Commentary - Deuteronomy 10:6-9

Bird's-eye view

In this seemingly abrupt historical aside, Moses pauses his exhortation to recount a brief portion of Israel's journey, the death of Aaron, and the formal setting apart of the tribe of Levi. But this is no mere travelogue. Embedded within this historical note is a profound theological point about God's faithfulness in the midst of failure and death. Right after describing the glorious restoration of the covenant with the second set of stone tablets (vv. 1-5), Moses reminds the people of the consequences of their rebellion. The generation that came out of Egypt, including the high priest Aaron, died in the wilderness. Yet, God's purposes were not thwarted. The priesthood continued through Eleazar, and the tribe of Levi was consecrated for its special task. This passage demonstrates that God's covenant plan is not dependent on the faithfulness of any one man, but on His own sovereign grace. He provides for His people, sustains His ordained means of worship, and secures an inheritance for those He sets apart for Himself, which is nothing less than Himself.

The key here is the juxtaposition of death and calling. Aaron dies, but the priesthood does not. Israel wanders, but the Levites are given a fixed, holy purpose. The other tribes will receive land, a tangible inheritance, but Levi receives something far greater: Yahweh Himself. This is a foundational statement on the nature of ministry and worship. The ultimate reward for serving God is God Himself. This historical "detour" is actually a central pillar supporting Moses' main argument: because God is this faithful, this holy, and this gracious, Israel must therefore circumcise their hearts and obey Him (v. 16).

Outline

Context In Deuteronomy

This passage is situated in a larger section where Moses is recounting Israel's history of rebellion and God's persistent grace. In chapter 9, he detailed the golden calf incident, a story of rank apostasy at the very foot of the mountain of God. In the beginning of chapter 10, he tells of God's mercy in response to his intercession: God relented, provided new tablets for the law, and commanded the construction of the Ark of the Covenant to house them. The covenant was broken, but God, in His faithfulness, renewed it. The parenthetical note in verses 6-9 serves as a concrete historical illustration of this principle. Even though the original high priest, Aaron, who himself was complicit in the golden calf sin, would die short of the goal, God's plan for the priesthood would continue. This historical detail is not random; it reinforces the central theme of the entire book: God's covenant faithfulness in the face of Israel's covenant faithlessness, which demands a response of heartfelt obedience.

Key Issues

From the Grave to the Ministry

It can be jarring to be reading along in a sermon and suddenly have the preacher seem to change the subject entirely by inserting a historical anecdote. But a good preacher never does this without a reason, and Moses is the archetypal preacher. He has just finished describing the pinnacle of God's grace in restoring the covenant after the golden calf debacle. The law is back, safely in the Ark. Now what? Now a reminder of the wages of sin. The journey continues, but not for everyone. Aaron, the high priest, dies. This is a stark reminder of mortality and judgment. But right on the heels of this death notice comes the account of God setting apart the entire tribe of Levi for perpetual ministry. Death does not get the last word. God's purposes roll on, and He raises up servants to carry His glory forward. The priesthood is bigger than the priest. The covenant is stronger than the generation. This little travel snippet is a gospel sermon in miniature: from death to life, from judgment to service, all by God's sovereign design.

Verse by Verse Commentary

6 (Now the sons of Israel set out from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried, and Eleazar his son ministered as priest in his place.

Moses inserts this historical note, which some have puzzled over because the itinerary differs slightly from the one in Numbers 33. But this is not a cartographer's error; it is a theologian's masterstroke. The names themselves may carry significance. They journeyed from the "wells of the sons of Jaakan," a place of provision, to Moserah, which is near Mount Hor, the place of Aaron's death. The journey of this rebellious generation is from God's provision to the grave. But the story does not end there. There Aaron died. The first high priest of Israel, the brother of Moses, a man who saw the glories of God, dies in the wilderness because of his sin at Meribah. This is a sobering reality. Leadership and privilege do not exempt a man from judgment. But notice the immediate continuation: and Eleazar his son ministered as priest in his place. The man dies, but the office continues. God's plan for a mediatorial priesthood to represent His people is not buried with Aaron. God ensures a seamless succession. The grace of God is not dependent on the longevity of the man, but on the unchangeable purpose of God.

7 From there they set out to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of brooks of water.

After the death and burial, the journey continues. They move onward, eventually coming to Jotbathah, which is described pointedly as a land of brooks of water. After the notice of death and judgment, there is a reminder of life and provision. God buries His workmen, but His work goes on. And He leads His people, even in the wilderness, to places of refreshment and life. The water here is a picture of God's sustaining grace. He did not abandon them at Aaron's grave. He led them forward, providing for their needs. This is the rhythm of life under the old covenant, and it is a picture of our life now. We experience loss, we face the consequences of sin, but God continues to lead us to streams of His grace, all of which flow from the rock, who is Christ.

8 At that time Yahweh set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, to stand before Yahweh to minister for Him and to bless in His name to this day.

The phrase At that time links the setting apart of Levi directly to this period of covenant renewal and leadership transition. God's response to the crisis of the golden calf and the subsequent judgment was not just to provide a new set of tablets, but to formalize the institution that would guard His covenant presence. Yahweh Himself set apart the tribe of Levi. This was not a human appointment or a career choice; it was a divine consecration. Their task was threefold. First, to carry the ark of the covenant, the very throne of God's presence among them. This was a weighty, holy, and dangerous responsibility. Second, to stand before Yahweh to minister for Him. This is the essence of priestly service: to live in God's presence, representing the people to God and God to the people. Third, to bless in His name. They were to be the conduit of God's favor to the people, pronouncing the Aaronic blessing upon them. And this calling, Moses notes, continues to this day, emphasizing its permanence and ongoing significance.

9 Therefore, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance with his brothers; Yahweh is his inheritance, just as Yahweh your God spoke to him.)

Here is the stunning conclusion and the central point of this whole aside. Because of this high and holy calling, there is a corresponding earthly consequence. When the land is divided up, Levi gets no tribal territory. While the other tribes would be farmers and herdsmen, drawing their living from the soil, Levi would be set apart. From a worldly perspective, this looks like a raw deal. They are disinherited. But from a heavenly perspective, they receive the greatest inheritance of all. Yahweh is his inheritance. Their provision would come from the tithes and offerings brought to the Lord. Their life would be centered on the tabernacle and the things of God. They were to live by faith in a way that the other tribes were not. Their portion was not a plot of dirt, but the living God Himself. This is the glorious exchange of the gospel. We give up our claim to an earthly inheritance, our right to our own lives, and in return we gain God. He becomes our portion, our treasure, and our great reward.

Application

This passage, though brief and historical, is packed with application for the new covenant church. We, like Israel, have seen the death of an old priesthood. The Aaronic priesthood, with its animal sacrifices and earthly sanctuary, has passed away. It died, you might say, with Christ, who was its fulfillment. But just as Eleazar took up the ministry, so our great High Priest, Jesus, has entered a permanent, unending ministry on our behalf. God's purpose was not buried in Aaron's tomb, and it certainly was not buried in Christ's.

Furthermore, the principle of the Levitical inheritance is magnified in the New Testament. All believers are now a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9). And what is our inheritance? It is not a plot of land in Canaan. Our inheritance is God Himself, given to us in the person of His Son and sealed by the Holy Spirit, who is the down payment of our inheritance (Eph. 1:14). Like the Levites, we are called to be set apart from the world's mad scramble for possessions and portions. Our task is to carry the message of the new covenant, to stand before the Lord in worship, and to bless the world in His name. We must learn to say with the psalmist, "The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup... The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance" (Ps. 16:5-6). When we truly believe that God is our inheritance, we are liberated from the tyranny of earthly things and freed to serve him with our whole hearts.