Sons of Encouragement

by Francine Rivers

  The elders ran back. “Moses has given us water from a rock!”

  “Moses! Moses!” The people rushed toward the stream.

  Exhausted, Moses sat. “God, forgive them. They don’t know what they are saying.”

  Aaron could see how the responsibility of these people weighed on his brother. Moses heard their complaints and beseeched God for provision and guidance. “We will tell them again, Moses. It is the Lord who has rescued them. It is the Lord who provides. He is the one who has given them bread and meat and water.”

  Moses raised his head, his eyes full of tears. “They are a stubborn people, Aaron.”

  “And so shall we be! Stubborn in faith!”

  “They still think like slaves. They want their food rations on time. They have forgotten the whips and the heavy labor, the unrelenting misery of their existence in Egypt, their cries to the Lord to save them.”

  “We will remind them of the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea.”

  “The sweetened waters of Marah and the streams of water from the rock at Mount Sinai.”

  “Whatever you tell me to say, I will say, Moses. I will shout the words God gives you from the hilltops.”

  “Moses!” It was a cry of alarm this time. “Moses!”

  Aaron pushed himself to his feet. Would trouble never depart from them? He recognized the voice. “It’s Joshua. What is it, my friend? What’s happened now?”

  The young man sank to his knees before Moses, panting, red-faced, sweat pouring down his cheeks, his tunic soaked through. “The Amalekites—” he gasped for breath—“they’re attacking at Rephidim! They’ve killed those who haven’t been able to keep up. Old men. Women. The sick . . .”

  “Choose some of our men and go out to fight them!” Moses swayed as he stood.

  Aaron caught hold of him. “You must rest. You haven’t eaten all day, nor have you had so much as a cup of water.” What would he do if Moses collapsed? Guide the people himself? Fear gripped him. “The Lord has called you to lead His people to the Promised Land, Moses. A man cannot do that without food, water, and rest. You can do nothing more today!”

  “You are three years older than I, Aaron.”

  “But you are the one God has called to deliver us. You are the one bearing the weight of responsibility for God’s people.”

  “God will deliver us.” Moses sank down again. “Go out and fight them, Joshua. Call the Israelites to arms, and fight the army of Amalek.” He sighed, exhausted. “Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”

  In the morning, Aaron and Moses went to the top of the hill overlooking the battlefield. Hur came with them. Moses held up his hands and Joshua and the Israelites gave battle cries and launched attack. Aaron saw how they cut through the Amalekites advancing on them. But after a while, the tide of the battle turned. Aaron looked to his brother to call on the Lord and saw Moses’ hands at his side. He rested for a few moments and raised his hands again, and immediately the Israelites seemed to gain strength and advantage.

  “I cannot keep this up long enough for the battle to be won.” Exhausted, Moses’ hands dropped to his sides.

  “Here!” Aaron called to Hur. “Help me move this rock.” They rolled and shoved the rock until it was at the crest of the hill overlooking the battle. “Sit, my brother, and we’ll hold your hands up!” Aaron took his right arm and Hur his left and they held them up. As the hours wore on, Aaron’s muscles trembled and burned from the effort, but his heart remained strong as he watched the battle below. The Israelites were prevailing against their enemies. By sunset, Joshua had overcome the Amalekites and put them to the sword.

  Moses rallied long enough to pile up rocks for an altar. “It will be called ‘The Lord Is My Banner.’ Hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord today. They have dared to raise their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation. We must never forget what the Lord has done for us!”

  When they returned to camp, Moses went into his tent to write the events meticulously on a scroll to be kept and read to Joshua and future generations.

  When they set out from Rephidim and headed into the Desert of Sinai, a messenger came from Midian. Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, was on his way to meet him and was bringing Moses’ wife, Zipporah, and his sons, Gershom and Eliezer.

  Miriam came into Aaron’s tent. “Where was Moses going in such a hurry?”

  “His father-in-law is here with Zipporah and the boys.”

  She hung the water bag. “She would’ve been better off staying in Midian.”

  “A wife belongs with her husband, and sons belong with their father.”

  “Does Moses have time for a wife when the people are always clamoring for his judgments? What time do you have for your own sons?”

  Aaron broke bread with his family members each evening. He prayed with them. They talked about the events of the day and the blessings of the Lord. He rose, in no mood to listen to more of Miriam’s complaints about what might happen in the days ahead. She liked managing his household. All well and good. He would leave her to her duties. But there was room enough for everyone beneath God’s canopy.

  Miriam made a sound of disgust. “The woman cannot even speak our language.”

  Aaron did not point out that Miriam had not helped Zipporah while they lived beneath the same roof in Egypt. Zipporah would learn Aramaic just as Moses had, and so would Moses’ sons, Gershom and Eliezer.

  Joshua came to Aaron’s tent. “Moses’ father-in-law has brought offerings and sacrifices to God. Moses said to come with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with them in the presence of God.”

  So, was Joshua now acting as Moses’ spokesman?

  When Aaron arrived at Jethro’s camp, he was gratified to see Moses’ smile. It had been a long time since his brother had been so happy. Zipporah did not take her eyes from Moses, but she looked thinner than Aaron remembered. Gershom and Eliezer were speaking rapidly in their mother’s tongue as they vied for their father’s attention. They looked more Midianite than Hebrew. That would change, given new circumstances. He watched his brother hug his sons against him, speaking tenderly to them.

  For all the familiarity and affection between the brothers, there was an element of foreignness about Moses. Forty years with Egyptians and another forty years with Midianites set him apart from his people. Aaron sat among these people and felt uncomfortable. Yet, his brother was at ease now, speaking Midian and then Aramaic without faltering. Everyone understood him.

  Aaron felt the difference between them. He still thought like a slave and looked to Moses as his master, waiting on his instructions. And he was glad for Moses who spoke to God before speaking to others. Sometimes Aaron wondered if Moses realized how God had been preparing him to lead from the day of his birth. Moses wasn’t born to die in the Nile, but was saved by God and given into the hands of Pharaoh’s own daughter so the son of Hebrew slaves would grow up a freeman in palace corridors, learning the ways of the enemy. Moses moved between worlds, from palaces to poor brick houses to a nomad’s tent. He lived beneath the canopy of God Himself, hearing the Voice, talking with the Lord as Adam must have in the Garden of Eden.

  Aaron was in awe of Moses, proud to be of his flesh and blood. Aaron, too, heard God’s voice, but for Moses, it would always be different. His brother spoke to the Lord and God listened as a father would listen to his child. God was Moses’ friend.

  As night came and the pillar of fire glowed, the scent of Jethro’s burnt offering filled the air. While they all partook of Jethro’s feast of roasted lamb, dates, and raisin cakes, Moses spoke of all the things the Lord had done in bringing His people out of Egypt. There were bread and olive oil in which to dip it. Wine flowed freely. Nadab and Abihu held up their cups for more each time a servant passed near.

  Surely, this is what life would be like when they reached the Promised Land. Ah, but Canaan would be even better, for the L
ord Himself had said it would be a land of milk and honey. To have milk, there must be herds of cattle and flocks of goats. To have honey, there must be fruit trees and grapevines with blossoms where the bees could gather their nectar.

  After centuries of slavery, Israel was free.

  Aaron took another piece of lamb and some dates. This was the life to which he wanted to become accustomed.

  Aaron’s head ached from too much wine, and he had to force himself to rise the next morning. Moses would need his help soon. People would be clamoring for his judgment over whatever difficulties had arisen in the last twenty-four hours. Mediating and arbitrating went on from dawn to dusk. The people scarcely gave Moses time to eat. With so many thousands living so close to one another, clashes were inevitable. Each day had new challenges, more problems. A minor infraction could lead to heated arguments and fighting. The people didn’t seem to know what to do with their freedom other than fight with one another and complain to Moses about everything! Aaron was torn between wanting them to think for themselves, and seeing the consequences when they did—trouble, out of which Moses had to judge fairly between opposing parties.

  More people stood waiting for Moses’ attention than had yesterday. Squabbles between tribes, arguments between tribal brothers. Maybe it was the heat that kept them from getting along. Maybe it was the long days and deferred hope. Aaron didn’t have much patience today. He longed for his tent and a rolled-up blanket under his head.

  “Is it like this every day?”

  Aaron hadn’t noticed Jethro’s approach. “Every day gets worse.”

  “This is not good.”

  Who is he to talk? “Moses is our leader. He must judge the people.”

  “No wonder he has aged since the last time I saw him. The people are wearing him out!”

  Two men shouted at one another while waiting in the line. Soon they were shoving each other, involving others. Aaron left Jethro quickly, hoping to curb the disturbance, calling on the assistance of several of his relatives to help break up the fight and restore order to those waiting.

  The men were separated, but not before one was injured.

  “Go and have someone see to the cut over your eye.”

  “And lose my place in line? No! I was here yesterday waiting, and the day before that! I’m not leaving. This man took the bride-price for his sister and now won’t let me have her as my wife!”

  “You want a wife? Here! Take mine!”

  While some laughed, another lost his temper. “Maybe the rest of you can stand around making jokes, but I’ve got serious business. I can’t stand here until the next full moon waiting for Moses to hack off this man’s hand for stealing my sheep and making it a feast for his friends!”

  “I found that mangy animal caught in a bramble! That makes it my sheep.”

  “Your son drove it away from my flock!”

  “Are you calling me a liar?”

  “A liar and a thief!”

  Aaron’s relatives helped separate the men. Angry, Aaron called for everyone to listen. “It would be easier for everyone if you all tried to get along with one another!” He gripped his staff. Sometimes they acted like sheep, Moses as their shepherd, and other times, they were more like wolves intent on tearing each other apart. “Anyone else who causes trouble in the line will be sent back to their tents. They can go to the end of the line tomorrow!”

  The silence was anything but peaceful.

  Jethro shook his head, expression grim. “This is not good. These people are worn-out from waiting.”

  For all the pleasurable memories of the feast the night before, Aaron was annoyed that the Midianite felt free to criticize. “It may not be good, but it is the way things must be. Moses is the one with the ear of God.”

  “It is almost evening, and there are more people here now than there were when the day began.”

  Aaron could see no good reason for stating the obvious. “You are a guest. It is not your problem.”

  “Moses is my son-in-law. I would like to see him live long enough to see his grandsons.” He went into the tent. “Moses, why are you trying to do all this alone? The people have been standing here all day to get your help.”

  Aaron wanted to hook Jethro with his shepherd’s staff and haul him from the tent. Who did this uncircumcised pagan think he was to question God’s anointed?

  But Moses answered with grave respect. “Well, the people come to me to seek God’s guidance. When an argument arises, I am the one who settles the case. I inform the people of God’s decisions and teach them His laws and instructions.”

  “This is not good, my son! You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. Now let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you.”

  Moses rose and asked those present to leave. Aaron didn’t listen to the arguments, but upheld Moses’ decision, urging those inside the tent to leave. They would not lose their places, but would have the first hearing when Moses sat as judge again. He signaled his relatives to send the rest to their tents, and tried to ignore the rumble of discontent. Aaron drew the tent flap down and rejoined his brother and Jethro.

  “You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing Him their questions to be decided.” Jethro sat, hands spread in appeal. “You should tell them God’s decisions, teach them God’s laws and instructions, and show them how to conduct their lives. But find some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as judges over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. These men can serve the people, resolving all the ordinary cases. Anything that is too important or too complicated can be brought to you. But they can take care of the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. If you follow this advice, and if God directs you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.”

  Aaron saw that Moses was listening intently and weighing, measuring the merit of Jethro’s words. Had Moses always been this way or had circumstances made him so? The Midianite’s suggestion did seem a reasonable one, but was this a plan the Lord would approve?

  Aaron did not need Jethro to point out the lines deepening in Moses’ face, or how his hair had turned white. His brother was thinner, not for lack of food but for lack of time to eat it. Moses did not like to leave important matters to another day, but with the increasing number of cases coming before him, he could not manage them all before sundown. And unless the Lord instructed him to do so, Aaron had no intention of sitting in Moses’ judgment seat. But something had to be done. The dust and heat frayed the most patient among them, and every time Aaron heard arguing, he was in fear of what the Lord would do to these belligerent people.

  Over the next few days, Aaron, Moses, and the elders met together to discuss men best suited to serve as judges. Seventy were chosen, able men of faith, trustworthy and dedicated to obeying the precepts and statutes God gave through His servant Moses. And there was some rest for Moses and for Aaron as well because of Jethro’s suggestion.

  Still, Aaron was glad to see the Midianite depart and take his servants with him. Jethro was a priest of Midian, and had acknowledged the Lord as greater than all other gods, but when the invitation to stay had been given by Moses, Jethro chose to go his own way. He had rejected being part of Israel, and therefore, rejected the Lord God as well. For all the love and respect Moses and Jethro shared for one another, their people were on different paths.

  Sometimes Aaron found himself longing for the simplicity of slavery. All he had to do then was make his quota of bricks for the day and not draw the attention of the taskmaster. Now, he had all these thousands and thousands watching his every move, making demands, vying for his attention and the attention of Moses. Were there enough hours in a day to do all the work required? No! Was there any escape from this kind of servitude?

  Worn down and burned out, lyin
g sleepless on his pallet, Aaron couldn’t keep the betraying thought from entering his mind and taunting him: Is this the freedom I wanted? Is this the life I longed to live? Granted, he no longer worked in a mud pit. He no longer had to fear the taskmaster’s whip. But the joy and relief he had felt when death passed over him were gone. He had marched out into the desert, jubilant and filled with hope, secure in the future God had promised. Now, the constant carping, complaints, and pleas of the people weighed him down. One day they were praising the Lord and the next whining and wailing.

  And he had no right to condemn them when he heard his own words echoing back from the days he had traveled this land in search of his brother. He, too, had complained.

  When God brought the people into the Promised Land, then he would have rest. He would sit beneath the shade of a tree and sip nectar made from his own vines. He would have time to talk with his sons and surround himself with his grandchildren. He would sleep through the heat of the day, untroubled by worry.

  The cloud was his solace. He would look up during the day and know that the Lord was near. The Lord was protecting them from the scorching heat of the sun. At night, the fire kept the darkness away. It was only when he was inside his tent, eyes closed, trapped in his own thoughts, assessing his own abilities, that his faith wavered.

  In the third month after leaving Egypt, the cloud settled over Sinai and the people camped in the desert in front of the mountain where Aaron had found his brother, the mountain where the Lord had first spoken to Moses from the burning bush. The people were at the place where Moses had received the call. Holy ground!

  As the Israelites rested, Aaron went up with Moses to the foot of the mountain. “Tend the flock, Aaron.” From there, Moses went on alone.

  Aaron hesitated, not wanting to go back. He watched Moses climb, feeling more bereft as the distance grew between them. Moses was the one who heard the Lord’s voice most often and most clearly. Moses was the one who told Aaron what to say, what to do.