Numbers 17

Num 17:7 Moses then put all the sticks in the Tent in front of the LORD's Covenant Box.
Num 17:8 The next day, when Moses went into the Tent, he saw that Aaron's stick, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted. It had budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds!
Num 17:9 Moses took all the sticks and showed them to the Israelites. They saw what had happened, and each leader took his own stick back.
Num 17:10 The LORD said to Moses, "Put Aaron's stick back in front of the Covenant Box. It is to be kept as a warning to the rebel Israelites that they will die unless their complaining stops."
Num 17:11 Moses did as the LORD commanded.
Num 17:12 The people of Israel said to Moses, "Then that's the end of us!
Num 17:13 If anyone who even comes near the Tent must die, then we are all as good as dead!"


Rebellion and mutiny were one of Moses’ problems. Some of the Israelites yearned for the priesthood and the leadership of the tribes. They have forgotten that leadership and priesthood is through the Lord’s anointment (appointment). To prevent further bloodshed the Lord asked for the twelve staffs representing each tribe. And through this staff the Lord will make his will known to the people thus the sprouting of Aaron’s staff convinced the Israelites of the legitimacy of Aaron’s priesthood.

I don’t know if this is allegorical, but even in the secular world the legitimacy of leadership is usually measured in the blossoming and sprouting of the leadership. This story is a good illustration on identifying the anointment of leaders in the church—blossoming.

Put today, this story a simple reminder that leadership is tending or doing what God one’s expect him/her to be in the role that he/she plays in the body of Christ. Aaron did not get the authority from God because he was Aaron. The Lord gave Aaron the authority because he was anointed from the start of the exodus and he also deserved the authority because God recognized the effort Aaron gave in His service. This is similar to what Paul has said in Corinthians:

1Co 3:6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plant, but it was God who made the plant grow.
1Co 3:7 The one who plants and the one who waters really do not matter. It is God who matters, because he makes the plant grow.
1Co 3:8 There is no difference between the one who plants and the one who waters; God will reward each one according to the work each has done.

Aaron planted, worked, strived to deserve his leadership (servanthood) and priesthood and God made his staff blossom thus legitimizing his leadership. The relationship is there: anointment for leadership or servanthood in the body of God is through appointment and is earned through faithful work before God can make their staff blossom and thus earning the anointment of God.

Sadly this relationship of anointment and effort is sometimes taken for granted because of “titles.” Sometimes the “titles” are taken for the anointment of God and not the blossoming of God’s anointment.