Numbers 17
The Budding of Aaron’s Staff
17:1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 17:2 “Speak to the Israelites, and receive from them a staff from each tribe, one from every tribal leader, twelve staffs; you must write each man’s name on his staff. 17:3 You must write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi; for one staff is for the head of every tribe. 17:4 You must place them in the tent of meeting before the ark of the covenant where I meet with you.
17:5 And the staff of the man whom I choose will blossom; so I will rid myself of the complaints of the Israelites, which they murmur against you.”
The Israelites were still complaining about the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Jehovah commanded the tribal leaders to bring a staff to the Tabernacle. They were to write their personal names on the staff.
17:6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their leaders gave him a staff, one for each leader, according to their tribes – twelve staffs; the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. 17:7 Then Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony.
The twelve staffs were placed in the tabernacle.
17:8 On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony – and the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted, and brought forth buds, and produced blossoms, and yielded almonds! 17:9 So Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each man took his staff.
All of the staves were dead wood, yet Aaron’s staff grew flowers and budded almonds. Jehovah confirmed once again to the tribal leaders that Moses and Aaron were the divinely appointed leaders of Israel.
The Memorial
17:10 The Lord said to Moses, “Bring Aaron’s staff back before the testimony to be preserved for a sign to the rebels, so that you may bring their murmurings to an end before me, that they will not die.” 17:11 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him – this is what he did.
The staff was to be kept in the Ark of the Covenant. Any time that Israel complained about the leadership of Moses and Aaron, the staff could be brought out as testimony. This would keep Jehovah from frequently having to kill rebels.
17:12 The Israelites said to Moses, “We are bound to die! We perish, we all perish! 17:13 Anyone who even comes close to the tabernacle of the Lord will die! Are we all to die?”
The people were not thrilled to have Moses and Aaron as their leaders, but they could not overcome Jehovah’s protection of them. God was giving the people divine guidance, but the people rejected it and wanted to kill their human leaders. This is the outcome of total depravity. Unbelievers and carnal Christians will desire to murder or replace a true man of God.