"And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty.
"And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office."—(Exodus 28:1-3.)
The Ten Commandments—Sacred Patterns.—The Lord also gave to Moses the Ten Commandments, which He had previously spoken in the hearing of all Israel, with other parts of the Law, afterwards embodied by the prophet in his famous code. Also the pattern of the Ark or Sanctuary, the symbol of the covenant that God had made with his people; and of the Tabernacle or holy tent where the Ark was deposited, where the priests offered sacrifice and made atonement for the sins of the nation, and where the Lord communicated by angels or by Urim and Thummim with those chosen to represent him in that sacred capacity. He instructed him minutely as to the fashioning of the priestly robes, the materials to be used in them, and the persons who should make them, likewise prescribing the manner in which these things should all be consecrated to his service.
Elders in Israel.—It seems that there were more elders than one in Israel, at the time Aaron and his sons were called to minister in the priest's office; a fact shown by the following reference to an event somewhat earlier than the one in question:
"Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
"And they saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
"And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand; also they saw God, and did eat and drink."—(Exodus 24:9-11.)
I assume, of course, that the title "elder" had the same significance then that it has now—that it was an office in the Melchizedek Priesthood. If this be correct, and I see no reason why it should be doubted, then there were at least "seventy elders" in Israel at that time. Nay, more, for these seventy were "of the elders of Israel," one of whom, of course, was Moses, who had doubtless ordained the others. It is even probable that Aaron and his sons likewise held the Melchizedek Priesthood when they were called to act as priests; for they were among those who "saw God," which they could not have done, with safety, had they held only the Aaronic Priesthood. Aaron's call to preside over the priests, was probably similar to a call that might now be made upon a high priest to officiate as presiding bishop.
The Golden Calf.—How were Aaron and his sons, on the eve of their setting apart to these sacred honors, conducting themselves, during the absence of their leader? Forty days and nights had passed since Moses, accompanied by faithful Joshua, went up into the Mount to commune with the Almighty. Alarmed at his protracted stay, unable to account for it, and no doubt apprehensive as to their own safety without super-natural guidance, the people, not yet free from taint of contact with idolatrous Egypt, and forgetful of the covenant they had made with God on the day the Ten Commandments were thundered from the mountain top, "gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him: Up, make us gods which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him."—(Exodus 32:1.)
Obedient to their wishes, and perhaps fearful of consequences if he refused, Aaron took of their golden earrings and made for them a molten calf, after the Egyptian god Apis, and having finished it, and built an altar before it, he proclaimed: "These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." He also announced "a feast to the Lord" in its honor on the morrow.