AARON’S ROD.

97

LVI.

PLARON'S fron.

    
  

amN|OD told the people, that
>\K] He would now show them

\ to) whom He had chosen to
253| be His High Priest. He
commanded Moses to take

twelve rods, and to write upon each
of them the name of one of the
twelve tribes; and on the rod
of the tribe of Levi he was to
write Aaron’s name, because Aaron
was of the tribe of Levi. The rods
were dry sticks; there was no life
in them. God commanded them
all to be put into the tabernacle,
before the ark; they were to stay
there one night, and God promised

    

to make the rod of the man whom |

He chose, to bud and blossom, to
bring forth flowers and fruit. This
was a very wonderful thing to do;
but Moses did not disbelieve God,
for He knew He had power to do
what He pleased ; and, in faith and
obedience, Moses laid up the twelve
rods before the Lord. The next
morning, Moses went into the taber-
nacle and looked at the rods; eleven
of them were still dry and withered ;
but the rod of Levi, on which
Aaron’s name was written, was full
of buds, and blossoms, and almonds.
Moses brought them all out, and
called the men to take their rods
again. ‘They all looked at the rods;
and when they saw that Aaron’s
alone had budded, they knew that
God had chosen him to be High
Priest. The Lord told Moses to
keep Aaron’s rod safely; to put it

into the ark, that it might be there !

| ment.

 

always to show the rebellious people
that Aaron was God’s chosen min-
ister. he Israelites were obliged
now to submit to the Lord. He
had punished them for their rebel-
lion; and He had shown them, by
a miracle, whom He had chosen for
His priest, that they might not
again speak against Aaron. But
still these people were not humbled;
they cried, and said, “ We shall die,
we shall all perish !”

It is sad when punishment makes
sinners angry and rebellious. God
sends it to make them repent and
turn to Him. He wishes all to be
saved; He wants none to perish;
and, when people forget Him, He
sends sorrow to them, to make
them remember Him; to see if
they will confess their sin, and ask
for forgiveness. He is ready and
waiting to forgive all who come
humbly to Him; Jesus is willing to
save them, and to wash away their

| sins; the Holy Spirit is willing to

come into their hearts, and to make
them new and clean. But if sin-
ners still resist and rebel, God will
not wait for ever. He will at last
cut them off, and send them away
from Him to everlasting punish-
Then it will be too late to
ask for pardon and salvation ; for
God will not hear their prayer.
We must go to Jesus now, and all
will be well; for He says, “Him
that cometh unto me, I will in no
wise cast out.” John vi. 3%.