So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.
Numbers 16:47-48

In Numbers 16, the Israelites are rebelling against God again. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram want to overthrow Moses and Aaron. At this point, the Israelites know that they will not be going to the promise land and a lot of them are really upset about it (Numbers 16:13-14).

Though Moses has done nothing wrong and it was the people’s choice to not go to the promise land, as their leader, Moses is receiving all the blame (Numbers 16:15)

After the Lord kills Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, the Israelites gather to kill Moses and Aaron. However, the Lord intervenes and starts killing the Israelites by a plague due to their sins (Numbers 16:44-46).

The next thing that happens feels like a scene straight out of a movie. To save the people and atone for their sins, Aaron takes his censer, adds some incense, and runs to the altar to get some fire. He then goes between the living and the dead among the Israelites and makes an antonement for the sins of the Israelites (Numbers 16:47-48). When all is said and done, already 14,700 Israelites had died.

The image of Aaron standing in between the living and the dead reminds us of how Jesus stands in between us and God’s wrath since by his death and resurrection, Jesus took our place for the wrath we deserve. He is our mediator (1 Timothy 2: 5-6) and he is our high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus, we are saved. God doesn’t want to destroy us but instead, He wants everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:15-16