

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Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org