Numbers 17:1-13
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and get from them a rod from each father's house, all their leaders according to their fathers’ houses—twelve rods. Write each man's name on his rod. 3 And you shall write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi. For there shall be one rod for the head of each father's house. 4 Then you shall place them in the tabernacle of meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you. 5 And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I choose will blossom; thus I will rid Myself of the complaints of the children of Israel, which they make against you.” 6 So Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each of their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. 7 And Moses placed the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.
8 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod.
10 And the LORD said to Moses, “Bring Aaron's rod back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die.” 11 Thus did Moses; just as the LORD had commanded him, so he did.
12 So the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Surely we die, we perish, we all perish! 13 Whoever even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD must die. Shall we all utterly die?”
8 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod.
10 And the LORD said to Moses, “Bring Aaron's rod back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die.” 11 Thus did Moses; just as the LORD had commanded him, so he did.
12 So the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Surely we die, we perish, we all perish! 13 Whoever even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD must die. Shall we all utterly die?”
To stop the complaints against God’s chosen leaders, He had all the heads of the twelve families write their names on sticks and pit them in the tabernacle along with the stick of God’s man, Aaron. The Lord would make the dead stick of His chosen vessel bring forth life in the form of flowering buds to show it by His power what was impossible by man or nature. However, the Lord went over and above mere budding of a rod; He made Aaron’s stick not only blossom overnight, but also produce almonds! This rod was kept as a testimony against the rebellious and put into the ark eventually as an ongoing reminder of complaining against God’s choosing who He will, and that He had the right and power to stop the rebellious with death or life. Here it was life instead of death. He could have put the disbelieving and disobedient to death, but brought life through an intercessor, Aaron, with the sign of a blooming dead stick instead. Only then did the people fear God and His judgement when they faced life when death was deserved. We who are brought to Christ also face certain judgement to death for our rebellion against our Lord God by our sin and it’s nature within, yet are shown life in His death which atones and intercedes for us from within the veil of God’s presence and merciful grace. Let us therefore serve Him with reverence and godly fear (Hebrews 12:28), knowing what we deserve for our complaining rebellion against His word and will.
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