Saturday, December 15, 2012
Miracles Of The Old Testament- Aaron's Rod Sprouts Blossoms And Almonds
Bible Lesson: Miracles Of The Old
Testament: Aaron's Rod Sprouts Blossoms And Almonds.
Occasion: Confirm Aaron's
position before Israel.
Location: Kadesh
Bible Text: Numbers 17:1-11 NLT
1 Then the Lord said to Moses,
2 “Tell the people of Israel to
bring you twelve wooden staffs, one from each leader of Israel’s
ancestral tribes, and inscribe each leader’s name on his staff.
3 Inscribe Aaron’s name on the
staff of the tribe of Levi, for there must be one staff for the
leader of each ancestral tribe.
4 Place these staffs in the
Tabernacle in front of the Ark containing the tablets of the
Covenant, where I meet with you.
5 Buds will sprout on the staff
belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to the
people’s murmuring and complaining against you.”
6 So Moses gave the instructions to
the people of Israel, and each of the twelve tribal leaders,
including Aaron, brought Moses a staff.
7 Moses placed the staffs in the
Lord’s presence in the Tabernacle of the Covenant.
8 When he went into the Tabernacle
of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron’s staff,
representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and
produced ripe almonds!
9 When Moses brought all the staffs
out from the Lord’s presence, he showed them to the people. Each
man claimed his own staff.
10 And the Lord said to Moses:
“Place Aaron’s staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant
to serve as a warning to rebels. This should put an end to their
complaints against Me and prevent any further deaths.”
11 So Moses did as the Lord
commanded him.
Constantly,
positions of honor and authority were challenged.
In chapter sixteen,
we saw how that Korah, Dathan, and Abiram had challenged the
authority of Moses and Aaron.. The ground opened up and swallowed them and their households. Alive they went into their graves.
And then fire from heaven fell on 250 of
their followers.
Did this stop the
people from their murmuring? No, it did not. Again a plague of death
swept through the people. Only the intercession of Moses and Aaron,
saved them.
Numbers 17:1-4
NLT (A test of Aaron's call and authority.)
1 Then the Lord said to Moses,
2 “Tell the people of Israel to
bring you twelve wooden staffs, one from each leader of Israel’s
ancestral tribes, and inscribe each leader’s name on his staff.
3 Inscribe Aaron’s name on the
staff of the tribe of Levi, for there must be one staff for the
leader of each ancestral tribe.
4 Place these staffs in the
Tabernacle in front of the Ark containing the tablets of the
Covenant, where I meet with you.
Now Aaron's
position was challenged before the people.
God choose a ways
and means that could not be refuted. He would ask for all the walking
staffs of the leaders of Israel. Their names must be applied to each
one, as for definite identification.
Numbers 17:5-7
NLT
5 Buds will sprout on the staff
belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to the
people’s murmuring and complaining against you.”
6 So Moses gave the instructions to
the people of Israel, and each of the twelve tribal leaders,
including Aaron, brought Moses a staff.
7 Moses placed the staffs in the
Lord’s presence in the Tabernacle of the Covenant.
Life, comes from
the life giver.
John 1:4 KJV
In Him was Life; and the Life was
the Light of men.
John 6:40 KJV
And this is the will of Him that
sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him,
may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last
day.
Our living God,
never walked away from a challenge, and neither will He today, if His
people stand strong on His behalf!
Malachi 3:10 KJV
"...prove
Me
(Put Me to the test! NLT) now
herewith, saith The LORD Of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows
of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room
enough to receive it.
Number 17:8,9
NLT
8 When he went into the Tabernacle
of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron’s staff,
representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and
produced ripe almonds!
9 When Moses brought all the staffs
out from the Lord’s presence, he showed them to the people. Each
man claimed his own staff.
Genesis 18:14
KJV (Abraham was 100 years old, and Sarah his wife, 90.)
Is any thing too hard for the LORD?
At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time
of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
Jeremiah 32:17
KJV
Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made
the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm,
and there is nothing too hard for thee:
Aaron's walking
staff, “budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds!”
Numbers 17:10,11
NLT
10 And the Lord said to Moses:
“Place Aaron’s staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant
to serve as a warning to rebels. This should put an end to their
complaints against Me and prevent any further deaths.”
11 So Moses did as the Lord
commanded him.
What a great lesson for Israel, and for us, to revere (To regard with
respect.) Godly individuals, called, and used of God.
What a shock to spiritual sensibilities, that many, churned out by
Godless realms of higher learning, seek the ministry as an attractive
means of “occupation.”
Ministry, in any form, is never an occupation, it is a heavenly
calling.
Many, never called, never willing to sacrifice, never willing for
higher spiritual demands, never willing for self-denial, etc. etc.,
are yet in the pulpit.
Lifeless pulpits, filled with bearers of educational merit, and
social popularity.
Is it any wonder why the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is
spiritually lifeless today?
Revelation
3:13-22 KJV
13 He that hath
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
14 And unto the
angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the
Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, The Beginning Of The Creation of
God;
15 I know thy
works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or
hot.
16 So then
because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee
out of My mouth.
17 Because thou
sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and
poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel
thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich;
and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of
thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve,
that thou mayest see.
19 As many
as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I
stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.
21 To him that
over cometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also
overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.
22 He that hath
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.