"The Budding of Aaron's Rod"

BIBLE READING: Numbers 16-17
                As a young Bible student in Sunday school, I was always intrigued by the Ark of the Covenant.   Sadly, it may have been due to my fascination with Indiana Jones and the film “Raiders of the Lost Ark”.  Regardless of why I was intrigued, I never really understood one of the items that were to be placed inside the Ark.  You may remember that inside the Ark of the Covenant there was placed the stone tablets that contained the Ten Commandments, a bowl of manna that did not spoil and Aaron’s rod that had budded.  I understood the first two, but the later I never really understood.  The reading for today contains this event, so I thought it would be wise for us to look and see how this story relates to us today.   In Number 16, we have recorded the rebellion of Korah.  The rebellion was brought about by the sons of Korah suggesting that Moses and Aaron were attempting to make themselves some self-appointed leaders among the Israelites.  In essence, they were really questioning God’s selection of Moses and Aaron as leaders.  The end of the story doesn’t bode well for those that were part of this rebellion; God opened the earth and they were swallowed up.  In the next chapter, God asks that the chiefs of each tribe bring their staff to the Tent of Meeting.  In the morning, they were to collect the staffs from Moses and the staff that would-be flowering would be God’s selection as to who had a right to go into the presence of God on behalf of the people.  The next day, it was Aaron’s rod that had not only budded, but brought forth blossoms and ripe almonds.  This revealed beyond a shadow of a doubt, which had the right to go before God and serve as the priest before the people.  Today, we don’t have such a rebellion, because all Christians have a right to go into the presence of God through prayer and worship.  Peter reminds us that as Christians, we are a “royal priesthood” (I Peter 2.5) and Jesus serves as our High Priest who serves as the only mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2.5).  He is the only one we should follow as our leader.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Colors of Christmas: Green

  Discussion:                                    Evergreen plants, like holly and mistletoe have been used for thousands of years to decorate and brighten up buildings during the long dark winter. They also reminded people that spring would come and winter wouldn't last forever! The Romans would exchange evergreen branches during January as a sign of good luck. The ancient Egyptians used to bring palm branches into their houses during the mid-winter festivals. In many parts of Europe during the Middle Ages, “paradise plays” were performed, often on Christmas Eve. They told Bible stories to people who couldn't read. “The Paradise Tree” in the Garden of Eden in the play was normally a pine tree with red apples tied to it. Today, think about the newness of life we have because we are in Christ. The old man could represent the dark winter and the barren trees. Then think of the bright Christmas trees that are so easily seen! … Help brighten someone’s life this week! Inform
Read more

“Blow-out in Boston”

BIBLE READING: Luke 14 DISCUSSION                                                                                       Boston Globe's account in June 1990 of a most unusual wedding banquet… Accompanied by her fiancé, a woman went to the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Boston and ordered the meal. The two of them poured over the menu, made selections of china and silver, and pointed to pictures of the flower arrangements they liked. They both had expensive taste, and the bill came to $13,000. After leaving a check for half that amount as down payment, the couple went home to flip through books of wedding announcements. The day the announcements were supposed to hit the mailbox, the groom got cold feet. "I'm just not sure," he said. "It's a big commitment. Let's think about this a little longer." When his angry fiancé returned to the Hyatt to cancel the banquet, the manager could not have been more understanding. However, concerning the refund, she h
Read more

“Prepare for Happiness”

  DISCUSSION:                                    Just recently we have seen the devastation that can result from hurricanes, earthquakes, and fire. According to the show on National Geographic channel “Doomsday Preppers” there are a lot of people over the country stocking up on supplies in the hope of being able to survive (months) a natural disaster or power grid failure. Many agree with this philosophy. Who could argue that it is a smart idea to be prepared? As a provider we should take reasonable measures to have our family prepared for hard times both mentally and physically. In this life, Christians have something more precious to protect than material things. Preparing our souls for eternity is much more important. We have been promised a gift that nothing can compare to, a home not made with hands (2Corinthians 5:1). So even if disasters come our way, we can be sure God will take care of His children. As a Christian we have a peace of mind from our faith in God’s word and beli
Read more