April 03, 2024 | Be God's Light
Aaron's Staff as a Sign to the Rebellious
Scripture: Numbers 17(NIV)
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff. 3 On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. 4 Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you. 5 The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.”
6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among them. 7 Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law.
8 The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the Lord’s presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff.
10 The Lord said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.” 11 Moses did just as the Lord commanded him.
12 The Israelites said to Moses, “We will die! We are lost, we are all lost! 13 Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die. Are we all going to die?”
Devotional
In Numbers 16, when Korah and his fellow insurrectionists rebelled against Moses and Aaron, they wanted a piece of the priestly pie. They saw the honor that was bestowed upon the priests, and how Aaron was allowed to enter the Tent of Meeting for intimate encounters with God. They had no idea about the responsibilities that came along with those privileges. Numbers 18 lays out some of those sacred duties that must be carried out exactly as the Lord directs.
Sandwiched in between is this story in Numbers 17. God decided to give them a clear sign that would end their rebellion and allow them to accept that Aaron’s descendants would be priests serving in the tabernacle. So He turned a dead, detached stick into an almond-producing living branch. This staff was to be kept in the ark of the covenant as a warning to anyone who thought being rebellious was a good idea.
Hebrews 9:4 in the New Testament says that “the gold-covered ark of the covenant… contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.” Each of these three objects were miraculous works by the hand of God as the people wandered in the desert between Egyptian slavery and Promised Land sovereignty.
Why were each of these important for the people of Israel throughout their history? If you could set three objects aside as a continual reminder of how God has guided you, what would they be?
Take time to thank God for His provision, protection and purpose in your life. Psalm 107:8 is a declaration to Him: “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.”
Poem
Aaron's Staff
The shepherd's staff, the herder's rod
Authority which comes from God
The flock's protection, evil kill
The sheep's correction from self will
The symbol of miraculous power
A banner waving blessing's shower
Standard in the wind
The leader's name, the emblem's crest
Announcing forth the nation's best
Ancestral tribe streams in full view
The colors show the values true
Thrown on the ground, submission states
Awaiting now predestined fate
Standard dips to God
It's Aaron's staff which buds with life
It's Aaron's rod which ends the strife
It's Aaron's standard guards the tent
Its priestly calling to repent
The almond drupe bears fruitful there
And cancels bitterness, despair
Standard planted deep
