AARON'S STICK BUDDED (NUM.17)
And YAHUSHA said to Moses, “Tell the people of Yisharal to bring you twelve wooden walking-sticks, one from each leader of Yisharal’s ancestral tribes, and make sure you write each leader’s name on their stick. This includes Aaron’s stick too (for the tribe of Levi) and make sure his name is written too, for there must be one stick from each tribe. Then put all these sticks in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark which contains the tablets of the Blood-Covenant Witness, you know, the place where I meet with you. Then buds will sprout on the staff of the man who I choose to lead Yisharal, finally putting an end to the people’s bitter murmuring and complaining against you.”
CONCERNING KORAH’S REBELLION, THERE WAS STILL ONE KEY ISSUE THAT NEEDED TO BE SETTLED: WHO INDEED WERE YAHUSHA’S TRUE SET-APART SERVANTS? THE LEVITES OR ONE OF THE OTHER HEBREW TRIBES? SO IN ORDER TO SETTLE THIS IN A ONCE AND FOR ALL OBJECTIVE MANNER, YAHUSHA DEVISED THE TEST OF THE WALKING STICKS (ROD OR STAFF). WHY STAFFS? IN ANCIENT MIDDLE EASTERN CULTURE, THE OWNER OF THE STAFF WAS THE ONE WHO POSSESSED OWNERSHIP OF A GIVEN TRIBE’S LEADERSHIP AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE OFFICIAL STAFF PER TRIBE AND IT WAS THE TRIBAL PRINCE WHO CARRIED OWNERSHIP OVER IT.
So Moses gave these instructions to the people and each of the twelve tribal leaders (including Aaron) brought their walking-sticks to Moses, who took them into YAHUSHA’S presence in the Tabernacle. And `low and behold’ when he went into the Tabernacle the next day, he saw that Aaron’s staff (representing the tribe of Levi) had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds! GAME OVER DUDES!
THIS WAS GOING TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT TEST AND WE’RE TALKING ABOUT 13 WALKING STICKS (BECAUSE THE TRIBE OF LEVI WAS SEPARATED AWAY FROM THE YISHARAL AND JOSEPH WAS MADE INTO THE TWO TRIBES OF MENASSEH AND EPHRAIM). THE SYMBOLISM BEING PRESENTED HERE IS AMAZING BECAUSE BY PLACING THE WALKING STICKS BEFORE THE ARK, THE 12 TRIBES (AND LEVI) WERE ESSENTIALLY SURRENDERING THEIR WILLS TO YAHUSHA SO THAT HIS DECISION AND DESIRE WOULD BE EXPRESSED TO THEM. AND HOW EXACTLY WOULD HE GIVE THEM THIS DECISION? THE TRIBAL WALKING STICK THAT SPROUTED, PRODUCED BLOSSOMS (AND EVEN FULLY FORMED ALMONDS) WOULD BE THE TRIBE WHICH YAHUSHA HAD CHOSEN.
So Moses excitedly brought all the walking-sticks out to show them to the people, and each leader took back his own staff. Then YAHUSHA said to Moses, “Go and put Aaron’s staff next to the Ark of the Blood-Covenant Witness permanently as a reminder and warning to any rebels who should arise and this should put an end to their complaints against Me and prevent any further deaths.” So Moses did.
Then the people of Yisharal were cut to the heart, crying out to Moses, “Look, we’re all doomed! We’re dead! Toast! Ruined! Everyone who even comes close to the Tabernacle of Yahuah dies. What’s the point then? It’s hopeless! Are we all supposed to die out here like this?”
THIS WAS GOING TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT TEST AND WE’RE TALKING ABOUT 13 WALKING STICKS (BECAUSE THE TRIBE OF LEVI WAS SEPARATED AWAY FROM THE YISHARAL AND JOSEPH WAS MADE INTO THE TWO TRIBES OF MENASSEH AND EPHRAIM). THE SYMBOLISM BEING PRESENTED HERE IS AMAZING BECAUSE BY PLACING THE WALKING STICKS BEFORE THE ARK, THE 12 TRIBES (AND LEVI) WERE ESSENTIALLY SURRENDERING THEIR WILLS TO YAHUSHA SO THAT HIS DECISION AND DESIRE WOULD BE EXPRESSED TO THEM. AND HOW EXACTLY WOULD HE GIVE THEM THIS DECISION? THE TRIBAL WALKING STICK THAT SPROUTED, PRODUCED BLOSSOMS (AND EVEN FULLY FORMED ALMONDS) WOULD BE THE TRIBE WHICH YAHUSHA HAD CHOSEN.
