Page "Aaron's rod" Paragraph 4

In Numbers 17, Korah's rebellion against Moses ' proclamation of the tribe of Levi as the priesthood has been quashed and the entire congregation's ensuing rebellion has resulted in a plague, ended only by the intercession of Moses and Aaron.

In order to " stop the complaints " of the Israelites, God commands that each of the Twelve Tribes provide a rod ; and only that of the tribe chosen to become priests will miraculously sprout overnight.

Aaron provides his rod to represent the tribe of Levi, and " it put forth buds, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds " ( Numbers 17: 8 ), as an evidence of the exclusive right to the priesthood of the tribe of Levi.

In commemoration of this decision it was commanded that the rod be put again " before the testimony " ( Numbers 17: 10 ).

According to tradition, the rod of Aaron bore sweet almonds on one side and bitter on the other ; if the Israelites followed the Lord, the sweet almonds would be ripe and edible, but if they were to forsake the path of the Lord, the bitter almonds would predominate.

A later tradition asserts ( Hebrews 9: 4 ) that the rod was kept in the Ark of the Covenant.

The main fact, however, is thus confirmed, that a rod was preserved in the Tabernacle as a relic of the institution of the Aaronic priesthood.