261
The T 11bernacle God's express command. (See Num. 16:31-35.) When Israel murmured against God for this righteous judgment, He sent yet further chastisement, to teach them a needed lesson; and "they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah" (Num. 16:49). Then it was that God told Moses to take twelve almond rods, one for each tribe; to write every man's name upon his rod, "of all their princes according to the house of their fathers"; and to write "Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi" (Num. 17: 1-3). These twelve rods the Lord told Moses to lay up "in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony," even in the Holy of Holies. And God said, "It shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you" (Num. 17:5). Moses obeyed Jehovah's instructions; "and the rod of Aaron was among their rods." "And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. And Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. And Moses did so: as the Lord commanded him, so did he" (Num. 17:7-11).
260 The Tabern«le in the eternity that we shall spend in His Presence. We shall find our satisfaction, our delight, our glory in feast- ing upon the Heavenly Manna throughout the endless ages. Now we know Him only "in part"; then we shall look upon His face. "We shall see him as he is" (I John 3:2). When Israel's wilderness journey was over, the golden pot of manna was not placed in Solomon's temple, as we have already observed earlier in this lesson. When we get to heaven, when we see "the Greater than Solomon" in al~ His uncreated glory, then the manna will no longer be hidden in the ark, as it were. His radiance and beauty shall shine in the New Jerusalem, :filling it with His light and glory. His wonderful Person will prove to be the chiefest of the marvels, of which the apostle wrote, saying, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have en- tered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (I Cor. 2:9). Aaron's Rod Within the Ark A Type of Christ in His Resurrection The sixteenth and seventeenth chapters of Numbers tell the sad story of rebellion in Israel against Aaron, God's chosen priest, and of God's vindication of the priestly family that came through Aaron's line. The sons of Korab were not content with being Levites; they wanted to be priests also; and God had specifically taught His people that none could be a priest except he be "called of God, as was Aaron" (Cf. Heb. 5:4). As a result of this gross sin, God had to send judgment upon the rebels. "The earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up." "And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and :fifty men that offered incense" contrary to
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online