On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds.
Israel had just rebelled against Moses and Aaron. God settled the dispute with a miracle, not an argument. Twelve dead sticks lay before Him overnight, and one was alive by morning. Who does God choose to stand between Himself and a murmuring people? The answer came as buds, blossoms and ripe fruit on a branch that should have stayed dead.
Twelve Dead Sticks
Each tribal leader brought a rod with his own name on it. When Moses handed the rods back, the contrast showed what human standing is worth before God.
H. Forbes WitherbyThe twelve chief princes, in full view of their tribes, each brought his rod to Moses with his name written on it, and Moses wrote "Aaron's name on the rod of Levi." Moses laid these before the ark inside the Most Holy Place, where the tablets of the law were kept... Later he showed the rods to the princes. They looked, and each man took his rod — his lifeless stick of authority with his name on it. It was the declaration that mere human rule is useless in the things between man and God.
Why an Almond
The tree chosen for the sign was not random. Commentators read its Hebrew name in different ways, but each sense fits what happened overnight.
Morrish Bible DictionaryThe same word stands for both the tree and its fruit. It comes from a root meaning "to hasten." That fits, since it is the first tree to blossom, a forerunner of spring... Aaron's rod budded, blossomed, and yielded almonds in one night (Numbers 17:8). It is a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus coming out of His grave, perfect for His priestly work.
Life Where There Was None
The rods were all equally dead. What separated Aaron's was not its quality but the God who acted on it.
C. H. MackintoshStriking and beautiful figure of Him who was "declared to be the Son of God in power... by his resurrection from the dead"! All twelve rods were equally lifeless. But God, the living God, stepped in. By that power which belongs to Him alone, He put life into Aaron's rod and brought it out to view, bearing the fragrant fruits of resurrection.
Buds, Blossoms and Ripe Fruit Together
Three stages of growth showed up together on one branch. The timing carries a meaning far beyond Aaron.
Leslie M. GrantAll these were present at the same time. There was not only the promise of resurrection, but the full ripe fruit of resurrection. The almond (meaning "wakeful") is the earliest fruit to appear in Israel's springtime, and it points to the resurrection of Christ — "Christ the firstfruits" (1 Cor. 15:23). The almond is also the start of a great harvest. In the same way, the resurrection of Christ is the promise of the great resurrection of His saints. When He is called "the firstfruits," that verse at once adds, "then at his coming those who belong to Christ."
Fruit Only Through God's Chosen Priest
The budding rod did more than name the right man for that moment. It settled for good where acceptable fruit comes from.
William KellyIt was an undeniable sign that God had chosen the man. It was also a deeply meaningful token of the true place of priesthood, which was pictured here as founded on death and resurrection... The rod was not merely a way of stopping the plague when God's judgment was plain. It was the constant witness that real fruit fit for the sanctuary of God springs only from the priesthood God chose.
The Rod of Grace, Not of Power
Moses had a rod of his own. The difference between the two rods is the difference between judgment and mercy.
C. H. MackintoshMoses' rod was the expression of power and authority. Aaron's rod was the lovely expression of the grace that gives life to the dead. That grace calls the things that do not exist as though they did... Power could crush the rebel. Authority might strike the sinner. But only mercy and grace could meet the case of an assembly of needy, helpless, sinful men, women and children. The grace that could bring almonds out of a dead stick could bring Israel through the wilderness... The rod of authority could take away the murmurers; but the rod of grace could take away the murmurs.
Kept Both Ways
Later the rod went back before the testimony. It carried two messages at once.
The Bible TreasuryIt was a confirmation of Aaron in his office; it was also, as bearing blossoms and almonds, the assurance of mercy... But the rod had another side, for it was laid up as a token against the rebels (Num. 17:10). If it declares God's goodness, it also brings their sin to mind... The people saw the token, but not the grace of God.
Summary
- Dead — All twelve rods were cut, lifeless sticks. Eleven stayed dry, and that showed how little human authority counts before God.
- Chosen — Life on Aaron's rod alone was God's own verdict on who may draw near. The argument was over.
- Risen — A dead branch bearing fruit in one night pictures Christ, declared Son of God in power by resurrection and marked out as the true Priest.
- Fruitful — Buds, blossoms and ripe almonds speak of firstfruits and a harvest to follow. No fruit fit for God's sanctuary grows any other way than through the Priest He chose.
- Gracious — Moses' rod of authority could remove the murmurers. Aaron's rod of grace removed the murmuring, and that grace carries a failing people home.