A mediator between God and man
Aaron
Aaron was Israel's first high priest, the elder brother of Moses, chosen by God to wear the holy garments and to bear the names of the tribes before the LORD. His life holds both the glory of that calling and its failure, for the same hands that later carried the incense once shaped a golden calf.
“And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.”Exodus 28:1
Who he was
Who he was. Aaron was the son of Amram and Jochebed, of the tribe of Levi, and the brother of Moses and Miriam (Exodus 6:20). When Moses pleaded that he was slow of speech, God gave him Aaron as a spokesman: "he shall be thy spokesman unto the people" (Exodus 4:16). Aaron stood with Moses before Pharaoh, his rod becoming a serpent and later budding with almond blossoms as a sign of God's choice (Numbers 17:8). At Sinai God set Aaron and his sons apart for the priesthood: "take unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him ... that he may minister unto me in the priest's office" (Exodus 28:1). Yet Aaron also fell grievously. While Moses was on the mountain, the people pressed him, and he made the golden calf and built an altar before it, then offered the weak excuse, "there came out this calf" (Exodus 32:24). He also joined Miriam in speaking against Moses (Numbers 12). He died on Mount Hor, and his garments were passed to his son Eleazar (Numbers 20:28). Scripture tells his greatness and his sin with equal honesty.
His priesthood
His priesthood. Aaron's office was clothed in careful glory. God commanded holy garments "for glory and for beauty" (Exodus 28:2): the ephod, the robe, the mitre with its plate reading "HOLINESS TO THE LORD," and above all the breastplate of judgment set with twelve stones engraved with the names of the tribes. "And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually" (Exodus 28:29). Once a year, on the day of atonement, he alone entered the most holy place with blood, first for his own sins and then for the people's (Leviticus 16). He carried the tribes on his shoulders and over his heart, interceding for a nation that could not draw near on its own. Yet he was a sinful man serving sinful people; he had to offer for himself before he could offer for others, and death ended his ministry, so that his priesthood, however honored, could never be final.
How it points to Christ
How it points to Christ. The book of Hebrews sets Aaron and Christ side by side. Like Aaron, Christ did not take the honor to Himself but was called of God (Hebrews 5:4-5). Like Aaron, He bears His people upon His heart and enters the holy place with blood. But the differences are the gospel. Aaron offered the blood of bulls and goats that could never take away sins (Hebrews 10:4); Christ offered His own blood once for all (Hebrews 9:12). Aaron had first to atone for his own sin; Christ was "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners" and needed no offering for Himself (Hebrews 7:26-27). Aaron died and passed his garments to another; Christ "continueth ever" and "hath an unchangeable priesthood" (Hebrews 7:24). Aaron entered a tabernacle made with hands, a figure of the true; Christ entered "into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Hebrews 9:24). Every name Aaron carried on his breastplate finds its answer in the High Priest who carries His own upon His heart forever.
Questions people ask
How could Aaron become high priest after making the golden calf?
Scripture does not hide Aaron's sin, and the account of God's forgiveness is part of the point. Moses interceded, and the LORD in mercy still established Aaron and his sons in the priesthood. It shows that the office rested on God's grace and calling, not on Aaron's worthiness, which is exactly why it could only ever be a shadow of a better Priest.
What was the breastplate of judgment for?
Exodus 28 describes twelve stones, one for each tribe, set in the breastplate that Aaron wore over his heart when he entered the holy place, "for a memorial before the LORD continually." It signified that the high priest carried the whole people into God's presence. It also held the Urim and Thummim, by which God's judgment or guidance was sought.
Why did the high priest offer for himself first?
Because he too was a sinner. Leviticus 16:6 commands Aaron to offer a bullock "for himself, and for his house" before he could make atonement for the people. Hebrews 5:3 draws the contrast: this need marks the Aaronic priesthood as imperfect, unlike Christ, who had no sin of His own to answer for.