
The Israelites were constantly grumbling against Moses. God said, “Moses, get me twelve staffs, one from each tribe. The staff that sprouts belong’s to the man I have chosen.”
Aaron in Hebrew means: mountain of strength.
The kept up their grumbling saying to Moses “we will die” just after God said, “they would not now die.”
Aaron and his sister had just finished having an encounter with the Most High God. When they themselves had grumbled against Moses.
Background Reading:
The Budding of Aaron’s Staff
17:1 The LORD instructed Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelis to take a rod—one from each ancestral house, that is, one from every leader, for a total of twelve rods. Write each tribal name on his rod. 3 You are also to write Aaron’s name on the tribe of Levi, since there is to be one rod for every leader of their ancestral tribes.
4 “Then lay them there in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Ark of the Covenant where I’ll meet with you. 5 The rod that belongs to the man whom I’ll choose will burst into bloom. That’s how I’ll put a stop to the complaints of the Israelis, who are complaining against you.”
6 So Moses spoke to the Israelis, and each of the tribe leaders gave him a rod, one for each leader, according to their ancestral tribes, for a total of twelve rods. Aaron’s rod was one of them. 7 Then Moses laid out the rods in the LORD’S presence, inside the Tent of Testimony. 8 The next morning, Moses went to the Tent of Testimony and the rod of Aaron of the tribe of Levi had burst into bloom! It sprouted buds, bloomed blossoms, and produced fully ripe almonds! 9 Then Moses took out all the rods from the LORD’s presence to show all the Israelis. Everybody looked, and then each man took his rod.
10 Then the Lord instructed Moses, “Return Aaron’s rod before the testimony to be kept for a reminder against the rebels so that you may put an end to their complaints against me and so that they won’t die.”1:1
11 So Moses did exactly what the LORD had commanded him to do. 12 Then the Israelis told Moses, “We’re sure to die! We’re all going to perish—all of us! 13 Anyone who comes near or approaches the LORD’s tent is to die. Are all of us going to die?”
Numbers 17:1-13
Other modules in this unit:
- Life of Moses – Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
- 300-year gap between Joseph and Moses, Exodus 1:1-14
- First 40 years of the life of Moses, Exodus 2:1-15
- Thutmose 1 the Pharaoh or king of Egypt, Exodus 1:1-22
- Miriam kept eye on Moses after he had been placed as a baby in a boat, Exodus 2:1-10
- Second set of 40 years, Exodus 2:11 – 7:7
- God spoke to Moses out of a burning bush, Exodus 3:1-3
- Moses was asked to take off his sandals by God, Exodus 3:4-22 & 4:1-17
- The third set of 40 years, Exodus 7:8-13 – Deuteronomy 34:12
- Aaron’s Staff becomes a Snake, Exodus 7:8-13
- The ten plagues of Egypt, Exodus 7:14-12:30
- Firstborn die, Exodus 11:1-10
- Passover commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, Exodus 12:1-10
- Moses the friend of God
- Pillar of Cloud by Day, Exodus 13:20-22
- Pillar of fire by night, Exodus 13:20-22
- The Chariots of the Egyptian army, Exodus 14:1-31
- Moses crosses the Red Sea, Exodus 14:1-31
- Moses’ older sister Miriam sings a song, Exodus 15:1-21
- Waters of Marah and Elim, Exodus 15:22-27
- Manna means ‘What Is It’?, Exodus 16:1-36
- Water from The Rock at Massah, Exodus 17:1-7
- Moses at Mount Sinai, Exodus 19:1-25
- The Ten Commandments or 10 Laws of God, Exodus 20:1-17
- The Three Annual Feasts of God, Exodus 23:14-19
- The Feast of Passover, Numbers 28:16-31
- Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, Numbers 28:26-31
- Feast of trumpets or Feast of Shofars, Numbers 29:1-40
- The Golden Calf the idol made by Aaron, Exodus 32:1-35
- Moses with the New Stone Tablets, Exodus 34:1-35
- 1st five of the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:1-12
- 2nd five of the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:1-21
- Ark of God – Exodus 25:10-22 & 37:1-9
- The High Priest of Israel, Exodus 39:1-31
- Tabernacle, Exodus 39:32-43 & 40:1-38
- Aaron and Miriam oppose Moses, Numbers 12:1-16
- Exploring Canaan by 12 spies, Numbers 13:1-33
- 37 years in the wilderness, Numbers 14:33-34
- Aaron’s Rod that budded, Numbers 17:1-13
- Speak to the Rock “Give Water”, Numbers 20:1-13
- Death of Aaron, Numbers 20:22-29
- The Bronze Snake, Numbers 21:4-9
- Balak Summons Balaam, Numbers 22:1-24:25
- Six cities of Refuge for Israel, Numbers 35:1-34 & Deuteronomy 4:41-43
- Daughters of Zelophehad, Numbers 36:1-12
- Moses Blesses the Tribes with Three Sermons, Deuteronomy 33:1-29
- Moses lived for 120 years, Deuteronomy 34:1-12
- Caleb was the son of Jephunneh, Numbers 14:26-38
- Joshua – The Fall of Jericho, Joshua 5:13-15 & 6:1-27
- Questions and Answers 1-16
- Questions and Answers 17-32
- Questions and Answers 33-49
- Time Line for Life of Moses
- Background Information – Life of Moses
- Next Module – Judges or rulers of Israel
- Resources – Life of Moses
- The Jewish Festival of Sukkot
- Yom Kippur, means “Day of Atonement”
- Rosh Hashanah or Yom Teruah (The Day of the Sounding of Shofar)