AM Bible Study Group; July 7, 2010
Numbers 16:41-17:13
Theme: This passage shows us God’s vindication of the one He appointed to provide atonement for His people.
It wasn’t very long after the rebellion of Korah against Moses and Aaron (16:1-40)—in fact, only a day—before the congregation itself, in sympathy with Korah, also rebelled. In that first case, God had vindicated Aaron and his sons from their accusers as the ones to whom God gave the priesthood. And now, in this second case, God provides further vindication of them before the congregation—lest the congregation rebel against Him again.
I. THE ATONEMENT FOR REBELLION AGAINST GOD (16:41-50).
A. It was the day after the earth had opened up and swallowed the families of Dothan and Abiram (16:31-34), and the fire from the Lord consumed Korah and his two-hundred and fifty men (16:35), that the people gathered against Moses and Aaron and complained, "You have killed the people of the Lord" (16:41). It’s truly a marvel that they could so easily and so quickly forget that it wasn’t Moses and Aaron who had killed them, but the Lord Himself; and that it was because they had rebelled against God’s call of Moses and Aaron. But hardness of heart often blinds people to the truth about God’s just judgments.
B. Things began to take a dangerous turn; because we read that they congregation "gathered against Moses and Aaron" (v. 2)—suggesting that they were about to attack them. But it’s then that God stepped forward to justify His servants. The congregation turned to see that the cloud of the Lord covered the tabernacle—perhaps in a visual expression of His intention to protect His holy worship; and that the glory of the Lord Himself appeared to them. Moses and Aaron stepped forward; and it was then that the Lord warned them, "Get away from among this congregation that I may consume them in a moment" (v. 45; see also 16:21). Moses and Aaron fell down on their faces before the Lord for the third time in this series of events (see 16:4, 22), in order to plead for the people. What humbleness!
C. We’re not told that the Lord Himself told Moses what to do; but we can suspect that because he fell before the Lord, Moses received further instructions. He urged Aaron, "Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD. The plague has begun" (v. 46). We’re not told what the nature of this plague was; but it’s evident that it was spreading quickly as a judgment from God—so quickly, in fact, that it was visually evident where the dead ended and the living began. Aaron’s act of taking fire from the altar suggests an association with the atoning sacrifice made there; and the incense was a figure for the prayer of receptiveness to that atoning sacrifice.
D. Aaron did as he was told; and he stood between the people who had died of the plague and those who lived. Tragically, 14,700 people—in addition to those who died in the rebellion of Korah—also died in this plague. But note how, in this act, Aaron served as the one who stood between the just wrath of God and the guilt of the people. What a picture Aaron was of our Lord Jesus Christ; who is the Mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5).
II. GOD’S VINDICATION OF AARON’S PRIESTHOOD (17:1-13).
A. When the atonement was made, and the plague stopped, God then commanded an action that would help vindicate the priesthood of Aaron from those who were rebelling against it; so that God would thus rid Himself "of the complaints of the children of Israel" which they were making against Moses and Aaron (17:5). Moses was to gather a rod from each leader of each of the tribes. (Note, interestingly, that the Hebrew word for "rod" can also be translated "tribe".) The names of the leaders of each of the tribes would be written on their rod—which would have had the effect of guaranteeing to each one of the leaders that nothing had been done to tamper with their rod. Then the rods were to be set inside the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. "And it shall be", God promised, "that the rod of the man whom I choose will blossom".
B. This was done according to God’s command; and the rods were placed inside the tabernacle. On the next day, the rods were all brought out; and Aaron’s rod—the rod of the house of Levi—had sprouted, put forth buds, had blossoms, and even yielded ripe almonds (see Jeremiah 1:11-12; where the branch of the almond is presented as a picture of God’s watchfulness over His own word). What a vivid vindication! No doubt, each leader examined the rods carefully; and saw that Aaron’s rod truly had blossomed abundantly—life miraculously brought forth from that which was dead!
C. God commanded that Aaron’s rod be placed inside the ark of the testimony as a permanent sign (see Hebrews 9:4). Note that three things were inside the ark: (1) the tablets of the law which condemned men as sinners, (2) the pot of manna, which indicated God’s gracious provision, and (3) the budding rod of Aaron, which indicated who it is that God had appointed for the provision of atonement. Jesus is pictured in this for as as the one through whom God has provided for our atonement—being identified to us through the resurrection from the dead (see Acts 17:30-31; Romans 1:4).
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The people clearly got the message. They greatly feared that they would die (17:12-13)—saying much the same sort of things as they said at the giving of the law (Exodus 20:18-20). When we see that God has provided an atonement for our sins, we realize that we are sinners and truly needed a Savior! Praise God that He has provided a Savior in Jesus (Hebrews 4:14-16). But let no one take it upon himself or herself to provide for their own atonement—because that would be rebellion against God!