The Garments of Purpose

Scripture(s): Numbers 20:23-26

Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying, Aaron will be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah. "Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up to Mount Hor; and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar. So Aaron will be gathered to his people, and will die there."

Commentary:
Moses and Aaron had previously been disobedience to the instructions of the Lord. The children of Israel had started to complain again, about their daily sustenance not being met. They complained about not having water, not having figs to eat, not having pomegranates, and so on. The pressure that Moses and Aaron were under as leaders caused them to really call out to the Lord in prayer. God answered their prayer, and told them exactly what to do to remedy the situation. He told Moses to do one thing only. However, Moses was so irritated by the people that he did what he wanted to do. Instead of speaking to the rock that God told him to speak to, he struck the rock twice. Not only did he strike the rock twice, he also yelled at the people; and told them that they were rebels, and made it look like he and Aaron had the ability to do something, that only God could do. Thus, neither Moses are Aaron made it into the promise land.

On their way toward the promised land, God instructed Moses to strip the priestly garments off of Aaron, and give his garments to his son Eleazar. Upon the stripping of the garments of purpose that were Aaron's livelihood, Aaron openly died on a high place, in the sight of all the people. Aaron could no longer fulfill the purpose in which he was called to do, and the garments in which he wore were of no effect on him, because of his disobedience. Once his purpose could not be fulfilled, Aaron died.

Reflection:
God has assigned tasks for each of us to do. Sometimes, when He gives us assignments we wonder how in the world can we do what He is telling us to do. Nevertheless, if God has given us an assignment, we should completely and totally depend upon Him to complete the tasks. We should not allow pure pressure to make us become irritated by the current circumstances. If God says to do something one way, we should not create another way to do what He has already instructed us to do. Going against what God has said pulls us out of line of our purpose. When we are out of balance with the purpose in which God has created us, we become non-effective in what He has given us; thereby producing no fruit. Therefore, let us take into consideration the cost of the garment of purpose that we wear, and what it will take to maintain it.

Prayer:
Father God, I thank you that I am obedient to what you have spoken to me. I thank you for putting the ability within me to do exactly what you have spoken, and that I will not be pressured into risking the anointing that you have placed on my life. I thank you for wisdom, and knowledge, in all that you give me to do, and I thank you for blessing every thing that my hands touch; for your glory, honor and praise. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen. 

Strong's Concordance Definitions:

Aaron: 175
Aaron = "light bringer"

1) brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest

Shall be gathered: 622
1) to gather, receive, remove, gather in

a) (Qal)
1) to gather, collect
2) to gather (an individual into company of others)
3) to bring up the rear
4) to gather and take away, remove, withdraw
b) (Niphal)
1) to assemble, be gathered
2) (pass of Qal 1a2)
a) to be gathered to one's fathers
b) to be brought in or into (association with others)
3) (pass of Qal 1a4)
a) to be taken away, removed, perish
c) (Piel)
1) to gather (harvest)
2) to take in, receive into
3) rearguard, rearward (subst)
d) (Pual) to be gathered
e) (Hithpael) to gather oneself or themselves

Unto his people: 5971
1) nation, people

a) people, nation
b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
2) kinsman, kindred

shall not enter: 935
1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

a) (Qal)
1) to enter, come in
2) to come
a) to come with
b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)
c) to come to pass
3) to attain to
4) to be enumerated
5) to go
b) (Hiphil)
1) to lead in
2) to carry in
3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon
4) to bring to pass
c) (Hophal)
1) to be brought, brought in
2) to be introduced, be put

Into the Land: 776
1) land, earth

a) earth
1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
3) earth (inhabitants)
b) land
1) country, territory
2) district, region
3) tribal territory
4) piece of ground
5) land of Canaan, Israel
6) inhabitants of land
7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world
8) city (-state)
c) ground, surface of the earth
1) ground
2) soil
d) (in phrases)
1) people of the land
2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)
3) level or plain country
4) land of the living
5) end(s) of the earth
e) (almost wholly late in usage)
1) lands, countries
a) often in contrast to Canaan

which I have given: 5414
1) to give, put, set
a) (Qal)
1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend
2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate
3) to make, constitute
b) (Niphal)
1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned
2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted
c) (Hophal)
1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up
2) to be put upon

because ye rebelled: 4784
1) to be contentious, be rebellious, be refractory, be disobedient towards, be rebellious against

a) (Qal) to be disobedient, be rebellious
1) towards father
2) towards God
b) (Hiphil) to show rebelliousness, show disobedience, disobey
my word: 6310
1) (peh) mouth
a) mouth (of man)
b) mouth (as organ of speech)
c) mouth (of animals)
d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc)
e) extremity, end
2) (pim) a weight equal to one third of a shekel, occurs only in 1 Sa. 13:21

at the water: 4325

of Meribah: 4809
Meribah = "strife" or "contention"
1) a fountain at Rephidim, in the desert of Sin; so called because the Israelites murmured against God
2) the name of the water supply at Kadesh on the southern border of the promised land; the people also murmured here against God

References:
Blue Letter Bible. "Book of Numbers 20 - (KJV - King James Version)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 1 Mar 2010. http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Num&c=20&t=KJV

Higgins, S. (2010). The Garments of Purpose. Devotions For Thought. Higgins Publishing. Http://www.devotionsforthought.blogspot.com, Http://www.higginspublishing.com