17:1 耶和華對摩西說：
17:2 「你曉諭以色列人，從他們手下取杖，每支派一根；從他們所有的首領，按著支派，共取十二根。你要將各人的名字寫在各人的杖上，
17:3 並要將亞倫的名字寫在利未的杖上，因為各族長必有一根杖。
17:4 你要把這些杖存在會幕內法櫃前，就是我與你們相會之處。
17:5 後來我所揀選的那人，他的杖必發芽。這樣，我必使以色列人向你們所發的怨言止息，不再達到我耳中。」
17:6 於是摩西曉諭以色列人，他們的首領就把杖交給他，按著支派，每首領一根，共有十二根；亞倫的杖也在其中。
17:7 摩西就把杖存在法櫃的帳幕內，在耶和華面前。
17:8 第二天，摩西進法櫃的帳幕去。誰知利未族亞倫的杖已經發了芽，生了花苞，開了花，結了熟杏。
17:9 摩西就把所有的杖從耶和華面前拿出來，給以色列眾人看；他們看見了，各首領就把自己的杖拿去。
17:10 耶和華吩咐摩西說：「把亞倫的杖還放在法櫃前，給這些背叛之子留作記號。這樣，你就使他們向我發的怨言止息，免得他們死亡。」
17:11 摩西就這樣行。耶和華怎樣吩咐他，他就怎樣行了。
17:12 以色列人對摩西說：「我們死啦！我們滅亡啦！都滅亡啦！
17:13 凡挨近耶和華帳幕的是必死的。我們都要死亡嗎？」
The Lord
said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs
from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the
name of each man on his staff. 3 On the staff of Levi write
Aaron’s name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe.
4 Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the
covenant law, where I meet with you. 5 The staff belonging to
the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling
against you by the Israelites.”
6 So
Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one
for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among
them. 7 Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law.
8 The
next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented
the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced
almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the Lord’s presence to all the Israelites.
They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff.
10 The Lord said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s
staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the
rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they
will not die.” 11 Moses did just as the Lord commanded him.
12 The
Israelites said to Moses, “We will die! We are lost, we are all lost! 13 Anyone
who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord
will die. Are we all going to die?”
*************
木杖本身是沒有生命了，應該是不會發芽，更是不可能開花與結果子，但是亞倫的杖竟然是：「發了芽，生了花苞，開了花，結了熟杏。」這是為什麼呢？
是上帝要彰顯它所揀選的祭司就是亞倫，讓那一些悖逆的人站立不住，也要讓他們知道要不是上帝的揀選與命定，人是無法來事奉上帝的！而這樣的做為更是要警告那些想成為上帝祭司來抬高自己身分的人，因為人無法為自己建立權柄，只有上帝有權柄。
所以，摩西將亞倫的杖向以色列人展現的時候，那些人驚怕的說：「我們死啦！我們滅亡啦！都滅亡啦！凡挨近耶和華帳幕的是必死的。我們都要死亡嗎？」
也因為如此，我們要永遠以這樣的事為念，珍惜上帝在基督裡揀選了我們的恩典，讓我們只誇拯救我們的主耶穌並祂釘十字架，不要高抬自己，寧可謙卑服在上帝大能的手下！
