Numbers 17 Study Notes

17:10 After Moses showed the other tribal leaders the collection of tribal staffs, they were able to see God’s blessing upon Aaron’s staff. Then God told Moses to put Aaron’s staff back in front of the testimony to be kept as a sign. Moses placed the staff in front of the ark of the covenant as a sign against the rebels that God had indeed chosen the Aaronic line for priestly service. Aaron’s priestly line prefigured the high priesthood of Jesus Christ, who exemplified the qualities of purity and holiness in his earthly ministry, who as a priest of a higher order—of Melchizedek—offered himself as the unblemished paschal lamb for our sins. In light of the priesthood of the believer in Christ, the need for purity and holiness in Christian service is duly emphasized.

17:11 Moses the faithful and humble servant of God carried out the Lord’s instructions, even though the opposition again had placed a heavy burden on his shoulders. In the manner of Paul’s words in Rm 12:1, Moses offered himself as a living and holy sacrifice in service to God.

17:12-13 These verses contain “the desperate cry of a terrified people” (T. R. Ashley). It is the people’s panicked response to the incidents narrated in 16:1-17:11 and furnishes the context for chap. 18. They were convinced that the very presence of the tabernacle amid the tribes of Israel was a danger.