Numbers 17:4

4 Put them in the Meeting Tent in front of the Ark of the Agreement, where I meet with you.

Numbers 17:4 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 17:4

And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the
congregation
In the most holy place:

before the testimony;
that is, the ark in which the testimony or the law was; here they were laid as in the presence of God, who was in a miraculous way to decide the controversy by them, and put an end to it; for upon the ark was the mercy seat, over which were the cherubim, the seat of the divine Majesty, and where none could come at them, and where no fraud could be supposed to be committed:

where I will meet with you;
not with the people in person, who might not go at any time into the most holy place; nor with Aaron, who only might go into it on the day of atonement; but with Moses, the chief ruler and representative of the whole body of the people, and who might go in there at any time, to consult with God about matters of moment and difficulty, and where the Lord had said he would meet him, ( Exodus 25:22 ) ; and now would, in a miraculous way, clearly show him, and the people of Israel by him, who was the priest he had chosen of all the tribes.

Numbers 17:4 In-Context

2 "Speak to the people of Israel and get twelve walking sticks from them -- one from the leader of each tribe. Write the name of each man on his stick, and

3 on the stick from Levi, write Aaron's name. There must be one stick for the head of each tribe.

4 Put them in the Meeting Tent in front of the Ark of the Agreement, where I meet with you.

5 I will choose one man whose walking stick will begin to grow leaves; in this way I will stop the Israelites from always complaining against you."

6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites. Each of the twelve leaders gave him a walking stick -- one from each tribe -- and Aaron's walking stick was among them.