If Moses, Aaron, and Samuel Were That Bad . . .

 

If Moses, Aaron, and Samuel Were That Bad . . .

Psalm 99 | Transfiguration Eve

You were a God who forgave them, yet punished them for their evil deeds.

- From Psalm 99

Tomorrow is the Feast of the Transfiguration — that radiant moment when Christ’s divine nature was briefly revealed to stunned, speechless disciples. But today, Psalm 99 quietly prepares us with a stark reminder: even the most faithful among us — Moses, Aaron, and Samuel — committed evil. And though God forgave them, He also punished them.

Let that sit for a moment. These were not rebellious outsiders. These were God’s own servants — holy men, prophets, lawgivers — intimate with the voice of God. And yet, they were not spared from correction, consequence, or what the text bluntly calls “punishment for their evil deeds.”

Here’s the truth: we all do evil. Not just “make mistakes” or “have blind spots.” We hurt people. We injure the dignity of others. We speak unkindly. We act selfishly. Often we mean to. And even when we don’t, we leave a trail.

Modern political culture has lost this humility. We divide the world into “evil” (them) and “good” (us). And once we do that, we give ourselves permission to say and do just about anything — because we’ve decided we’re the righteous ones. The other side? Irredeemable.

But if Moses was flawed…
If Aaron was punished…
If Samuel was rebuked…

Then who among us is exempt?

The human condition isn’t a scale of virtue where some escape scrutiny. It’s a shared reality where all fall short and none deserve exemption from growth, humility, or correction.

The world is not divided into good and evil people. It’s made up of people. Full stop. All of whom need grace. All of whom need refining.

So when we suffer consequences — whether public or private — it doesn’t mean God has rejected us. It means He loves us enough to purify us. He’s making us ready for eternity, where such arrogance, cruelty, or self-justifying rage can’t exist.

Bad things happen to “good” people because there are no good people. There are only forgiven people, being transformed — slowly, sometimes painfully — by a God who loves us enough to say both: “You are Mine.” And “You must change.”

And if that’s what the Transfiguration prepares us to receive —
then let the Light do its work.