God Takes Us When He Pleases - Numbers 18-20

Numbers 20:22-24 (ESV Strong's)

And they journeyed from Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, “Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.

God Takes Us When He Pleases

The above passage brings sadness to the entire nation of Israel:

Numbers 20:29 (ESV Strong's)

And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had perished, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.

Death, no matter when and how and who is difficult to process.   Today we see the images of death multiple times in Hollywood productions, real-time news coverage and our own community connections.   We are being conditioned to simply accept death, without the mourning.    When the nation of Israel saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned thirty days.   Because of Aaron’s (and Moses) disobedience at the waters of Meribah (the hit the rock instead of speaking to the rock), Aaron died before he could enter the promise land.   The same fate will happen to Moses.   God made the decision to take Aaron before Moses.   God makes the decisions about death.  He has power over life and death.   

John 5:24 (ESV Strong's)

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Acts 17:24-25 (ESV Strong's)

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

Our lives belong to God (believer and non-believer alike).   God determines the number of our days.   We are in His sovereign will and plan.  We can rejoice in the days of lives because God has granted us life and we can rest in our death because it is His perfect timing that He makes that choice.