Throughout history, men have sought to live forever. One of the oldest known pieces of literature is the Epic of Gilgamesh, a tale of Gilgamesh trying to find a way to escape death. An ancient Chinese ruler named Qin Shi Huang is said to have desperately sought the elixir of life as he grew old. Juan Ponce de Leon explored America in the 16th century in search of the fountain of youth.
Today, there are many businesses and projects that are focused on extending life expectancy. Bryan Johnson started Project Blueprint in order to reverse the age of his organs. Retro Biosciences is trying to prevent and reverse aging. The Methuselah Foundation is a volunteer organization that studies methods of extending lifespan.
Ultimately, the Bible is clear that there is a limit to what these efforts can accomplish. Before the flood, men regularly lived around 700-900 years (see Genesis 5). When Yahweh grew frustrated with humans, He decreed that humans would live no longer than 120 years (see Genesis 6:3).
After the flood, life expectancy started dropping. The first couple of generations after the flood lived around 400-500 years. By the time Abraham was born, life expectancy was down to around 200 years (see Genesis 11). Abraham lived 175 years (see Genesis 25:7). Jacob lived 147 years (see Genesis 47:28). We will see in today’s passage that when Moses and Aaron lived, life expectancy had fallen to God’s ordained limit of 120 years.
According to verse 2 of chapter 33, Moses documented the travels of the Israelites and recorded the various places they visited during their wanderings in the wilderness. The 33rd chapter contains a list of those places.
Num. 33:5 ¶ Then the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses and camped in Succoth.
Rameses is where the Israelites lived in Egypt (see Genesis 47:11).
Succoth was the first stop after they left Egypt (see Exodus 12:37).
Num. 33:6 They journeyed from Succoth and camped in Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness.
Their stop in Etham is recorded in Exodus 13:20.
Num. 33:7 They journeyed from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol.
Pi-hahiroth is where Pharaoh overtook the Israelites after he regretted releasing the Israelite slaves (see Exodus 14:9).
Num. 33:8 They journeyed from before Hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness; and they went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.
After crossing the Red Sea on dry ground, they went to Marah. This is where Moses threw a tree into the water to make it drinkable (see Exodus 15:22-25).
Num. 33:9 They journeyed from Marah and came to Elim; and in Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there.
Their stay in Elim is recorded in Exodus 15:27.
Num. 33:10 They journeyed from Elim and camped by the Red Sea.
Num. 33:11 They journeyed from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin.
Israel arrived at the wilderness of Sin one month after leaving Egypt (see Exodus 16:1).
Num. 33:12 They journeyed from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah.
Num. 33:13 They journeyed from Dophkah and camped at Alush.
Num. 33:14 They journeyed from Alush and camped at Rephidim; now it was there that the people had no water to drink.
Rephidim is where the Israelites tested Yahweh and asked if Yahweh was truly among them (see Exodus 17:7).
Num. 33:15 They journeyed from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai.
Israel arrived in Sinai in the third month after leaving Egypt (see Exodus 19:1). They stayed in Sinai for a year, received the Mosaic Law, and built the tabernacle.
Num. 33:16 They journeyed from the wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.
Num. 33:17 ¶ They journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.
Num. 33:18 They journeyed from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.
Num. 33:19 They journeyed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.
Num. 33:20 They journeyed from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah.
Num. 33:21 They journeyed from Libnah and camped at Rissah.
Num. 33:22 They journeyed from Rissah and camped in Kehelathah.
Num. 33:23 They journeyed from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.
Num. 33:24 They journeyed from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.
Num. 33:25 They journeyed from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.
Num. 33:26 They journeyed from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.
Num. 33:27 They journeyed from Tahath and camped at Terah.
Num. 33:28 They journeyed from Terah and camped at Mithkah.
Num. 33:29 They journeyed from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.
Num. 33:30 They journeyed from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.
Num. 33:31 They journeyed from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan.
Num. 33:32 They journeyed from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad.
Num. 33:33 They journeyed from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.
Num. 33:34 They journeyed from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.
Num. 33:35 They journeyed from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.
Num. 33:36 They journeyed from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin, that is, Kadesh.
Num. 33:37 They journeyed from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, at the edge of the land of Edom.
Num. 33:38 Then Aaron the priest went up to Mount Hor at the command of Yahweh, and he died there in the fortieth year after the sons of Israel had come from the land of Egypt, on the first day in the fifth month.
Notice the word “fortieth”. Yahweh forced Israel to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Aaron died in the last year of the wanderings. Aaron’s death is recorded in Numbers 20. All the events recorded in Numbers 20-36 occurred in the last year of the wanderings in the wilderness. This would include Israel conquering land on the east side of the Jordan River, Balaam’s prophecies for Israel, and Balaam’s advice to Moab and Midian on how they could corrupt Israel.
Num. 33:39 Now Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.
Look at the number “123”. Aaron lived 123 years. This shows us that by the time Moses and Aaron lived, life expectancy had dropped to 120 years, just as Yahweh had decreed.
Num. 33:40 ¶ Now the Canaanite, the king of Arad who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, heard when the sons of Israel were coming.
Num. 33:41 ¶ Then they journeyed from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.
Num. 33:42 They journeyed from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.
Num. 33:43 They journeyed from Punon and camped at Oboth.
Num. 33:44 They journeyed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, at the border of Moab.
Num. 33:45 They journeyed from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad.
Num. 33:46 They journeyed from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.
Num. 33:47 They journeyed from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.
Num. 33:48 They journeyed from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho.
Num. 33:49 They camped by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.
When Israel camped in the plains of Moab, they were beside the Jordan River, ready to cross the river into the Promised Land.
Throughout history, men have sought to live forever. Today, many people are doing research to prevent and reverse aging because they want to avoid death. However, that quest is futile because Yahweh decreed that the maximum life expectancy would be 120 years.
We saw in today’s passage that Aaron died at the age of 123. As of July 2026, the oldest living person in the world is 116 years old. The Guinness World Record for oldest person ever is 122 years. From the time of Aaron to today, people do not live more than 120 years. This is a result of Yahweh’s decree recorded in Genesis 6:3.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”