◄ Psalm 106:16 ►
In the camp they envied Moses, as well as Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.
Study Bible
In the camp
This phrase refers to the encampment of the Israelites during their wilderness journey after the Exodus from Egypt. The "camp" was not just a physical location but a community of God's chosen people, set apart for His purposes. Historically, the camp was organized around the Tabernacle, symbolizing God's presence among His people. The camp was a place of divine order, where God provided guidance and sustenance. The Hebrew root for "camp" (מַחֲנֶה, machaneh) often signifies a place of gathering and protection, emphasizing the communal aspect of Israel's journey and their reliance on God's provision.

they envied
Envy is a destructive emotion that can lead to discord and rebellion. The Hebrew word for "envied" (קָנָא, qanah) implies a deep-seated jealousy and resentment. In the context of this verse, the Israelites' envy was directed towards God's appointed leaders, Moses and Aaron. This envy was not just a personal failing but a spiritual rebellion against God's chosen order. Envy in the camp reflects a lack of trust in God's wisdom and provision, highlighting the human tendency to question divine authority and the roles assigned by God.

Moses and Aaron
Moses and Aaron were divinely appointed leaders of the Israelites. Moses, as the prophet and lawgiver, and Aaron, as the high priest, were chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt and to mediate His covenant. Their leadership was not based on personal ambition but on divine calling. The envy directed towards them was, therefore, an affront to God's sovereign choice. Historically, Moses and Aaron's leadership was marked by humility and obedience to God, serving as a model for spiritual leadership that prioritizes God's will over personal gain.

the holy one of the LORD
This phrase refers to Aaron, who was consecrated as the high priest, set apart for the sacred duties of the Tabernacle. The term "holy one" (קָדוֹשׁ, qadosh) signifies being set apart for God's purposes, emphasizing purity and dedication to divine service. Aaron's role as the high priest was to mediate between God and the people, offering sacrifices and maintaining the sanctity of worship. The envy towards Aaron was not just a personal grievance but a challenge to the holiness and order established by God. This highlights the importance of respecting and honoring those whom God has set apart for His service, recognizing their role in maintaining the spiritual health of the community.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
A central figure in the Old Testament, Moses was chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He is often seen as a mediator between God and His people.

2. Aaron
The brother of Moses, Aaron was appointed as the first high priest of Israel. He played a significant role in the spiritual leadership of the Israelites.

3. The Camp
Refers to the encampment of the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt.

4. Envy
The emotion or sin of jealousy that arose among the Israelites against Moses and Aaron, which led to rebellion and discord.

5. The Holy One of the LORD
This title emphasizes the consecrated role of Aaron as the high priest, set apart for God's service.
Teaching Points
The Dangers of Envy
Envy can lead to rebellion against God’s appointed leaders and disrupt community harmony. Believers should guard their hearts against jealousy and seek contentment in God's provision.

Respect for God’s Appointed Leaders
Just as Moses and Aaron were chosen by God, we are called to respect and support those whom God has placed in leadership over us, recognizing their role in His divine plan.

The Importance of Unity
Discord and division can arise from envy and dissatisfaction. Christians are encouraged to pursue unity and peace within the body of Christ.

God’s Sovereignty in Leadership
God appoints leaders according to His purposes. Trusting in His sovereignty helps us to accept and support those He has chosen, even when we do not fully understand His reasons.

Self-Examination and Repentance
Believers should regularly examine their hearts for envy and other sins, seeking repentance and transformation through the Holy Spirit.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the rebellion against Moses and Aaron in Numbers 16 illustrate the consequences of envy and discontentment?

2. In what ways can we apply the lessons from Psalm 106:16 to our relationships with church leaders today?

3. How does understanding God’s sovereignty in appointing leaders help us to trust and support them, even when we disagree with their decisions?

4. What practical steps can we take to foster unity and prevent envy within our church communities?

5. Reflect on a time when you experienced envy. How did it affect your relationship with others, and what did you learn from that experience in light of Psalm 106:16?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Numbers 16
This chapter provides the background for the envy mentioned in Psalm 106:16, detailing the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram against Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 32
Highlights another instance of rebellion against Moses, when Aaron was pressured into making the golden calf, showing the challenges of leadership.

1 Samuel 8
Illustrates the Israelites' tendency to reject God's appointed leaders, as they demanded a king to rule over them instead of following God's chosen judges.

James 3:16
Discusses the destructive nature of envy and selfish ambition, which can lead to disorder and every evil practice.
Sermons
The Character of AaronR. Tuck Psalm 106:16
The Nevertheless of God's MercyS. Conway Psalm 106:1-48
Religious Envy and its DoomHomilistPsalm 106:16-18
People
Aaron, Abiram, Baalpeor, Dathan, Ham, Phinehas, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Aaron, Camp, Consecrated, Envied, Envious, Envy, Full, Grew, Holy, Jealous, Saint, Tents
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 106:16

     8796   persecution, forms of

Psalm 106:13-39

     8705   apostasy, in OT

Psalm 106:16-18

     8733   envy
     8787   opposition, to God

Library
June the Twelfth Waiting for the Spectacular
"The waves covered their enemies.... Then believed they His words." --PSALM cvi. 1-12. Their faith was born in a great emergency. A spectacular deliverance was needed to implant their trust in the Lord. They found no witness in the quiet daily providence; the unobtrusive miracle of daily mercy did not awake their song. They dwelt upon the "special" blessing, when all the time the really special blessing was to be found in the sleepless care which watched over them in their ordinary and commonplace …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Israel at the Red Sea
"A few more rolling years at most, Will land me on fair Canaan's coast.' And then I shall have no more warfare, no more fighting, no more disturbance; but I shall be at peace." "Not quite as thou desirest," says God. "Oh! thou little one; I have more to teach thee ere thou art prepared for my palace." Then he commences to lead us about, and bring us into straits and perils. The sins which we thought had utterly left us are hunting us behind, while impassible floods block up the way. Even trembling …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 2: 1856

Why are Men Saved?
"The hand that made us is Divine." If we listen to the rippling of the freshet at the mountain side, to the tumbling of the avalanche, to the lowing of the cattle, to the singing of the birds, to every voice and sound of nature, we shall hear this answer to the question, "God is our maker; he hath made us, and not we ourselves." The next question, as to design--Why were these things made?--is not so easy to answer, apart from Scripture; but when we look at Scripture we discover this fact--that as …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

Sin: Its Spring-Head, Stream, and Sea
It may help us to escape out of the meshes of our natural depravity, if we look back and see the causes of our fathers' sins. To confess our personal sin will tend to keep us humble; and in view of the Lord's mercy, which has spared and pardoned us, a sense of our guilt will make us grateful. The less we think of ourselves the more we shall think of him whose "mercy endureth for ever"; and if we see where our fathers' sins began, and how they grew, and what they came to, we may hope that the Spirit …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

The Waters of Meribah
'Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. 2. And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3. And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! 4. And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Fourteenth Day. The Holy one of God.
Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.'--Luke i. 35. 'We have believed and know that Thou art the Holy One of God.'--John vi. 69. 'The holy one of the Lord'--only once (Ps. cvi. 16) the expression is found in the Old Testament. It is spoken of Aaron, in whom holiness, as far as it could then be revealed, had found its most complete embodiment. The title waited for its fulfilment in Him who alone, in His own person, could perfectly show forth …
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

Man's Misery by the Fall
Q-19: WHAT IS THE MISERY OF THAT ESTATE WHEREINTO MAN FELL? A: All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever. 'And were by nature children of wrath.' Eph 2:2. Adam left an unhappy portion to his posterity, Sin and Misery. Having considered the first of these, original sin, we shall now advert to the misery of that state. In the first, we have seen mankind offending; …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Our Status.
"And he believed in the Lord: and he counted it to him for righteousness." --Gen. xv. 6. The right touches a man's status. So long as the law has not proven him guilty, has not convicted and sentenced him, his legal status is that of a free and law-abiding citizen. But as soon as his guilt is proven in court and the jury has convicted him, he passes from that into the status of the bound and law-breaking citizen. The same applies to our relation to God. Our status before God is that either of the …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Twenty Second Sunday after Trinity Paul's Thanks and Prayers for Churches.
Text: Philippians 1, 3-11. 3 I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every supplication of mine on behalf of you all making my supplication with joy, 5 for your fellowship in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now; 6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ: 7 even as it is right for me to be thus minded on behalf of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as, both in my bonds …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

Elucidations.
I. (Deadly Sins, cap. ix., p. 356.) To maintain a modern and wholly uncatholic system of Penitence, the schoolmen invented a technical scheme of sins mortal and sins venial, which must not be read into the Fathers, who had no such technicalities in mind. By "deadly sins" they meant all such as St. John recognizes (1 John v. 16-17) and none other; that is to say sins of surprise and infirmity, sins having in them no malice or wilful disobedience, such as an impatient word, or a momentary neglect of …
Tertullian—The Five Books Against Marcion

Rest for the Weary
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. W hich shall we admire most -- the majesty, or the grace, conspicuous in this invitation? How soon would the greatest earthly monarch be impoverished, and his treasures utterly exhausted, if all, that are poor and miserable, had encouragement to apply freely to him, with a promise of relief, fully answerable to their wants and wishes! But the riches of Christ are unsearchable and inexhaustible. If millions and millions …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

The Second Commandment
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am o jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of then that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.' Exod 20: 4-6. I. Thou shalt not …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
A BRIEF AND FAITHFUL RELATION OF THE EXCEEDING MERCY OF GOD IN CHRIST TO HIS POOR SERVANT, JOHN BUNYAN; WHEREIN IS PARTICULARLY SHOWED THE MANNER OF HIS CONVERSION, HIS SIGHT AND TROUBLE FOR SIN, HIS DREADFUL TEMPTATIONS, ALSO HOW HE DESPAIRED OF GOD'S MERCY, AND HOW THE LORD AT LENGTH THROUGH CHRIST DID DELIVER HIM FROM ALL THE GUILT AND TERROR THAT LAY UPON HIM. Whereunto is added a brief relation of his call to the work of the ministry, of his temptations therein, as also what he hath met with …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Obedience
Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and do his commandments.' Deut 27: 9, 10. What is the duty which God requireth of man? Obedience to his revealed will. It is not enough to hear God's voice, but we must obey. Obedience is a part of the honour we owe to God. If then I be a Father, where is my honour?' Mal 1: 6. Obedience carries in it the life-blood of religion. Obey the voice of the Lord …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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