Simply the Bible Blog

Anyone who has lost someone close to them ponders it. What’s it like up there? If there is consciousness in heaven, then what do they think about? Do they miss their loved ones? Do their thoughts dart to earth? Or are they so enamoured with eternity that they forget about the souls bound in time? So many mysteries. So many questions. So few answers.

The book of Numbers opens a tiny window…

“Aaron will be gathered to his people.” (‭Numbers‬ ‭20‬:‭24‬)

To put it bluntly, Aaron would die. Because he and Moses had disobeyed God at the waters of Meribah, neither one would enter the Promised Land.

Now I say this is a tiny window simply because it tells of a homecoming. Anyone who comes home for the holidays or experiences a family reunion knows what it is like to be gathered to your people. When your family is spread out, and you haven’t seen one other for awhile, there is so much to catch up on! For Aaron, the disappointment of missed earthly opportunities would be consoled with embraces of family, friends and saints of old that had gone on before. But what would it be like from their perspective?

This thought glanced across my mind yesterday. You see, as I write this my wife and I are on vacation in Maui. I am actually listening to the crash of the surf below our condo where we are staying with friends. I know, life is rough, right? In a sense, we are in paradise. But in a few days we will be joined by our family in Hawaii. How does that make me feel now? Truly, we are enjoying our time together as a couple and with our friends, but we are also looking forward to our family being with us. I know this sentiment is shared by others. As I stepped into the elevator yesterday, I overheard a woman saying to her friends, “We’ve had a good time, but we kind of wish our children were here.”

I wonder how the announcement came to Aaron’s family and friends who were previously gathered to their people. “Hey gang, today Aaron will be joining us!” What was their response? How did they feel? I guess we’ll all have to wait till we get there before we know for sure.