New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Numbers 17
1
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
2
"Speak to the people of Israel. Get 12 wooden staffs from them. Get one from the leader of each of Israel's tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff.
3
Write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi. There must be one staff for the head of each of Israel's tribes.
4
"Put the staffs in the Tent of Meeting. Place them in front of the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. That is where I meet with you.
5
The staff that belongs to the man I choose will begin to grow new shoots. The people of Israel are never happy with what you do. I will put an end to what they are saying."
Reference
6
So Moses spoke to the people of Israel. Their leaders gave him 12 wooden staffs. They gave one for the leader of each of Israel's tribes. Aaron's staff was among them.
7
Moses put the staffs in front of the Lord in the tent where the tablets of the covenant were kept.
Reference
8
The next day Moses entered the tent. He looked at Aaron's staff. It stood for the tribe of Levi. Moses saw that it had not only begun to grow new shoots. It had also produced buds and flowers and almonds.
Reference
9
Then Moses brought out all of the staffs from in front of the Lord. He brought them to all of the people of Israel. They looked at them. And each man took his own staff.
10
The Lord said to Moses, "Put Aaron's staff back in front of the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. The staff will be kept there as a warning to those who refuse to obey. They are never happy with what I do. Aaron's staff will put an end to what they are saying. Then they will not die."
Reference
Parallel theme
Hebrews 9:4
Ephesians 5:6
Psalm 57:4
1 Samuel 30:22
References Lord
Isaiah 1:2
Exodus 16:32
Deuteronomy 9:24
Numbers 16:40
Numbers 16:38
1 Samuel 2:12
11
Moses did just as the Lord commanded him.
12
The people of Israel said to Moses, "We'll die! We are lost! All of us are lost!
13
Anyone who even comes near the Lord's holy tent will die. Are all of us going to die?"
Chapter Summary
Numbers chapter 17 continues the account of the rebellion against Moses and Aaron, and after the judgment of Korah and the rebels, God gives a sign to the people of Israel to distinguish who has been chosen to serve as priest. Each tribe is given a rod and Aaron's rod is placed among them before the Lord. The next day, Aaron's rod has not only budded, but it also produces blossoms and ripe almonds. God instructs Moses to keep the rod as a reminder to the people that Aaron and his descendants have been chosen for the priesthood.
Verse 2 picks up the story of the rebellion by telling of the Lord's message to Moses. The Lord instructs Moses to speak to the sons of Israel and take twelve rods, one from the head of each tribe. Each leader is to write his name on his rod.
The rod belonging to the tribe of Levi is to have Aaron's name written on it. The reason for this is that the dispute in the previous chapter was to a certain extent about who was to be allowed to serve before the Lord. Korah and his followers had challenged Aaron's priesthood and God now wants to give a sign to the people of Israel to distinguish who has been chosen to serve as priest.
Moses is instructed to place the twelve rods in the tabernacle before the testimony, where God was to meet with Moses. God says that the rod whose owner God has chosen will blossom. This sign will settle the complaints of the Israelites against Moses and Aaron.
Moses follows the instructions of God and brings the twelve rods before the Lord and places them in the tabernacle.
The next day, Moses enters the tabernacle and sees the astonishing sight of Aaron's rod, representing the tribe of Levi, bring forth buds, have produced blossoms and grown ripe almonds. The other rods had not changed, but Aaron's rod had not only produced buds, but it had gone through the process of producing blossoms and had reached the stage of a ripe fruit.
The sign that God has given is that a dead piece of wood, the rod brought by Aaron, had come to life. It is not sufficient to note that Aaron's rod has produced buds, but it has gone through the entire process of producing blossoms and had reached the stage of a ripe fruit.
Moses then brings all the rods out from before the Lord and shows them to the Israelites. Each leader takes his own rod, but Aaron's rod is kept as God has instructed.
The Lord then instructs Moses to bring Aaron's rod back before the testimony, where it is to be kept as a sign for the children of rebellion so that the people will stop complaining against him, and not that they will not die.
The rod is thus not only a temporary miracle, but it also serves as a permanent reminder that God himself has chosen Aaron to act as priest. The Israelites will no longer need to argue and compete to take precedence of each other in claiming a position within the priesthood.
Verse 13 ends the chapter with the people expressing their fear. They tell Moses that they will die if anyone comes near the tabernacle and that they will be dead and buried. They have recognized the seriousness of coming near the tabernacle and the presence of God.
They ask whether everyone who comes near the tabernacle will die. Korah and his followers had protested against the leadership of Moses and Aaron and although they had been punished by God, the people still continued to complain. After a long series of events, where people have been punished for their complaints and disobedience, it is understandable that the people would fear coming near the tabernacle.
Numbers 17 is closely connected to the events in Numbers 16. Korah and his followers had challenged the authority of Moses and Aaron, and God had judged the rebellion, but the people continued to complain and God therefore gives a sign to settle the argument about Aaron's priesthood.
The choice of a rod to signify the authority of Aaron is significant, since a rod is simply a piece of wood. It is not possible for a rod, which has been separated from a living tree, to produce leaves, flower and fruit. By letting Aaron's rod come to life, God shows the power that He has.
The miracle also sets the boundary between authority and ambition. In this chapter, Aaron does not make his own claim to the priesthood. Instead, God reveals through a sign that Aaron and his descendants have been chosen to act as priests and the authority of Aaron is therefore not obtained through a contest between ambitious people, but it is a gift from God.
The almond blossoms and fruit also makes the sign that God has given memorable. The people are not left with a general idea or a vague message, but the sign is something that they can see with their own eyes. The rod is kept as a lasting testimony.
The chapter also shows the seriousness of the rebellions that the people have engaged in. After witnessing judgment, they fear that coming near God's presence will result in death and the people have a sense of danger in approaching anything that has a connection with God's presence.
Numbers 17 thus serves as a confirmation of the authority of Aaron and a warning to the people not to continue to rebel against Moses and Aaron, since this has resulted in many deaths.
The twelve tribes have rods, but only Aaron's rod blossoms and it is this sign that settles the issue that had caused so much conflict and controversy.
The sign that God has given through the budding rod also sets the stage for the instructions that Moses has received from God about the priests and Levites and the responsibilities that they have to the people of Israel. The responsibilities of Aaron and his descendants will be explained in more detail so that they know how they are to act when ministering to the people and dealing with the tabernacle and its furnishings. The budding rod provides the basis for these instructions by establishing the fact that Aaron and his descendants have been chosen to act as priests by God.
Verse 2 picks up the story of the rebellion by telling of the Lord's message to Moses. The Lord instructs Moses to speak to the sons of Israel and take twelve rods, one from the head of each tribe. Each leader is to write his name on his rod.
The rod belonging to the tribe of Levi is to have Aaron's name written on it. The reason for this is that the dispute in the previous chapter was to a certain extent about who was to be allowed to serve before the Lord. Korah and his followers had challenged Aaron's priesthood and God now wants to give a sign to the people of Israel to distinguish who has been chosen to serve as priest.
Moses is instructed to place the twelve rods in the tabernacle before the testimony, where God was to meet with Moses. God says that the rod whose owner God has chosen will blossom. This sign will settle the complaints of the Israelites against Moses and Aaron.
Moses follows the instructions of God and brings the twelve rods before the Lord and places them in the tabernacle.
The next day, Moses enters the tabernacle and sees the astonishing sight of Aaron's rod, representing the tribe of Levi, bring forth buds, have produced blossoms and grown ripe almonds. The other rods had not changed, but Aaron's rod had not only produced buds, but it had gone through the process of producing blossoms and had reached the stage of a ripe fruit.
The sign that God has given is that a dead piece of wood, the rod brought by Aaron, had come to life. It is not sufficient to note that Aaron's rod has produced buds, but it has gone through the entire process of producing blossoms and had reached the stage of a ripe fruit.
Moses then brings all the rods out from before the Lord and shows them to the Israelites. Each leader takes his own rod, but Aaron's rod is kept as God has instructed.
The Lord then instructs Moses to bring Aaron's rod back before the testimony, where it is to be kept as a sign for the children of rebellion so that the people will stop complaining against him, and not that they will not die.
The rod is thus not only a temporary miracle, but it also serves as a permanent reminder that God himself has chosen Aaron to act as priest. The Israelites will no longer need to argue and compete to take precedence of each other in claiming a position within the priesthood.
Verse 13 ends the chapter with the people expressing their fear. They tell Moses that they will die if anyone comes near the tabernacle and that they will be dead and buried. They have recognized the seriousness of coming near the tabernacle and the presence of God.
They ask whether everyone who comes near the tabernacle will die. Korah and his followers had protested against the leadership of Moses and Aaron and although they had been punished by God, the people still continued to complain. After a long series of events, where people have been punished for their complaints and disobedience, it is understandable that the people would fear coming near the tabernacle.
Numbers 17 is closely connected to the events in Numbers 16. Korah and his followers had challenged the authority of Moses and Aaron, and God had judged the rebellion, but the people continued to complain and God therefore gives a sign to settle the argument about Aaron's priesthood.
The choice of a rod to signify the authority of Aaron is significant, since a rod is simply a piece of wood. It is not possible for a rod, which has been separated from a living tree, to produce leaves, flower and fruit. By letting Aaron's rod come to life, God shows the power that He has.
The miracle also sets the boundary between authority and ambition. In this chapter, Aaron does not make his own claim to the priesthood. Instead, God reveals through a sign that Aaron and his descendants have been chosen to act as priests and the authority of Aaron is therefore not obtained through a contest between ambitious people, but it is a gift from God.
The almond blossoms and fruit also makes the sign that God has given memorable. The people are not left with a general idea or a vague message, but the sign is something that they can see with their own eyes. The rod is kept as a lasting testimony.
The chapter also shows the seriousness of the rebellions that the people have engaged in. After witnessing judgment, they fear that coming near God's presence will result in death and the people have a sense of danger in approaching anything that has a connection with God's presence.
Numbers 17 thus serves as a confirmation of the authority of Aaron and a warning to the people not to continue to rebel against Moses and Aaron, since this has resulted in many deaths.
The twelve tribes have rods, but only Aaron's rod blossoms and it is this sign that settles the issue that had caused so much conflict and controversy.
The sign that God has given through the budding rod also sets the stage for the instructions that Moses has received from God about the priests and Levites and the responsibilities that they have to the people of Israel. The responsibilities of Aaron and his descendants will be explained in more detail so that they know how they are to act when ministering to the people and dealing with the tabernacle and its furnishings. The budding rod provides the basis for these instructions by establishing the fact that Aaron and his descendants have been chosen to act as priests by God.