Aaron’s Staff Buds
“And the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and take from them twelve staffs, one from the leader of each tribe. Write each man’s name on his staff, and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi, because there must be one staff for the head of each tribe. Place the staffs in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Testimony, where I meet with you. The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid Myself of the constant grumbling of the Israelites against you.”
So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their leaders gave him a staff—one for each of the leaders of their tribes, twelve staffs in all. And Aaron’s staff was among them. Then Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony.
The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron’s staff, representing the house of Levi, had sprouted, put forth buds, blossomed, and produced almonds. Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the LORD’s presence to all the Israelites. They saw them, and each man took his own staff. The LORD said to Moses, “Put Aaron’s staff back in front of the Testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebellious, so that you may put an end to their grumbling against Me, lest they die.” So Moses did as the LORD had commanded him.
Then the Israelites declared to Moses, “Look, we are perishing! We are lost; we are all lost! Anyone who comes near the tabernacle of the LORD will die. Are we all going to perish?”
Even after watching three rebellious families be swallowed up by the earth, even after watching 250 rebellious leaders be consumed by fire – even still, the Israelites are ready to criticize Moses and Aaron all over again. God knows people’s hearts and God wants to put an end to the criticisms once and for all. Each tribal leader contributes his staff and Aaron contributes his staff to represent the tribe of Levi. The staffs are labeled with the leaders’ names and placed before the Lord in the Tent of Meeting. By the next day, not only has Aaron’s rod sprouted, but it has also put forth buds, blossomed, and is now producing almonds! The other staffs remain inanimate pieces of wood. God orders Aaron’s rod to be kept in the Ark along with the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments as a witness to the grumblers.
Belatedly, the Israelites panic and begin wailing that they are lost and they might all die. WHY? When Aaron’s rod has blossomed while the others have not, this indicates that God has chosen Aaron (and Moses) and the tribe of Levi above the rest of the leaders and their tribes and that God can and will cut off those people any time they rebel in the future. For now, the Israelites will stop their grumbling; however, give them a few days or weeks and they will probably be at it again.
APPLICATION:
Why are some people so ungrateful while others are thankful for the smallest of favors? The story is told of two elderly ladies in a nursing home who were complaining about the food. “Oh this food is terrible!” said one lady. “Yes, and the portions are so small!” said the other. If you don’t like the food, smaller portions should be a plus, not a problem.
The Israelites have been miraculously removed from Egypt and fed and watered throughout their wanderings in the desert. God has led these people by manifesting Himself to them as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, frightening away any would – be attackers. God has brought water gushing out of bare rocks and manna enough for two million people. God has even struck key rebels dead or allowed the earth to swallow them without the Israelites repenting. Up to now, the Israelites have been able to blame Moses and Aaron; however, now God is sending a message directly to the Israelites and finally they are frightened that God might cut off all the other tribes, leaving the tribe of Levi alone.
Before we criticize the Israelites too severely, let’s examine ourselves. How many miracles has God done for us? We are alive and healthy with hearts beating roughly 80 times a minute. We take our health for granted until we fall sick or are injured; then we complain. But few of us thank God for the blessings of good health. We complain that our children are driving us crazy…until something happens to one of our children. But how many of us thank God for our children? Around the world, there are millions of couples who would rejoice if they could have just one healthy child. In many cultures, childless women face ostracism, ridicule and divorce while childless men are shamed by their friends and encouraged to take additional wives. We complain about our jobs until we lose them. The list of our acts of ingratitude is endless. Only God who is all-kind, all-loving, and all-patient can tolerate us.
Aaron was elderly when that rod blossomed and produced almonds. The key to aging gracefully is simple: stay grateful and don’t let the grass grow under your feet. Keep thanking God for whatever you have and keep moving and helping others. Benjamin Franklin has remarked that “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.”
Today, try to remind yourself of God’s blessings in your life and then share some of those blessings with others, even if you simply make phone calls and act as a listening ear. Your rod can still produce blossoms and almonds at any age!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, thank You for life, for health, for work, for our families, for our friends, and for the calling You have on each of our lives. Help us to look to You for guidance throughout our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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