41 And all the company of the sons of Israel murmur, on the morrow, against Moses and against Aaron, saying, 'Ye—ye have put to death the people of Jehovah.' 42 And it cometh to pass, in the company being assembled against Moses and against Aaron, that they turn towards the tent of meeting, and lo, the cloud hath covered it, and the honour of Jehovah is seen; 43 and Moses cometh—Aaron also—unto the front of the tent of meeting. 44 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 45 'Get you up from the midst of this company, and I consume them in a moment;' and they fall on their faces, 46 and Moses saith unto Aaron, 'Take the censer, and put on it fire from off the altar, and place perfume, and go, hasten unto the company, and make atonement for them, for the wrath hath gone out from the presence of Jehovah—the plague hath begun.' 47 And Aaron taketh as Moses hath spoken, and runneth unto the midst of the assembly, and lo, the plague hath begun among the people; and he giveth the perfume, and maketh atonement for the people, 48 and standeth between the dead and the living, and the plague is restrained; 49 and those who die by the plague are fourteen thousand and seven hundred, apart from those who die for the matter of Korah; 50 and Aaron turneth back unto Moses, unto the opening of the tent of meeting, and the plague hath been restrained.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 16:41-50
Commentary on Numbers 16:41-50
(Read Numbers 16:41-50)
The gaping earth was scarcely closed, before the same sins are again committed, and all these warnings slighted. They called the rebels the people of the Lord; and find fault with Divine justice. The obstinacy of Israel notwithstanding the terrors of God's law, as given on mount Sinai, and the terrors of his judgments, shows how necessary the grace of God is to change men's hearts and lives. Love will do what fear cannot. Moses and Aaron interceded with God for mercy, knowing how great the provocation was. Aaron went, and burned incense between the living and the dead, not to purify the air, but to pacify an offended God. As one tender of the life of every Israelite, Aaron made all possible speed. We must render good for evil. Observe especially, that Aaron was a type of Christ. There is an infection of sin in the world, which only the cross and intercession of Jesus Christ can stay and remove. He enters the defiled and dying camp. He stands between the dead and the living; between the eternal Judge and the souls under condemnation. We must have redemption through His blood, even the remission of sins. We admire the ready devotion of Aaron: shall we not bless and praise the unspeakable grace and love which filled the Saviour's heart, when he placed himself in our stead, and bought us with his life? Greatly indeed hath God commended his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, Romans 5:8.