Numbers 17:1-11
“AND THE Lord spake unto Moses saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers,... twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod. And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi:... And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom”
In the last chapter Aaron, standing between the dead and the living till the plague was stayed, is a wonderful picture of Christ standing between His people and the angel of death. Now in Aaron’s rod, laid up before God and then bursting forth into life, we have another lovely type of Christ as the One who has lain in death but has risen out of it in resurrection power. He went into death in order that He might burst its bands, He has forever rolled away the stone, but more than this, He has forever freed His own held captive in the chains of death. Now He gives eternal life to whomsoever He will.
The Lord Jesus went into the strong man’s house (death), bound him and spoiled his goods (Matt. 10:29). Now He has the keys of hell and of death. In Hebrews 2:14-17 we read, “that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them, who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage... that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God.” Heb. 2:14-17. What a glorious Saviour we have! He alone is worthy and fitted to be God’s High Priest and to sit upon the throne of His glory!
Aaron’s rod that budded, bloomed blossoms and yielded almonds spoke of God’s grace and goodness; it was also an assurance of His mercy. But it was also “to be kept for a token against the rebels” as a reminder of their sin. When the Lord Jesus came to this earth He was rejected by His people and He went back to heaven. His presence there is a “token against the rebels” now.
Just as Aaron’s rod, laid up in the ark was hidden from the eyes of Israel, so is Christ hidden from their view now. But after the Church is gathered home to heaven, He will appear again to the remnant of His people who will receive Him in that day. No longer will there be the token against them, for their sins and iniquities He will remember no more. He will quite take away their murmurings, and Israel will bear fruit to God.
In Aaron’s rod, breaking forth into life and fruitfulness, we are reminded of the words of the Lord Jesus: “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” John 12:24. He was that grain of wheat that has brought forth much fruit to God. And this same gospel tells us that we who now have this same resurrection life in Him are chosen and ordained to bring forth much fruit to the Father’s praise and His glory. “He that abideth in Me, and I in Him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.” (Chap. 15:5).
ML-12/09/1973