阅读经文 

人们时常说，人生有两件事是避不开的：死亡和纳税；这段经文没有谈及纳税，但它却提到很多关于死亡的事情。有时，这些记载看来有点消极，但我们每一个人都需要警醒，因为死亡是一个现实 。

在这段经文中，死亡临到三个人身上。摩西的姐姐米利暗和哥哥亚伦已经死了，而神也宣告摩西亦将离世。米利暗如常人一般死去，但亚伦和摩西的死，却和他们没有听从神的命令有关。

死亡是旷野生活中常见却又悲惨的一部分体验。在到达天堂之前，我们先要面对死亡——除非耶稣在我们死亡之前已经回来了。死亡能扼杀我们，我们当中曾痛失挚爱亲朋的人，都会感受到死亡痛苦的刺，不是一件短期内可以忘却的记忆。然而我们被造是要活着，而不是死亡。

当我们面对死亡时，我们不要像那些没有指望的人那样忧伤，（参帖前 4:13）经文此处提醒我们，死亡没有最终仲裁权。神说亚伦要归到他列祖那里，这不单使死亡的事实听起来好受一点，这句话更表明，亚伦仍然是神的子民。

我们也是一样，因为我们有一位复活的救主。我们若在基督里，就知道死亡不能叫我们与祂的爱隔绝，而我们的灵魂也必定会与祂永远同在。

People often say there are two things that are certain in life: death and taxes. This passage doesn't say anything about ­taxes, but it talks a lot about death. Sometimes that may seem morbid, but all of us need to recognize the reality of death.

Death confronted three people in this passage. Moses' sister Miriam and his brother Aaron both died. And Moses' death was announced. Miriam's death was ordinary, while Aaron and Moses' deaths were connected to their failure to listen to God's commands.

Death is a common yet painful part of life in the wilderness. Before any of us reach heaven, we are going to die—unless Jesus returns first. Death kills, and for those of us who lose a loved one to death it stings painfully; it's not something we get over in a short time. We were created to live, not die.

When we are faced with death, though, we must not grieve as people without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We are reminded here that death does not have the last word. God said that Aaron would be gathered to his people. This is not just a way of making death sound nice; it's a statement that Aaron still belonged to God's people.

So it is with us. We have a ­resurrected Savior. If we are in Christ, we know that death cannot separate us from his love, and our souls will go to be with him.