“Now take Aaron and his son Eleazar up Mount Hor. There you will remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron will die there and join his ancestors.”

Numbers 20:25-26 (NLT)

Every great ministry must at some point come to an end. Every renowned minister must one day pass from this life. The question is, is there a good succession plan? Has the leader whom God used prepared the next generation? Has he trained others who will effectively carry on the work? While there are many gifted leaders, not every leader is good at training others to take his place.

Moses and Aaron had been mightily used by God to deliver the people from Egypt. They would have brought them into the Promised Land, but after two years in the wilderness, the people failed to go into Canaan because of their unbelief and disobedience. So Moses and Aaron remained with the people in the wilderness for the next 38 years! After this time, they would have been able to enter the Promised Land if they had not rebelled against God’s instructions concerning the water of of Meribah. They failed to honor the LORD before the people. Therefore, they could not go into the land of milk and honey.

Aaron would die first on Mount Hor. But before he passed, his high priestly garments would be removed and placed on his son Eleazar. God had a succession plan. Aaron would die, but the mantle would be passed down to his son.

As people grow older, it is common for them to think about the next generation. Years ago, I saw a documentary about Leonard Berstein, the famous conductor of the New York Philharmonic. As he entered his senior years, he began pouring into younger conductors. He wanted to prepare the next generation to appreciate classical music, and he wanted to pass on what he had learned. This made a big impression on me. I thought if people in the world consider this important, shouldn’t we in the church also prepare the leaders of the next generation?

Whether you are a parent, a grandparent, or a ministry leader, God has given you knowledge, experience, and wisdom. Are you intentionally investing these in the next generation? The day will come when our mantle will be removed and pass to another. Who is that person? Has he or she been equipped for the job? What are we doing to prepare them (and ourselves) for that inevitable day?

Thanks for reading. I’m glad you’re here. 😊

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