The Lord said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.” Moses did just as the Lord commanded him. - Numbers 17:10-11
Sometimes I read things in the Bible and I agree with them because they match up with my moral sensibilities. Sometimes I agree with things because they match up with the laws around me. But ultimately reading Scripture is an exercise in receiving something which is beyond us. Sometimes we read things in here and we wrestle to listen to them not because they make sense or seem good but because they are from God.
As I'm reading through Numbers, a pattern is beginning to emerge among the people of Israel. They are being protected by the Father and provided for by him as they are in the desert. However every so often they seem to forget about him or they start to behave like spoiled children unable to see what the Father is doing. They did not believe they would be able to enter the promised land. They complained about the food and asked for meat. They resent Aaron's place in the priesthood. Ultimately they don't seem to respect God's authority or his faithfulness here.
If you were a parent (or if you want to abstract this even more, if you were God leading a band of wandering former slaves through the desert). Your response to this kind of attitude might be to reassure your child of your goodness and remind them of all the things you've done for them. That often happens. God reminds his people of what he has done for them. But I think at some point there is a moment when they simply need to accept that God tells them what to do because he is God.
In this story that is sort of what happens. God says "look, you're doubting who I've chosen to set up your worship of me and your working relationship with me. It's Aaron and just to make sure that's clear give me a bunch of staffs made out of dead sticks. If one buds with live branches that's the one that I've picked." All the tribes gather their staffs and when they go look in the morning, not only is Aaron's the only one that's budded, but it's also flowered and produced a few ripe almonds. There are signs and then there are signs so obvious that it's almost like God is beating you over the head with it. This is one of those cases.
Sometimes we listen to God because we want to, but there also comes a time where God just gets to be God. That's what I take away from this story.
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