Self Control
…….‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy,
And before all the people I will be honored.’”
So Aaron, therefore, kept silent. (Leviticus 10: 3b NASB)
Aaron had just been dealt a terrible blow. His two sons, Nahab and Abihu had just been consumed by fire from heaven (Leviticus 10: 1-2).
The two sons in their ambition and zeal had burned incense without having special direction from Moses. Strange fire or incense is expressly forbidden (Exodus 30:9). Incense was to be burnt by only one priest at a time. And furthermore, as Matthew Henry has suggested, they may have been drunk, as they were feasting on the peace and drink offerings. Servants of the Lord must minister with a clear head.
Think of how Aaron must have felt as his two beloved sons were taken from him. Yet at this poignant moment, when you would expect some show of emotion, Aaron “kept silent.” Loren Cunningham, founder of Youth With A Mission, frequently said, “The most necessary trait of a leader is self control.” God had been right and just in His actions to preserve His glory. The greater the level of authority God gives to a person, the greater the level of His scrutiny. Irreverence in God’s minsters will always multiply itself in those they lead. Therefore, God had to act decisively and publicly.
There comes a time in the life of God’s servants when we have to chose between the things we humanly love and the glory of God. As leaders, we can overly mourn or even start to doubt the character of God because of God’s consequences in the lives of those we serve. Spiritual leaders are often criticized and unfairly portrayed. We want to set the record straight, when God is saying to us to remain silent and allow Him to fight our battles.
It should be noted that after Aaron submitted to God’s judgments quietly, the Lord spoke directly to Aaron instead of through Moses as He normally did, an obvious indication of His approval (Leviticus 10: 8-9. A leader without self-control is like a fortress without walls.
Ken Barnes worked with Youth With A Mission for seventeen years, primarily involved in discipleship training and evangelism. He is the author of The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places, published in 2011 by YWAM Publishing, and Broken Vessels in 2021 through Kindle Direct Publishing. He holds a Master of Science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Curriculum and Instruction. He currently is a freelance writer.
Ken’s Website— https://kenbarnes.us/
Ken blogs at https://kenbarnes.us/blog/
Yes, Meekness is not weakness. It is self-control. Jesus was the most powerful man on earth and yet the most humble. A true leader with self-control deserves respect but a boss without self-control demands respect.
Your friend -His servant,
Ev. Isaac Otieno