The Right-Hand Man

Windows of Hope: November 12, 2006

The Right-Hand Man

Have you ever listened to some of the stories from the Bible and thought, “I wish God would speak to me like that”? Have you ever wished that you could hear God’s still, small voice speaking audibly to you, as Elijah did? Or see a vision, like Paul on the road to Damascus? Or hear God speaking through a burning bush, as Moses did? How easy it would be to have faith if only we’d lived back in those days! But even in ancient times, hearing the voice of God directly, or speaking to God in a vision, was a privilege reserved for only a very few people. Most people then, as now, had to take it on faith that God was really concerned about them, really wanted to intervene in their lives. Think about Moses and that burning bush again. It’s one of the most dramatic stories in Scripture: Moses, a fugitive on the run from the land of Egypt, is confronted by a bush in the desert that seems to be on fire but is never consumed. A voice tells him to take off his shoes, for he’s standing on holy ground. Then God proceeds to speak to him and give him a mission to lead his people out of slavery. But Moses hesitated, unsure of his ability to speak confidently before his own people, much less before the Egyptian court. And God offered a solution. Read about it in Exodus 4:13-16: “But Moses said, ‘O Lord, please send someone else to do it.’ Then the LORD’S anger burned against Moses and he said, ‘What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.’” Did you notice what God did there? He offered Aaron as Moses’ right-hand man. But where in the Bible does it tell us that God spoke to Aaron and made him aware of his new mission in life? We do have a record of God sending a message to Aaron, but it’s a very brief one, nothing striking or dramatic like His encounter with Moses. It occurs in Exodus 4:27 and 28: “The LORD said to Aaron, ‘Go into the desert to meet Moses.’ So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. Then Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and also about all the miraculous signs he had commanded him to perform.” God gives Aaron just one brief, simple message: Go meet your brother Moses. The rest of Aaron’s job description comes from Moses himself. Aaron has no “burning bush” moment; he simply hears second-hand the word that God has spoken to Moses, including a description of his own role to be played out in the drama. Think for a moment of how that must have felt for Aaron. Out of nowhere, his long-lost brother appears, declares that God has told him to be the leader of their people and to challenge the Pharaoh—and that Aaron has to go along as his spokesman and public relations specialist! What incredible faith and obedience Aaron must have had. He had no dramatic summons from God, no burning bush—yet he responded to the call passed on to him by his brother. In some ways, Aaron’s choice required more faith than Moses’ did. Moses saw the burning bush, heard the voice of God, and saw his shepherd’s rod turn into a snake in his hands. Moses had reason to know that God was leading. Aaron had only faith. Aaron was, in fact, Moses’ older brother, yet he willingly took second place to the younger brother whose life had been so dramatically marked by his upbringing in the Pharaoh’s palace. Aaron was the sidekick, the right-hand man, Moses’ support team.

Sidekicks have a long and honorable history in the stories of heroes. Just think of some of the comic book and television characters we enjoyed in our youth. Where would Batman have been without Robin? The Lone Ranger without Tonto? It’s a part of the tradition of hero stories for the hero to have a loyal, faithful supporter who stands by his side and helps him perform his miraculous feats. The sidekick rarely gets any credit of his own—he’s famous for being the hero’s right-hand man. A recent children’s movie, Sky High, makes fun of this familiar idea. At a high school for superheroes, children are called into the school gym on the first day of freshman year and asked to demonstrate their powers. Just as real high schools often have a general and an academic stream of classes, superhero high school has two streams—one for the heroes, and one for the sidekicks. The children who demonstrate impressive powers are streamed into the “hero” classes, while those whose powers are underdeveloped or nonexistent are sent to “sidekick” classes. There they learn that they are not destined to be heroes—they are simply going to be “hero support.” Not surprisingly, the plot of the movie revolves around the “sidekick” teenagers questioning their roles and discovering that they do have heroic abilities all on their own. But in traditional stories, sidekicks and right-hand men seldom if ever question their roles. They just get on with the job of supporting the hero. What about Aaron? The Bible tells us that he did exactly as God commanded, standing loyally by Moses’ side and speaking the words of challenge as they confronted the Egyptian Pharaoh, probably the most powerful man in the world at that time. Moses gets the credit as the man who delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, but Aaron was right there backing him up the whole time. Did Aaron always accept the role of “hero support” with such a positive attitude? Apparently not. Another Bible story, this one from the book of Numbers, tells how Aaron and his sister Miriam began to criticize Moses. First they criticized his wife, who was not an Israelite. Then they began questioning Moses’ authority. Miriam was a prophetess herself, and Aaron became the first high priest of Israel. No doubt they thought their role was just as important as that of Moses. Why should Moses get all the credit? Numbers 12:2 records their words: “‘Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?’ they asked. ‘Hasn’t he also spoken through us?’ And the LORD heard this.” The Lord heard this, and Aaron and Miriam were reprimanded and punished for their doubts—Miriam punished more harshly, perhaps indicating that she was the ringleader. Indeed, Aaron was by no means always perfect. When Moses went up on Mount Sinai to be in the presence of God and receive God’s law for the people, Aaron bowed to pressure from the crowd and allowed them to make a golden idol to worship, like the gods they had seen the Egyptians worship. Aaron was human. He faltered. He doubted. He made mistakes. But in the end, he continued to serve God and support Moses. I t ’s not always easy being “hero support.” Most of us want to be in the spotlight. We want to get the credit when things go well. We want to be the ones to garner the attention and praise. Sometimes it’s difficult to fulfill the humbler role of standing beside someone else, supporting them, allowing them to receive the honor and appreciation. Sidekicks don’t always get much credit or attention. Their hard work and support often goes unnoticed. That’s contrary to human nature. Are you someone’s right-hand man? Do you stand loyally beside your spouse, your boss, perhaps even your pastor, doing the work that needs to be done and getting little credit for it? Are you as faithful as Aaron was? You may feel discouraged because your role is not more central, more appreciated. You should know that God values everyone’s contribution. Each person is precious to Him; each task is important, small though it may be. If your role is to be a sidekick, a right-hand man, to be “hero support” for someone else, know that you are important and you are valuable. And if you 2 ©2006 Quiet Hour Ministries | www.TheQuietHour.org

have someone in your life who fulfills that role for you—someone whose patient and faithful service has made all your successes possible—be sure to thank that person. In God’s eyes, their faith may be even greater than yours, for their role is simply to serve and wait. I think Aaron’s finest hour in his role as Moses’ right hand man came on a day when he stood, quite literally, at Moses’ right hand. The men of Israel were under attack by the Amalekites. Moses sent his best soldier, Joshua, out to command his army and fight the Amalekites. As for Moses himself, he went to a hilltop overlooking the battle. With him he took his staff—that same shepherd’s rod he had held in his hand all those years ago when God spoke to him at the burning bush. That same staff had turned into a snake to strike fear into the hearts of Pharaoh’s advisors back in Egypt. That staff had been stretched out over the waters of the Red Sea, and the sea had parted to make a path for the Israelites to walk through. Moses’ staff was a visible symbol to the people of God’s power and God’s authority. On the day of battle, Moses held the staff above his head while the fighting went on below. As long as he held the staff up, the Israelites were winning. But when Moses’ tired hands dropped and the staff fell, the Israelites were beaten back by the Amalekites. Aaron and another faithful supporter, Hur, were up on that mountaintop with Moses. They saw what was happening and they understood what was needed. Here’s how the Bible tells the story: “When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” Exodus 17:12. What a picture Scripture gives us in this powerful little scene! That truly was “hero support”—Aaron and Hur standing on either side of Moses, holding up the staff that symbolized victory for God’s people. There’s an old hymn called “Hark! The Voice of Jesus Calling” that assures us that even if we are not superstars in God’s kingdom—even if we have no outstanding gifts or special talents—we still have a role to play in God’s work. One of the verses of that hymn reminds us:

If you cannot be a watchman, Standing high on Zion’s wall, Pointing out the path to heaven, Offering life and peace to all, With your prayers and with your bounties You can do what God demands; You can be like faithful Aaron, Holding up the prophet’s hands.

My friend, God has a place for each one of us in His work. Some of us may have a dramatic “burning bush” kind of call in which God confronts us with the task we have to do. Others may be more like Aaron, called to be faithful in a supporting role. Whatever your role is, it is essential to the work of God’s kingdom. Will you join me now as I pray that each of us will fulfill our role in doing God’s work on earth?

PRAYER: Dear heavenly Father, we thank You that You have a special place in Your work for each one of us. Lord, for those out there who may feel that the part they play is not important, that they are of less value to You, please assure them that, just like Aaron, they are vital to Your plan. I thank You for valuing each human being enough to send Your Son to die on Calvary. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.