Heroes and Sidekicks

Heroes and Sidekicks…

Ever noticed in movies or TV shows that sometimes characters come in twos?

Think:  Hans Solo and Chewbacca from Star Wars, SpongeBob and Patrick from SpongeBob SquarePants.

Often the spotlight is on the ‘main character’ and it’s pretty easy to remember their storyline. But less is known about the supporting character, even though they both go on adventures together and help each other out!

In the Bible we hear a lot about people like Moses, Ruth, King David or Daniel, but not so much about others who were in their lives.

So, in Chapel this week, we heard about Aaron, Moses’ older brother.

Moses was known as a friend of God! God chose him to rescue the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, to lead them through the Red Sea and then continue through the wilderness as they trekked towards the Promised Land. A big job indeed!

When God told Moses to go to Egypt to start things moving, he tried to chicken out! He had plenty of excuses. He didn’t think he was the right person for the job, he was a bit scared, he didn’t think people would believe him… and to top it off he wasn’t good at speaking! Can you imagine that?

Well, everyone has strengths and weaknesses, things that they are good at, things they aren’t. And here’s where Aaron came in…

He was good at speaking! The plan was that Moses would tell Aaron what to say and Aaron would do the talking. And that’s what happened!

While God chose Moses to be the leader of the Israelites, he had a special job for Aaron too. Aaron became the high priest of Israel, kind of like a very special Pastor. This was an important role and a very big deal. He was responsible for what happened in the tabernacle (which was a like massive tent church) and had important jobs to do.

But, Aaron had his weaknesses too. Early in his role, when Moses went off to listen to God and get the 10 commandments, the people got grumbly. Aaron listened to the people instead of waiting for God’s commandments and made a golden calf. Moses (and God) weren’t happy at all! Bad choice with bad consequences!

Both Moses and Aaron had their strengths and weaknesses. God chose these brothers for special parts in his plan for freedom and connection with his people whom he loved.

Aaron helped his brother with his talking problem at the start of this important chapter in Israel’s history. Never underestimate how helping someone might have a big impact in their life!

Who could you help today?

God bless your week!
Jason Wain and Georgie Schuster