It doesn't require much time in Bible study to know: the people of Israel were a "stiff-necked people." We read it over and over in Scripture. But have we been any less stiff-necked in our day? Perhaps we are stiff-necked still. Easy to Monday morning quarterback as we read the narrative like the best-seller it is, but what if the same type of account was being kept on our lives. Thank God it's not! In fact, if we are standing on the righteousness of Christ, if we are one with Him and trusting in His saving work at the cross, there is no record of wrongs being kept on us at all! When we stand before God one day, He will see Jesus. There is a crystal clear picture of this in the account of Israel as they wandered through the desert, as some waited to die, and others waited to enter the land promised to them by God.
In Numbers 17, God desires to give the people of Israel a sign. They had continually questioned the authority of those God had hand-picked, Moses and his brother, Aaron. God tells Moses to get the twelve leaders of each of the tribes of Israel together and to have them put their name on the rod (of authority) belonging to them. God tells Moses to place the twelve rods in the tabernacle, and He will cause the rod of the one He has chosen as high priest to bud. (These rods were dead. Think: walking stick. But God says He will cause one to bud as a sign.) Then, said God, I will rid Myself of the complaints of the children of Israel, which they make against you. Because God was sick of their obstinance? Well, God is a just God, a God of balance. Sin requires punishment, and we know that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Israel's sin was forcing God to take action, to levy the required punishment for their constant rebellion. God was being merciful in showing them, once and for all, that His favor rested on Aaron, and they needed to stop all this grumbling and evil-doing, for their own sakes.
God did cause Aaron's rod to bud; but not only bud, bloom and produce almonds! Once and for all, right? Not really. The people begin to wail, We're dead men! Whenever anyone comes near the dwelling place of God, he must die! Are we all going to die? Pretty dramatic, right? Especially since they brought whatever punishment they'd received on themselves! But even in this short account, we can see the Gospel of Jesus Christ clearly spelled out for us:
1. The sign God chose to give Israel, the budding of the rod, was an offer of mercy to prevent further sin among the people, and by extension, further death. God loved people then and He loves people today. He desires that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9).
2. It is true: all have sinned (Romans 3:23), no one is righteous in and of himself (Romans 3:10), and no one can approach God in a state of opposition (as an enemy, sinful and condemned, hating righteousness) and live. The words of the people: Whenever anyone comes near the dwelling place of God, he must die! point to their need for the Aaronic priesthood and our need for Jesus Christ.
3. Will we all die? is a question that could only be answered by the people of Israel in that day and by those who have, as yet, rejected Christ today. Will we all die, or will we approach the presence of God through the Mediator He has appointed, the High Priest, Jesus Christ? Will we approach God in the way He has mandated, or will we attempt to earn our way to heaven through good deeds, count on our own "kind heartedness," rely on the "Christian home" in which we were raised, hold up our Certificate of Baptism or the family Bible, or any of the other myriad things (other than a relationship with Jesus) people believe will save them, and die of failure?
If you haven't already, I urge you today: seek the Lord while He may be found, call on Him and be saved. Now is the day of salvation!
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Amen!
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