Learn how God vindicates his own; beware of a bad reaction

Text Numbers 17 Time 23/09/12 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

I want us to look this evening at Numbers 17. This is a fairly well known passage as it is in this chapter that the origins of one of the items in the ark of the covenant is revealed – Aaron's rod that budded.

As is often the case in the Old Testament, there are certain barriers to our benefiting from this particular chapter. Most of these difficulties are quite minor. We tend not to go about with staffs in our hands, unless we are bent on a mountain climb, whereas such items were much more common in an earlier time when for most people walking was the only way of getting about. In this particular story the staffs may well have been ceremonial ones, as today you would see a crozier or a sceptre being carried. We know I'm sure that there were 12 tribes in Israel at this time though that can be 13 if we take Ephraim and Manasseh as two tribes and that the tribe of Levi was the priestly tribe and that Aaron from that tribe was the High Priest. The priesthood served at the Tent of meeting or Tabernacle in the desert within which was the ark of the covenant. An almond tree in blossom looks fairly similar to a cherry blossom.

We need to bear in mind too that this chapter follows on from the previous one where we are told about the rebellion of certain men and their judgement and the grumbling of the people. The way God tests and vindicates his people will usually appear formal than the way it works out here. Otherwise there should not be too many difficulties.

1. Consider how God tests those who profess to be his people

We read first in verses 1-5 how

The LORD said to Moses, Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff. On the staff of Levi write Aaron's name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you. The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.

So that is exactly what happened (6, 7) Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron's staff was among them. (that seems to suggest 12 tribes plus Aaron as it was) Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the covenant law.

So here it is a very formal test and the intention is to prove exactly which of the twelve tribes and which tribal leader is the one who should serve God in the tabernacle. The intention is to silence the grumbling spirit among the tribes.

Now today such a test would not be possible. However, God still has his ways of curbing grumbling from those who profess to be his people but are not. He conducts tests that expose where those who have eyes to see are able to see where the truth lies.

He may bring persecution or he may bring the test of popularity and wealth. All sorts of tests are sent to test the professing people of God and to make clear who is true.

2. Consider how God vindicates those who are truly his

In verses 8-11 we see the vindication and its sequel.

Vindication

In verses 8 and 9 we read

The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron's staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the LORD's presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff.

God's servant is completely vindicated. The rod not only buds, which is impossible, but blossoms which is even more impossible and produces almonds! Only an amazing act of creativity and providence could bring about such an extraordinary thing. Certainly the priesthood then was not nor the ministry now to be treated as a mere point of honour or earthly gain. Fruitfulness was to be sought in God' service as almond followed blossom and blossom followed bud. Christ himself is spoken of as a fruitful branch out of dry ground. Life from something dead must speak of the resurrection.

Perhaps there is a lesson in the fruitfulness here - the test of a man's ministry before God.

Again and again God vindicates his servants in such ways. When I was student people often bemoaned the teachings of Marx and Sartre and Freud. They seemed to be formidable figures. But few people hold quite so much store by such men now as they once did. Yes, people still promote Darwin but their time will come too and all who oppose Christ in one way or another.

Think of how in the history of churches in this country like this one over the last hundred years or so, as you know, there was a strong movement towards liberal or modernist views. People started saying that the Bible couldn't be trusted and that Jesus wasn't born of a virgin nor did he literally rise from the dead. We expect that from the world but these people claimed still to be Christians, indeed that nothing had really changed in what they were saying.

Now generally speaking liberal or modernist churches have disappeared. Some remain but most have gone. They stopped preaching the gospel and so no-one was converted and although they survived as social clubs for a while, and in some instances continue to survive, they eventually disappeared. The lampstand was removed.

Or think how many people go forward at evangelistic campaigns or perhaps as school children claim to be converted at camp and it all comes to nothing. The interviewer David Frost was the son of a Methodist preacher in Kent and he himself began to train to be a lay Methodist preacher and went forward at a Billy Graham evangelistic crusade. He does not profess to be a believer, however. The tests of time soon sifted him out.

I was reading about a famous rock and blues guitarist recently (Eric Clapton). It says about him that after a performance one night two young Christians came backstage and prayed with him. He says that he saw a blinding light and was converted. He went round telling everyone he was converted.

I'm sure I remember reading about it.

However, within a year he was addicted to heroin. After kicking it, he moved on to alcohol, sexual promiscuity and a string of failed relationships. "Bad choices were my speciality," he said. He would still claim to have some sort of faith but there is no real evidence for him being born again.

God has his ways of testing the reality of a person's faith and although there is inevitably some doubt from time to time, again and again he vindicates his people, sometimes in quite extraordinary ways.

To take another example, there is the way for a long time, to the embarrassment and sadness of professing Christians in the scholarly world there was a long period in the nineteenth century when scorn was poured on Luke as a historian by many writers. Eventually, of course, he was vindicated. Sir William Ramsay wrote

"Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy; he is possessed of the true historic sense … In short, this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians."

Of course, the chief vindication is that before God the one that will come on the final day of judgement.

Remembrance

In verses 10 and 11 we read how

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.

The rod was later actually placed inside the ark along with the commandments and a pot of manna. They were reminders that God's people were ruled and taught and fed in the desert. Today God also rules over his people and teaches them the truth and provides for them.

Its purpose was to act as a sign to the rebellious and bring an end to grumbling. It is in this way that church history can often be utilised, to show people that the trouble they are facing are not new and that God has vindicated his servants in the past.

3. Avoid having the wrong reaction to such things

One would be tempted to think that this was the end of the story but what happens? Amazingly, we read in verses 12 and 13 that The Israelites said to Moses, We will die! We are lost, we are all lost! Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD will die. Are we all going to die? No doubt it was their consciences that were speaking and filling them with fear. If only they had seen fit to cast themselves on the Lord for mercy. At the same time, of course, they spoke the truth for this whole generation would soon die out to be replaced by another who would see the Promised Land. They were also forced to confess that far from being able to serve as priests they needed someone else to make intercession for them to be spared.

Expect testing. You will be vindicated by God if you are his. React the right way.