Aaron's Rod Bursts Into a Tree

By Mary Vee
Numbers 17

Eleazar's Thoughts

Uncle Moses came out of the Tabernacle this morning and spoke with my dad.  Since I'm a priest in training, Dad invited me to many of their talks. 

The wrinkles on Uncle Moses' forehead pushed down. I wondered what deep thoughts he had. The people had rebelled against God, Moses, and now several men wanted my dad's job. Uncle Moses sighed. "Aaron, God has decided to show the people who He chose as head priest. He's tired of their complaining."

Dad groaned. "Not anything bad, is it?"

Uncle Moses shook his head. "No. The Lord wants us to call the people--"  He stopped and turned to me. "Eleazar, gather the people in the meeting place while I tell Aaron the Lord's instructions."

I raced down the hill to each family leader. "Go to the meeting place. Uncle Moses has a message."  Surprisingly, the families hurried. Maybe they're finally willing to listen to him.

Uncle Moses's eyes drooped; he hadn't slept well. "The Lord asks each family to bring their rod."  The eleven leaders pushed through the crowd and held out their almond rods to him. 

"Now write your name on it." Each man wrote his name then set their rod on the ground. 

Uncle Moses turned to Aaron, "You need to write your name for the tribe of Levi on your rod and put it here, too." Dad did as Uncle Moses asked then stepped back.

"The rods will be taken into the inner part of the Tabernacle and laid in front of the Ark of the Covenant. Tomorrow morning they will be brought out to you. The rod with blossoms will belong to the man God has chosen as head of the priesthood."

We all watched Uncle Moses scoop up the twelve family rods, including Dad's, and carry them into the Tabernacle.  When he came out empty handed, everyone returned to their chores.

The next morning, the whole camp met Uncle Moses at the meeting place. We watched him get the rods from the Tabernacle.  It was easy to see one had blossoms, but no one knew who it belonged to. The family leaders whispered, "I think it's my rod." "No, that's my rod."

Uncle Moses set the rods on the ground.  He picked up the one that had blossomed, turned it sideways and read the name. "Aaron."

The family leaders must not have believed him. They rushed forward to see the rod. They turned the rod up and down and side to side then read the name "Aaron."

Each man shuffled through the pile of rods and found his own. They felt along the wood of their rod to confirm it was truly theirs.

One man shouted. "Moses sneaked into the Tabernacle to switched Aaron's rod for this one."

I knew it wasn't true. Uncle Moses rolled his eyes. "Look again. Tell me what you see."

The leaders looked closer. "Oh, there's blossoms here and fruit over here.  No branch has blossoms AND fruit at the same time. Moses couldn't have found a rod like this. Only the Lord could make a branch with both blossoms and fruit. God has chosen Aaron as priest."

**********************

Here is a freebie for you--do you want to know more about the rods in this story?

R. K. Harrison wrote, "Why the Levites chose an almond branch is uncertain; it may have constituted an unofficial tribal emblem. The almond is one of the earliest trees to blossom after winter, and its beautiful clusters of white flowers, which precede the growth of the leaves, is a welcome harbinger of spring. It blooms in Palestine about the beginning of February, and there as elsewhere it brings joy in the promise of new life," p. 244   Exegetical Commentary on Numbers, Copywrite 1992, Baker Book House Company, P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

**********************
1. What did God want the leaders to do?

2. Why did He ask the leaders to do that?

3. Whose job did the leaders want?

4. What happened to Aaron's rod?
5. How did the leaders know for sure that God changed Aaron's rod?
6. What did you learn from this story?

Thank you Pastor Kaufman for helping me with today's research. :)

God's Plan, the First Step to Freedom

By Mary Vee
Exodus 7:8-13

Aaron glanced at the guard then back at Moses.  "Well, here we are again, Moses. Do you think Pharaoh will listen this time?"

Moses rolled his eyes. "There's only one way we could have seen Pharaoh. It certainly wasn't anything we did.  God is with us. Now, do you remember everything I told you?"

Aaron nodded.

The door suddenly opened. A servant stepped into the hall. "Pharaoh will see them now, although I can't understand why."

The guard laughed.  "Pharaoh is playing with them.  He knows they can't do anything." He pushed Moses and Aaron into the room then toward the front.

Pharaoh nodded to the brothers, giving them permission to speak.

Moses gave his brother a signal to go ahead. Aaron stood straight and looked into Pharaoh's eyes. "God has commanded you to send the children of Israel out of this land." 

Pharaoh's laugh echoed in the room. "Who is this God who thinks He can order me?  And who are you to deliver such a message?" He folded his arms and walked a few steps toward an advisor, whispered a few words then walked back. "Show me a miracle."

Moses turned to Aaron, "Take your rod and throw it on the ground before Pharaoh and let it become a serpent."

Aaron leaned over toward his brother. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. This is what God said to do."

Aaron threw his rod on the ground before Pharaoh.  It bounced once then slithered to the left then slid to the right. Servants from all around the room jumped back and huddled near the wall.  A guard leaped in front of Pharaoh as the serpent raised itself.  The serpant slid it's head side to side.

"Move aside, guard." Pharaoh clapped his hand twice.  "Magicians, sorcerers turn your rods into serpents."

A group of men moved toward the front of the room. They smiled at one another and said a few strange words then threw their rods on the ground before Pharaoh.  A moment later each rod turned into a serpent slithering to the left and right.

Pharaoh laughed.  "My magicians can do what you do?  I'm not im-"

Before he finished his sentence, the serpent from Aaron's rod swallowed the serpents from the magician's rods. Pharaoh squinted his eyes and glared at his magicians.  "You have disappointed me."

Moses told Aaron to pick the serpent up by the tail.  Aaron blinked twice. "Really?" 

"Yes, this is what God said to do."

Aaron scooped up the serpent's tail and found his rod stiff in his hand.  The guards, servants, and magicians burst into chatter. 

Pharaoh paced before the crowd.  "Silence!"  He raised his hands. "You--Moses and Aaron--will leave my presence.  I will not let the children of Israel go."

Once outside Pharaoh's palace Aaron turned to Moses. "Well, that didn't go very well."

Moses smiled and slapped his brother on the back.  "True, but God knew this would happen.  He has a  plan to show everyone in Egypt who He really is. The next step in his plan will take place tomorrow morning."

**************

Moses understands now that God's plan to help the children of Israel will take time.

Find the answers to these questions in today's story:

1. Who visited Pharaoh?
2. What did Pharaoh ask them to do?
3. What miracle did Moses and Aaron do in God's name?
4. Who else did this same miracle?
5. What did Aaron's serpent do to the other serpents?
6. Did Pharaoh listen to Moses and Aaron?
7. What lesson did Moses learn?