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Sunday, October 21, 2012

How God validates you His servants

Numbers 17:1-5 "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel, and get from them a rod for each father’s household: twelve rods, from all their leaders according to their fathers’ households. You shall write each name on his rod, 3and write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi; for there is one rod for the head of each of their fathers’ households. 4“You shall then deposit them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony, where I meet with you. 5“It will come about that the rod of the man whom I choose will sprout. Thus I will lessen from upon Myself the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you.” 

Perhaps you have come to today's blog, disappointed with life or disillusioned.  You are a Christian, you read your Bible and are doing all you can to serve the Lord - and yet it seems as if everything is against you.  Aaron in Numbers 16 and 17 would know what you are going through.  He had survived two major attacks on his character and ministry.  God speaks forth here in Numbers 17.  Nearly 15,000 people lost their lives as a result of the twin mutinies recorded in Numbers 16.  What God does for Aaron can truly offer encouragement to those who have been on the receiving end of attempted character assassinations. 

How does God validate those who serve Him?

1. God identifies with His servants.   Numbers 17:1-5
Notice what God says in Numbers 17:5 "Thus I will lessen from upon Myself the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you."  You and I have to remember that when people attack God's servants, they are attacking Him.  Jesus said that as much as is done to the least of His people, it is tantamount to being a direct attack upon Himself. (Matthew 18:1-10)  God has not hung you out to dry - He is fighting for you and will stand by your side through your difficult circumstance.  The Lord does not merely sympathize for you at a distance, he empathizes with you in close proximity to where you are at.  He is there with you.  At times he will speak loud and clear, and at other times His voice will be still and small, like with Elijah. (1 Kings 19:9-21)  He is there with you no matter what.  Remembers, Jesus said: "I'll never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

2. God indicates His servants.  Numbers 17:6-8
What God did to validate Aaron in front of the people was to have each of the twelve tribes bring a rod to place in the tent of testimony.  Each one was to write their name on the rod, with Aaron writing his name on the rod of Levi. (Numbers 17:3)  Moses did as God commanded and placed all of those rods as dead sticks in the tabernacle of God.  The next day when he went to retrieve them, eleven of them remained dead wood - however Aarons rod had budded!

God indicated his servant Aaron as a testimony to the whole nation!  Aaron's calling and ministry had the life and favor of God running through it.  His claims as Israel's High Priest were reinforced.  God was not ashamed of his man.  Woe to the others who would dare lay a hand on God's chosen man!  2 Corinthians 3:4-6 is a great verse to you who feel inadequate: "Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. 5Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

3. God immobilizes attacks upon His servants Numbers 17:9-13
The text tells us that when Moses' placed Aaron's rod before the Tent of Testimony as a sign against the rebels, they got the point! (Numbers 17:17:9-11).  As a matter of fact, the people stated in Numbers 17:12-13 "Then the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish, we are dying, we are all dying! 13“Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, must die. Are we to perish completely?”

God totally immobilized the naysayers, he fought Aaron's battle - Aaron won in the Lord!  The great preacher Warren Wiersby has made this observation of the outcome of Aaron's Rod and the people's response here in Numbers 17: "The people were fearful after they they had seen this demonstration of God's power.  What the death of nearly 15,000 people could not do, the sole blossoming of a dead stick did accomplish."  What was the accomplishment?  The silencing of the enemy's lips. 

We know after this episode in Israel's history, Aaron was never spoken against ever again.  God demonstrated He was for Aaron, and understand He is for you too!  My prayer today is that this blog has encouraged you.  Do not fear, nor be dismayed, for greater is He (the Lord) in you who believes on Him, than he (Satan) that is in the world.