NO RESPECT FOR GOD’S AUTHORITY
The people of Israel seemed to be a bit confused as to exactly who their leaders were.
Although Moses and Aaron had been leading them the whole time; after the rebellion of Korah, suddenly there is so much doubt in the camp, and there still seems to be a lack of support among the people.
What do you do when your own people doubt you?
You do exactly what Moses and Aaron did.
They gave the problem over to God and let Him handle it for them.
We can read about this reaction in Numbers Chapters 16 and 17. Our previous lessons pretty much explained how God showed the people that Moses was his chosen leader for the nation.
The Moses problem was solved now; but God also wanted the people to remember that Aaron was the appointed High Priest.
DID AARON HAVE THE AUTHORITY AS HIGH PRIEST?
Today, let’s look at how God solved Aaron’s authority problems.
God used a very unique process to help the people begin to understand this fact in no uncertain terms.
It seemed that the answers to all of these questions were hiding in some sticks of wood that were in the possession of all of the tribal leaders. Each leader of each tribe had a staff that had been passed down from father to son, on and on, from each generation. These staffs told each leader’s heritage and story and they also contained the answers to all of the impossible questions of Israel.
THE STAFFS OF ISRAEL
God told Moses to have each tribal leader to bring forth his staff.
Each staff was to have the name carved upon it, so that they could tell whose staff belonged to whom. They each were to write their own name upon their own tribe’s staff.
For example; the tribe of Levi’s tribal leader was Aaron. Aaron was to bring his own personal staff with his name written upon it to Moses.
Each tribe and each tribal leader (there were twelve in all) was requested to do the same.
WHAT IS REVEALED IN FRONT OF THE ARK
God instructed Moses to take all twelve of the staffs and to place them in front of the Ark inside the Tent of Meeting.
When Moses did so; God met him in the tabernacle and God told Moses the following:
(Numbers 17:5) – The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.”
So Moses did as he was told. He placed the staffs with all of the tribal leader’s names upon them inside the tabernacle in front of the Ark.
After God told Moses what He was going to do; Moses laid down the staffs and left the tabernacle.
GOD HAD MOSES’S BACK
I wonder how Moses slept that night?
Do you think he tossed and turned wondering what God was going to do next?
Could he have worried that the guilty parties that had been doing all of the complaining might die in their sleep that night?
Most likely Moses had matured enough in his long walk through the wilderness with God that he simply closed his eyes in gratitude and just before he dozed off into a sweet dream or two; he probably thanked God for always looking after him and always having his back.
We aren’t very sure about what exactly was going through Moses’s head when he woke up that next morning; all we can do now is speculate.
At the same time; we DO know that he got up the next day and walked inside the tabernacle to check on those staffs, so I’ll guess that he was pretty curious as to what God was going to do next.
What do you think he saw?
A MIRACLE HAPPENS
Right in front of that Ark was a complete miracle.
This is how the scriptures described it:
(Numbers 17:8) 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.
Only one staff was fruitful.
The staff of Aaron showed the power over all the others.
Nothing at all had changed about the other eleven staffs.
(Just as a side note here; does any of this story remind you of the story that took place many years later, the one of Joseph and his brothers?)
No doubt there was a huge smile on the face of Moses as he gathered all of the unchanged staffs up along with Aaron’s staff that budded, blossomed and produced almonds; and he took them outside into the camp to show to all of the tribal leaders.
YOU CAN’T FAKE REAL POWER FROM GOD
I wonder what they thought as they took each of their own totally unchanged staffs back and noticed that they were just the same as before?
Then they looked over at Aaron’s staff.
His staff was special and different.
It had born fruit that was good for nourishment. The almond nut has the most nutritious value; more than any other type of nut/food that can be grown.
There were good, healthy almonds produced from the life in Aaron’s staff.
The other tribal leaders must have considered this to be an amazing fact; but did they eat humble pie and declare Aaron their High Priest with big huge smiles on their faces while they were leaning upon their own ordinary, not so powerful staffs?
THE FEAR OF GOD IS HEALTHY FOR THE NATION
Actually; they must have been pretty dumb-founded and silent at first.
God told Moses to take Aaron’s staff and to place it in front of the Ark of the Covenant that held the Laws of God on display as a reminder for when anyone wanted to be rebellious again.
Also; God told Moses that this miracle should put an end to the groaning and complaining of the other men, and maybe He would not have to kill them now because of their rebellious attitudes.
A FRIENDLY REMINDER
The rod of Aaron would serve as a constant reminder between the previously rebellious men and God.
If they remembered each time they looked at the rod of Aaron, perhaps they would not grumble, complain and rebel against God’s will for Israel.
Finally, a reminder that seemed to work!
The men became silent about their complaints but now they had a new concern. They were afraid that they all would die now that they saw the proof of what they had been grumbling against from God.
They were afraid that God would kill them.
A NEW AND HEALTHIER WAY TO LIVE
It might have been a bit stressful for them for a while, but the tribal leaders were learning a very important and timely lesson called “the fear of The Lord.”
Fear in general is usually a bad thing. It leads men to cause problems with negative results.
Yet, this one healthy fear called “The Fear of The Lord” was actually a good thing for these formerly rebellious Israelites.
This “fear of the Lord” type of fear is the fear that causes us to bow down and show respect for our Creator; God.
It takes the focus off of our weak and broken human reason and puts it into a place where God Most High reigns over us.
This fear is humbling, yet it brings us to a much safer and more secure place, because it leads us to recognize our own place and our proper function within The Kingdom of God.
God is ALWAYS King; and we are simply His humble servants; though He loves us like a Father and has provided unspeakable miracles to show His affection for us;
He is ALWAYS the ONE in charge and we are ALWAYS simply the followers.
WHY DID GOD USE THIS METHOD OF TEACHING?
But why do you think that God needed to show these facts to the leaders of the tribes of Israel in this particular way?
Why use staffs to prove the point?
We could stop right here and spend the next few months discussing how the word “staff” or “rod” is part of bible coding that speaks about how God set our DNA in order and started the life forming process that is in our genes and the way things are passed down from father to son, to son, etc. That is an interesting and mind-boggling study that spins off of this process that God used to show Aaron the DNA that would make up his priesthood for the nation of Israel. Yet; we can simplify this a bit for today.
We can cut the “why” down to one definite and unquestionable answer.
A staff carried the symbol of authority.
Shepherds would use a staff to correct a flock of sheep.
(Not to stay sidetracked; but again, if you raise sheep, or any other animal that moves in a flock, you are going to want to understand what makes up their DNA. There is good DNA that works well for your herd, and there is bad DNA that should not be mixed in your herd. Good shepherds have a grasp of this understanding and try to bring about circumstances that result in the good DNA being produced.)
If you have memorized Psalm 23; then you know that the sheep would find comfort from the staff of the shepherd, because though it was always a time of correction; it kept them from going down the wrong paths and falling into tragic troubles. (It would lead them into places that produced good DNA for the flock.)
THE AUTHORITY FACTOR IN THE STAFF
The rod, or the staff, always demonstrated the authority of the Shepherd.
If you think about this; it wasn’t the first time that God had shown who was in charge by using a rod/staff.
Remember how the Israelites became freed from Pharaoh?
It was through the use of the rod of Moses and Aaron.
When Moses demonstrated God’s power before Pharaoh, his rod was thrown down and it became a serpent first, then it became a rod again.
God told Moses to use the rod when Pharaoh refused to listen and when Moses used the rod the power of God turned the waters of the Nile into a pool of blood.
The same rod of Moses was used again to show God’s power and authority in the scenes where Pharaoh and Egypt experienced each of the ten plagues.
Each time God used Moses, Aaron and their staffs to show His authority over Egypt,
EVEN THE SEAS BOW TO GOD’S AUTHORITY
Even the seas obeyed God’s authority when God told Moses to hold out his rod and the waters of the Red Sea parted so that the people could cross safely over to the other side.
The earth always responds to the authority of its Creator; unlike humans who are often too stubborn and rebellious.
When God told Moses to use the rod, the seas paid quick attention. When Moses lowered the staff; the waters closed back in on Pharaoh’s army and they were destroyed by the fact that they had not listened to the authority of God and had not been obedient to follow God’s commands.
Those who did follow God’s commands were saved.
NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WITH THE ROD
Over and over again God used a rod to demonstrate His authority.
He used it when Israel was victorious in battle.
God used it again when the people were thirsty and the water came from a rock in the desert.
He used the power from the rod to demonstrate the authority of The Kingdom of God many more times throughout history.
Many churches and religious leaders have now taken this symbol of the rod and used it to display their authority over their congregations in God’s name.
The rod today is a commonly recognized religious symbol that is often depicted in paintings and statues by the symbol of a Shepherd’s Staff.
GOD IS NOT A POLITICIAN
It seemed that the people had become confused and mislead with all of the politics of Korah’s rebellion, but God is not a politician.
God was showing them once again that Aaron was his designated High Priest, and that the tribe of Levi was the tribe of the priestly authority.
By recognizing Aaron’s name on his rod God was saying; that only Aaron and the Levites would serve as the priesthood of His wilderness tabernacle.
God was publicly giving them the clear priestly authority in a clear message before the whole nation. There was no reason for anyone to question this leadership again.
The miracle of the budding, blooming and fruit producing rod of Aaron should have sufficed as perfect evidence for absolute proof from this point forward.
A HOLY REMINDER
So Aaron’s rod that budded, bloomed and produced ripe fruit was to be put into the Ark as a constant reminder to the people of who had authority.
The Ark was closest to the place where God’s Presence dwelled within the Tabernacle.
What do you think God saw each time He looked at that reminder that He had given the people that day?
WHO CAN KNOW THE MIND OF GOD?
I think God would have seen the tablets of the law that were placed beside the branch/rod in the ark. He would have been reminded of how many of these laws have been continuously broken by the people.
God would probably remember how they complained about the giving of the laws.
The manna had also been placed inside the ark. God would possibly look at the manna and think of how often the people complained about the good food that he had provided for them in the wilderness.
They had only griped and complained, wanting meat like they had in Egypt.
Now God would also see Aaron’s rod. It was a third reminder of all of the people’s complaints. This would be a constant witness as to how rebellious the people had become, so rebellious that God had to send a miracle of a fruitful and productive bud growing out of a dead piece of wood in order for them to stop and accept the authority God had granted, so that they would not try to take all of the power of God’s rulers unto themselves and thereby destroy the nation of Israel in the process.
THE LID ON THE MERCY SEAT
The only thing that could stop God from seeing all of these witnesses of the people’s complaints inside the Ark was the blood that was sprinkled over the Mercy Seat.
That was the thing that brought atonement for the people. The atoning blood of the holy sacrifices was exactly what kept God from constantly recalling their sins and destroying all of them.
The blood of the sacrifices saved them; as long as it was done properly at God’s altar through His holy priesthood.
The holy sacrifice was the only salvation available; otherwise God would no longer show mercy and forgiveness.
The people had batted for the last time and it was strike three. God was very tired of listening to the rebellious complaints after all of His generous and ample provisions.
A GROUP OF FRIGHTENED MEN
So the men of Israel, especially those arrogant tribal leaders who were left standing in the camp holding only a piece of dead wood with no power were very afraid.
They were finally convicted of their sins and rebellious natures.
And they could only stand there in fear and ask Moses if God was going to destroy them just like he had destroyed the men of Korah.
Moses finally had everyone in the right places. They all recognized where their authority started and ended. They all knew their own responsibilities.
This seems to be a common problem in our churches today too. People don’t understand where their authority levels are; and those who have the greatest authority are often stiffled by those who do not.
How should we learn from this lesson that God gave to Moses?
The first thing Moses and Aaron did when they had an authority problem with people overstepping their bounds and causing rebellion in the camp is to pray. They asked God to solve the problem. Today’s leaders need to pray like God showed Moses and Aaron to pray over their own people. The staffs with the names on them placed before God are a shadow and type of how the God appointed heads of our churches should be praying. In private prayer call each leader’s name out and place them before God. Ask Him to bring forth the fruit from the appropriate places.
Aaron’s staff that budded was the staff that brought new life and fruit. As you pray over your leaders and allow God to work in their lives you will see who is fruitful and who is producing a ripe crop of new members for your ministry. These are comparable to God showing the people that Aaron was the appointed High Priest. God will allow those whom he has truly called to each office to produce the fruit that your ministry needs to function properly.
Like Moses and Aaron, you might suddenly find a whole new order in the camp.
For a little while, Moses and Aaron had their full cooperation.