Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, "Cook the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons are to eat it.' Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. Do not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days. What has been done today was commanded by the LORD to make atonement for you. You must stay at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and do what the LORD requires, so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded." So Aaron and his sons did everything the LORD commanded through Moses.
Aaron and his sons had to do one of the hardest things I can imagine.
They had to wait.
This would be a real test for me. Perhaps it's my heritage - I have both Russian and German in my blood, and neither line is known for being lazy. Standing around is a very difficult thing for me. in fact, I find it very hard to tolerate people who are not working. I must admit that I have little compassion for someone who does not get up and move.
Yet, here, Aaron was explicitly told by the Lord to wait. Not move. Rely upon God, not Aaron's talent - or Moses' speeches - or the people's reactions.
No.
Wait.
This would force Aaron to learn submission. What man truly wants to have to stand around? This show s the true test of dependence upon the Lord.
And I look at my life and see the times when it was good for me to wait.
I remember clearly the time when I was held back from taking a pastorate in San Jose. I wanted to be a senior pastor so bad. So bad. But the Lord bade me to wait and I did... and narrowly avoided a terrible blow to my life.
I didn't know that a current of sin was running through the deacon board. Within two years of my withdrawal that church had a monstrous downfall and is now gone from the face of the earth. If I had run ahead of God I would have been in the midst of that tragedy.
