We don’t like to have bad things come our way, and especially not a second time.
Nearly two decades ago, a family living near Eagle Mountain Lake in North Texas had lightning strike their house. That’s unusual, but not unheard of in thunderstorm-blanketed Texas. The damage was repaired, and the family moved back into the house.
Here’s the part that shattered their nerves. A year later, it happened again, this time starting a fire in the attic, and nearly burning the house down. They considered abandoning the structure and moving to a different home, and they were affluent enough to do so. Yet, their insurance adjuster cautioned them it was a fluke and was unlikely to happen again.
Deuteronomy 10:6 gives us an unusual tidbit of information.
“The people of Israel journeyed from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried. And his son Eleazar ministered as priest in his place.”
This verse seems out of place in the context of Deuteronomy 10, and that’s what makes it significant. Ellicott’s Commentary tells us Beeroth Bene-jaakan means “the wells of the children of the crooked place.” We also know it was the second time the children of Israel visited there on their journey through the Wilderness.
We are meant to see that with Aaron’s death, the holy priesthood was transferred from one man to the succeeding generations. We see this same process in the death of Adam, which eventually led to the birth of Christ; and the destruction of the first pair of Moses’ tablets, giving way to the New Covenant brought by Jesus’ death on the cross.
When bad things come our way, whether it’s the destruction of our earthly possessions or the death of a loved one, we have to move on. God is leading us into better things. To become mired in our grief is to sink into despair, and God receives no glory from that.
That family in Texas? They listened to their adjuster’s advice, and they still live there today. They installed a pool, upgraded the landscaping, and regularly have their grandchildren over to play.
They cast off the bad and claimed what was good. It’s the only way to live the life we’ve been given. We must look forward to tomorrow, and let the bad fall along the way.
When we’re looking ahead, we’ll no longer be able to see the troubles we’ve let roll off our shoulders.
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Code: FGO.D.15.15b.vp.esv