• Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • 0Shopping Cart
Enduring Word
  • Enduring Word
  • About
    • FAQs
    • Free Smartphone App
    • Your Story
    • About Enduring Word
    • Pray for Enduring Word
    • Social Media
      • YouTube
      • Instagram
      • Twitter
      • Facebook
    • Bibliography
    • David Guzik
    • Donations
    • Speaking Request
    • Global Dental Mission
    • 2023 Holy Land Cruise
    • The Team of Enduring Word
  • Commentary
    • Commentary – English
    • Comentario – Español
    • Commentario – Italiano
    • Kommentar – Deutsch
    • Comentário – Português
    • Commentaire – Français
    • 注释 – 中文 (Chinese)
    • (Arabic) تفاسير – اللغة العربية
    • русский (Russian)
    • Commentary – Tamil
    • Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen
  • Media
    • YouTube Channel
    • Question & Answer Videos
    • Q&A Podcast
    • Q&A Topics
    • Video
    • Audio & Podcasts
    • YouVersion Devotional Reading Plans
  • Social Media
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
  • Store
    • New & Featured
    • Bible Commentaries
    • For the Christian Life
    • By J. Edwin Orr
  • Blog
    • Q&A with David Guzik
    • Weekly Devotional
    • For Pastors, Preachers, Bible Teachers
    • Bible Study Tools
    • Thinking About…
    • Creed
    • Wöchentliche Andacht
  • Donate
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
  • Numbers
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19-36

Numbers 17 – The Budding of Aaron’s Rod

A. The test commanded. 

1. (1-3) Gathering rods, identified with each tribe.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “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. 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.” 

a. Get from them a rod from each father’s house: A rod was a symbol of authority, because shepherds would use a rod to guide and correct the sheep (Psalm 23:4).

i. Moses, as a shepherd, had a rod in his hand when tending sheep in the wilderness (Exodus 4:2); this rod later became known as the rod of God – a symbol of the authority God gave to Moses (Exodus 4:20).

ii. This same rod demonstrated Moses’ authority in action, by miraculously becoming a serpent, and then becoming a rod again (Exodus 7:9-10), by turning the waters of the Nile into blood (Exodus 7:17), by bringing forth plagues of frogs (Exodus 8:5) lice (Exodus 8:16-17), hail (Exodus 9:23), and locusts (Exodus 10:13); God commanded Moses to raise the rod over the Red Sea when it was to be parted (Exodus 14:16), the rod that was raised in prayer over Israel in victorious battle (Exodus 17:9), the rod that struck the rock and brought forth water (Numbers 20:11); the rod is a picture of God’s authority over man (Psalm 2:9, 23:4, 89:32; Isaiah 10:24, 11:4, Ezekiel 20:37); Jesus, in His divine authority, is given the title “the Rod” (Isaiah 11:1; Micah 6:9); the rod is an emblem of an apostle’s authority in the church (1 Corinthians 4:21).

b. Write each man’s name on his rod. And you shall write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi: In gathering rods, and inscribing each with the name of a tribe, and on Levi’s rod inscribing Aaron’s name, God would declare which tribe possessed priestly authority by choosing one of the rods. This was the issue at hand in light of Korah’s rebellion.

2. (4-5) The rods to be placed in the tabernacle for God’s choosing.

“Then you shall place them in the tabernacle of meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you. 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.”

a. The rod of the man whom I choose will blossom: Not only would this obviously be a miraculous sign; the blossoming of dead wood spoke of fruitfulness. Fruitfulness – miraculous fruitfulness – is present when godly authority and leadership is being practiced.

b. Thus I will rid Myself of the murmurings: This did not mean that after this, the children of Israel would never complain again. But God, having demonstrated more than sufficient evidence to the murmurers, would no longer regard their murmuring. Indeed, He would then judge their murmuring.

i. Murmurers (complainers) are rarely satisfied by evidence or the resolution of one issue. Complainers are not issue-motivated, though they claim to be and appear to be; they are heart-motivated. They murmur because they have complaining, discontent hearts. The complaining heart is demonstrated when people murmur about one issue after another, never being satisfied. 

ii. So, God will give them an unmistakable answer to this matter of contention – then rid Himself of their murmurings.

B. The test vindicates Aaron as God’s priestly leader.

1. (6-7) The rods are placed before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness.

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. And Moses placed the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness.

2. (8-9) The budding of Aaron’s rod.

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. 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.

a. And behold, the rod of Aaron: When Moses checked on the rods the next day, Aaron’s rod – and only Aaron’s rod – had sprouted. It not only sprouted, it had put forth buds. It had not only put forth buds, it had produced blossoms. It had not only produced blossoms, it had yielded… almonds. It had not only yielded almonds, it yielded ripe almonds!

i. This was a place where a “small” miracle would have been convincing. After all, God could have merely made a little green sprout come forth from Aaron’s rod alone, and that would have – or should have – been enough.

ii. But God gave, as in the words of Acts 1:3, many infallible proofs, to demonstrate His approval of Aaron’s leadership. God gives us more than enough evidence; our problem is a lack of willingness to see what He has made clear.

iii. “We are probably to understand that some parts were in bud, other in bloom and others had fruited.” (Wenham) Fruit from a godly leader may come in all different stages.

iv. There is nothing remarkable about a piece of wood with buds, blossoms, or fruit on it. But a piece of dead wood with all these things appearing in one night after sitting in a tent is remarkable. “Miracles in the Bible are often of this sort: natural events in unnatural conditions, timing, and placement.” (Allen)

b. Behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted: God’s choice of Aaron’s rod did not mean that Aaron was the most spiritual man in the nation. God’s chosen leaders will have godly character according to the principles of 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9, but it wasn’t a contest to determine the most spiritual man among them.

i. It also did not mean that Aaron had not and would not sin or fail significantly. God’s chosen leaders may fail (we do not believe in the Roman Catholic idea of “papal” or “pastoral” infallibility), but must set things right when they fail.

ii. It meant Aaron was God’s chosen priest, and the nation was required to recognize it.

c. Each man took his rod: This was a dramatic scene. Each murmurer from the different tribes took his rod, and clearly saw that his had not budded or borne fruit, and that Aaron’s had.

3. (10-11) The command to preserve Aaron’s rod in the ark of the covenant. 

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.” Thus did Moses; just as the Lord had commanded him, so he did. 

a. To be kept as a sign against the rebels: The rod of Aaron was to be kept as a museum piece, to remind the children of Israel that God had chosen a priesthood, and nothing would change that – Aaron’s priesthood would always be Aaron’s priesthood.

i. If God demonstrated His choice of Aaron and his descendants as priests for Israel, how can Jesus be our high priest, as Hebrews 2:17 says? Because Jesus is a high priest of the order of Melchizedek, not Aaron (Hebrews 7).

b. Bring Aaron’s rod back before the Testimony: Aaron’s rod was to be kept in the ark of the covenant, as another example of Israel’s failure and rebellion. When God looked down from heaven into the ark, He saw emblems of Israel’s sin: The tablets of law they broke, the manna they complained about, and Aaron’s rod meant to answer their rebellion. The covering blood of sacrifice was applied to the lid covering over these reminders of Israel’s sin, so God “saw” the blood “covering” their sin, and atonement was made.

4. (12-13) The reaction of the children of Israel.

So the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Surely we die, we perish, we all perish! Whoever even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord must die. Shall we all utterly die?” 

a. Surely we die, we perish, we all perish: This shows they the people of Israel were clearly convicted of their sin. They now clearly knew that it was wrong to rebel against the leadership of Aaron.

b. Shall we all utterly die: After seeing all what God did in the rebellion of Korah – destroying Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, along with their 250 followers among the leading men of Israel; the retrieval and hammering out of the censers for a covering on the altar; the plague destroying 14,700 of those who sympathized with Korah and his followers, and the miraculous confirmation of Aaron’s priesthood – the people fear they are next to be judged, which was not an unreasonable fear.

i. This kind of hysterical fear doesn’t necessarily mean their hearts were changed. This will not be the last account of a complaining, murmuring Israel. This shows that dramatic events don’t take away our complaining and rebelliousness. The heart has to be changed by God.

© 2021 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com 

Tweet
Pin2
Share16
19 Shares
Bible Commentary Quick Navigation
Start Here!

Old Testament

Gen Exo Lev Num Deu Jos Jud Rut 1Sa 2Sa 1Ki 2Ki 1Ch 2Ch Ezr Neh Est Job Psa Pro Ecc Son Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan Hos Joe Amo Oba Jon Mic Nah Hab Zep Hag Zec Mal

New Testament

Mat Mar Luk Joh Act Rom 1Co 2Co Gal Eph Phi Col 1Th 2Th 1Ti 2Ti Tit Phm Heb Jam 1Pe 2Pe 1Jo 2Jo 3Jo Jud Rev
Back

Genesis

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
Back

Matthew

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Back

Mark

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Back

Exodus

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
Back

Leviticus

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Back

Luke

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Back

John

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Back

Numbers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
Back

Deuteronomy

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34
Back

Acts

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Back

Romans

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Back

Joshua

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 18 20 21 22 23 24
Back

Judges

1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Back

1 Corinthians

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Back

2 Corinthians

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Back

Ruth

1 2 3 4
Back

1 Samuel

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Back

Galatians

1 2 3 4 5 6
Back

Ephesians

1 2 3 4 5 6
Back

2 Samuel

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Back

1 Kings

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Back

Philippians

1 2 3 4
Back

Colossians

1 2 3 4
Back

2 Kings

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Back

1 Chronicles

1 2 3 4 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
Back

1 Thessalonians

1 2 3 4 5
Back

2 Thessalonians

1 2 3
Back

2 Chronicles

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
Back

Ezra

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Back

1 Timothy

1 2 3 4 5 6
Back

2 Timothy

1 2 3 4
Back

Nehemiah

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Back

Esther

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Back

Titus

1 2 3
Back

Philemon

1
Back

Job

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42
Back

Psalm

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150
Back

Hebrews

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Back

James

1 2 3 4 5
Back

Proverbs

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Back

Ecclesiastes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Back

1 Peter

1 2 3 4 5
Back

2 Peter

1 2 3
Back

Song of Solomon

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Back

Isaiah

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66
Back

1 John

1 2 3 4 5
Back

2 John

1
Back

Jeremiah

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52
Back

Lamentations

1 2 3 4 5
Back

3 John

1
Back

Ezekiel

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48
Back

Daniel

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Back

Revelation

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Back

Hosea

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Back

Joel

1 2 3
Back

Amos

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Back

Obadiah

1
Back

Jonah

1 2 3 4
Back

Micah

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Back

Nahum

1 2 3
Back

Habakkuk

1 2 3
Back

Zephaniah

1 2 3
Back

Haggai

1 2
Back

Zechariah

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Back

Malachi

1 2 3 4

Dental Mission

Local View

Latest Blog Posts

  • Seasons of ObscuritySeasons of ObscurityMay 22, 2022 - 4:00 pm
  • Hurt by the ChurchHurt by the ChurchMay 15, 2022 - 10:07 pm
  • Straight Out of DamascusStraight Out of DamascusMay 8, 2022 - 7:08 pm

Subscribe

* indicates required
Get Prayer Requests and Updates from David Guzik
Receive David Guzik's Weekly Devotional
Special Emails: Pastors, Preachers, Bible Teachers
© Copyright - Enduring Word       |      Site Hosted & Maintained by Local View Digital Marketing    |    Privacy Policy
Scroll to top

Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details.

Privacy PolicyOK

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Google Analytics Cookies

These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience.

If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here:

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

Other cookies

The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them:

Privacy Policy

You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.

Privacy Policy
Accept settingsHide notification only