Numbers 17:1-5 - The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelites, and get twelve staffs
from them, one for each ancestral house, from all the leaders of their
ancestral houses. Write each man's name on his staff, and write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi.
For there shall be one staff for the head of each ancestral house. Place them in the tent of meeting before the
covenant, where I meet with you. And the staff of the man whom I choose shall
sprout; thus I will put a stop to the complaints of the Israelites that they
continually make against you.
God destroyed the leaders of the rebellion…but not the
idea. The seed had been planted in the hearts
of so many people that the destruction of nearly 15,000 people did not quiet
the murmurs against Moses. So God decided to use his supernatural power to establish
once and for all who he had chosen for his high priest with an object of
authority to them all…the rod of leadership they carried for each tribe.
These rods were probably just old staffs….dead wood to be
sure…aged and used to walk…shepherd the sheep and animals…but God would make
one of them sprout with life. Placed near his presence in the Holy of Holies...the
rods laid near the ark…overnight….until Moses was called to enter the next day…and
witness the power of God to choose who he wants to be his intercessor.
Moses probably wasn’t surprised to see the rod of Aaron so
vibrant with life. Maybe he was even relieved that he had been carrying out God’s
plan properly all along…a sort of confirmation in the midst of all the
accusations that he had been over stepping his bounds. Who knows what he
expected to see…but I am sure that his expression of wonder and awe at not just
buds…but beautiful almond blossoms and ripe fruit…on a piece of dead wood...not
even given life sustaining water…had to have made his heart leap with joy
behind that veil.
Great thing about this story is that we are all able to
choose God now. If we write God’s name on the rods we carry in our own life…and
place them in his presence…he can do supernatural things with our rods too. He takes our dead hearts and places his love
inside…and creates in us new buds of hope…that blossom into a strong
faith. And if we feed that faith his
word on a consistent basis…and turn the resources he has blessed us with over
to his guiding…and pray for his direction…he ripens the fruit so that we bring
new people into the kingdom.
Father…my rod has been pretty self-centered as of late.
Forgive me for allowing life to trick me into that familiar pity party that
steeps my soul in selfish desires to make life easier…with more things that
comfort me in my loneliness or keep me from putting forth the effort that you
deserve. Help me to put self aside and use the rod you placed in my hands to
serve you instead of myself. Come near
to me this morning and help me to embrace my true calling…to search for ways to
spread your love to others…and be the best I can be at all you have called me
to do. Take the rod in my hand and sprout on it new growth…and blossoms that
others will see and know you placed there for them….so that more ripe fruit will
be ready for your kingdom when you come soon. Amen.
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