The congregation of Israel thought Aaron a much more pleasant leader than Moses. He was not so unyielding. They thought that Moses showed a very bad spirit, and their sympathies were with Aaron, whom Moses so severely censured. But God pardoned the indiscretion of honest zeal in Moses, while He held Aaron accountable for his sinful weakness and lack of integrity under a pressure of circumstances. In order to save himself, Aaron sacrificed thousands of the Israelites. The Hebrews felt the punishment of God for this act of apostasy, but in a short time they were again full of discontent and rebellion. {3T 341.3}

Israels folk mente at Aron var en mere behagelig leder end Moses. Han var ikke så ubøjelig. De mente at Moses viste en meget dårlig ånd og deres (342) sympati var med Aron, hvem Moses kritiserede så strengt. Men Gud tilgav den nidkære ivers uforsigtighed hos Moses, medens Gud holdt Aron ansvarlig for sin syndige svaghed og mangel på renhed under pres af omstændighederne. For at frelse sig selv, ofrede Aron israelitternes tusinder. Hebræerne mærkede Israels afstraffelse for denne forseelse, men på kort tid var de igen fyldt med utilfredshed og oprør.