The vernal blooming of an almond tree.

In reading through Jude once again I was reminded of the issues of rebellion that Moses and Aaron had to endure from a rebellious, murmuring  people that were led to come against God by men from both a religious and worldly rebellion. Jude’s warning against apostates took me back to Numbers and the challenges to God brought against Moses and Aaron from Korah and then by a mob after its ringleaders were destroyed and the miracle God performed to end it.

The first religious rebellion that we are familiar with came from a spark generated by the tribe of Reuben out of jealousy. The tribe considered itself more important than they were and they resented the fact that God had given the rights of the firstborn to Judah and Joseph because of Reuben’s sin of laying with his father’s concubine – Bilhah – and Jacob’s subsequent final words to him (Gen 35:22; 49:3-4). The resentment finally boiled over when his decedent, Korah, and 250 leaders confronted Moses and Aaron

Num 16:3 They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”

The Word tells us that rather than respond directly to the challenge, Moses and Aaron fell on their faces and interceded for the nation. God responded and we all know the result. As Moses finished delivering God’s Word…

Num 16:31-33 Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. 33 So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.

The second worldly rebellion took place just 24 hours later, in the face of God’s judgment!

You would think that in the face of such a spectacular display of God’s judgement that the people would get the message. But, just like today, 24 hours can easily dismiss a lesson that is ignored or chosen not to be learned. Just as in the case of Israel, apostasy dies hard today, even when its ringleaders are destroyed their influence lives on. We see it in the church today is so many places where God is no longer worshiped, honored and obeyed because of who He is… He is used to further self-interest!

Num 16:41 On the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.”

And what was God’s immediate response?

Num 16:43-45 Then Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of meeting. 44 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment…“ 

And what did Moses and Aaron do once again?

Num 16:46 So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun.”

God’s men once again immediately began to intercede on behalf of the people in prayer; “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it.

Now, as I thought about these two instances of rebellion and the response from the “men of God,” I thought how so many times when personally challenged that my initial response was to defend myself instead of turning to God as my defender. And I wonder in how many of those instances God might have taken action that was like the action He took on behalf of Aaron? How He clearly and undeniably stood behind and honored His chosen leader. We all know the miracle He performed but what I never really saw before was the underlying message He delivered beyond validation Aaron’s leadership.

Remember how He had all the 12 tribes bring a rod to Moses and those rods were placed in the tabernacle overnight and in the morning Aaron’s dead rod was the only one…

Num 17:8 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.

I spent some time in my library researching that miracle to understand why God chose the dead rod to bring froth new life because God never does a miracle without a message behind the obvious to minister to us today. In this case is restated His support for Aaron but it represented something else for us today. When we allow God to defend us we will also see the miracle of buds, blossoms and ripe almonds. Let me share some encouraging thoughts from John Philips concerning the ministry of reconciliation to which He has called His bride:

All that the apostate can produce – whether in the seminary, the pulpit, or the convention headquarters – is his own deadness. On the other hand, the anointed servant of God, in the power of the Holy Spirit, sees life spring forth under his ministry. Buds! Blossoms!
[Ripe] Almonds! Fresh life in Christ. Fragrant life in Christ. Fruitful life in Christ. All of these stated of this new, divine, supernatural life are produced when ministry is of God and the result of the Holy Spirit’s activity. 

If you read on to the conclusion of the miracle you will note that at the end of the day Aaron had no rod in his hand. It was surrendered to the Ark of the Covenant where it was covered by the Mercy Seat in the presence of God’s glory. And when ever the people saw Aaron leading without a rod in his hand their thoughts were directed to where that rod was. That “living rod” was inside the veil in God’s presence. That was the kind of ministry Aaron wielded and we should take that lesson to heart as we walk through this life, partnering with Jesus in “His ministry.” As His bride we no longer need the rod of self-righteousness because we hold the “living rod” inside us, within the “Temple of the Holy Spirit.” We carry His righteousness inside us and we need to remember to let that righteousness override our self-righteousness and lead us each time man tries to challenge it… Buds, Blossoms and Almonds!