Contemplative Bible Reading

Numbers 17:10 (New Living Translation)

And the Lord said to Moses: “Place Aaron’s staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant to serve as a warning to rebels. This should put an end to their complaints against me and prevent any further deaths.”

In Numbers 16, we have the (hi)story of people who complained that Aaron was being favored too much by God. Their complaints led them to violate God’s instructions. The disobedience led to death.

Complaints to disobedience to death.

In chapter 17, we have the (hi)story of the staffs from the 12 tribes—old, old sticks that were all dead. Aaron’s old stick, however, blossomed to life overnight while all the other old sticks simply remained old, dead sticks.

God told them to put Aaron’s miraculous stick in front of the Ark of the Covenant. Leave it there all the time. When people thought of it, they thought of how complaints lead to death.

That old stick with blossoms on it would prevent death. Funny how God chooses simple, common things to teach heavenly, spiritual lessons.