Numbers 17:5
The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites. (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Numbers 17:1-13
We are moving into the Book of Numbers in our study. The Israelites are still in the wilderness and they are becoming rebellious. In the prior chapter, God sent a plague that killed 14,700 Israelites to stamp out a rebellion. But it only seemed to temporarily subdue things so now God is going to give them a visual confirmation that He has chosen Aaron as his leader.
Moses was instructed to take a staff from the leader of each of the twelve tribes of Israel. God said, “The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites” (Num 17:5). They placed each staff in front of the Ark of the Covenant until the next day. The next day when Moses entered the tent, Aaron’s staff “had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds” (Num 17:8). From that point forward, Aaron’s staff was to be kept in front of the Ark of the Covenant to prevent future rebellions.
Aaron’s staff is symbolic of Jesus and is connected to another couple of prophecies in Isaiah:
- “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit” (Isa 11:1). - “He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground” (Isa 53:2).
Aaron’s staff was cut off from a living tree yet it sprouted life. Likewise, Jesus was cut off from God, the source of life, when he was crucified. Yet three days later he came to life and was resurrected.
When Aaron’s rod sprouted, it was a sign that God had chosen him as His leader. This was done to settle all disputes within the Israelite community since Aaron was God’s chosen vessel. In the same way, Jesus was God’s chosen one – His only son. Jesus’ resurrection settled all disputes that he was in fact the Christ and High Priest.
Once Aaron’s staff had been shown to the Israelites, it was placed in the Holy of Holies in the presence of God. And again like the staff, Jesus returned to the presence of God in heaven after revealing himself to his followers.
Christ in the Old Testament 
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