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The goal of all their wanderings, not hisE'en afar off, to see its loveliness,For that his faith had faltered, he had comeShort of perfection, he had sadly failedTo sanctify the Lord before His host.So to his partner brother (who himself,Should soon receive like summons), God makes knownHis unassailable and just decree—Aaron, the great High Priest of God, must die!Their close association now must end.Moses is bidden to ascend with himThat great lone mount, whose bare, precipitous heightsStood like a giant castle in the wild,And there to say farewell and bury him.
And now in calm, serene obedienceTo each detail commanded of the Lord,Aged, but not decrepid, able wellWith strong, firm step to climb, the brothers takeThe toilsome path together up Mount Hor.And, as from the high summit Aaron seesThe multitude of Israel spread below,He muses o'er their past, their future lot,Swiftly he lives again those forty years,He sadly thinks of his two smitten sons.Who should have borne his honour in his stead,But whose twin graves were near Mount Sinai.
Yet Eleazer now is with them thereAt God's command to be anointed Priest,And humbly, hopefully, he takes his trust,As Moses from the aged father stripsThat unique, priestly and symbolic dress,To put it on the son. So Aaron seesThe wondrous ephod by another worn.Above the beautiful, blue, seamless robe,And the embroidered girdle binding them;The two white stones engraved with Israel's namesAre on his shoulders; and upon his heartThe sparkling breastplate with its twelve rich gems,
