Daily Devotion | Numbers 17 | 2026 May 18

Title: Daily Devotion | Numbers 17 | 2026 May 18

Scripture: Numbers 17 (ESV, reference only)

Date: 2026 May 18

Speaker: Rev. John Chen

Transcribed, translated & edited by: Joseph Wang (Yufan)

All right, dear brothers and sisters, peace to you. We thank God for His grace. We have come to a new day to study the Daily Devotion. The Scripture we are studying today is Numbers chapter 17. Let us pray to God. We thank You. We thank You that You are willing to show us such grace and mercy. Lord, You have led us to come before this passage of Scripture in order to tell us Your will and Your election. Lord, You are the One who is among us, so that we may receive true rest in what You have appointed. In the name of Christ, amen.

All right, let us look at chapter 17. Because of the rebellion of Korah’s company earlier, God was going to use a method to settle once for all the problem of Israel’s rebellion. How would He do it? He said to Moses that each man was to take a staff in his hand, one staff for each tribe. From all the leaders, according to their tribes, they were to take twelve staffs in total and put each man’s name on his own staff. Here there is one question: exactly how many staffs were there? Some people say there were thirteen, right? Because there were twelve tribes, and then if you add Aaron’s staff, would that not make thirteen? But since it says here twelve staffs, I think it should be twelve staffs. It is simply that the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh were combined as one tribe, because they originally came from one tribe. I think this can be understood.

Joseph is counted as one tribe. In Israel, there is sometimes some confusion concerning the numbers twelve and thirteen. If you take the Levites out, then Ephraim and Manasseh are separated, and it still becomes twelve tribes; but if Aaron is added, it becomes thirteen. If the Levites are included, then Ephraim and Manasseh are combined together and become the tribe of Joseph. This is actually not difficult to understand. Some people say there were thirteen staffs. I do not think the reasoning is very sufficient. It should be twelve staffs; that should be correct.

What was the method God used? He took the twelve staffs, including Aaron the Levite’s staff, and placed them together before the ark of the covenant. They were brought in, brought into the Most Holy Place. Their staffs were brought into the Most Holy Place. God said afterward that the staff of the man whom He chose would sprout. In this way, God would make the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumbled against Moses and Aaron, cease and no longer reach His ears. So what kind of method is this? God used, of course, a miracle to make people identify that the house of Aaron, the house of Levi, was the tribe especially chosen by God. Only they could have communion with God. This is roughly the background.

Now if we look back, for example, at the three rebellions and betrayals of Korah and the others earlier in Numbers, we have talked about them before. In these three rebellions, what is actually seen more is the stubbornness and rebellion of the Israelites. They did not want to listen to God’s word. They wanted to listen to their own will, right? They wanted to kill Joshua and Caleb. They wanted to go back to Egypt. Later there was the rebellion of Korah’s company. Later they again wanted to kill Moses and Aaron. So these three rebellions show that their thinking was to listen to their own will and absolutely not listen to God’s will.

But you discover that the way God solves this problem is a little strange. Look here in chapter 17. The main problem He wants to solve is: Who is the tribe I have chosen? Or, to put it more simply, who is the man I have chosen? God uses this method to solve the problem of Israel’s rebellion. Hmm, this is actually a little strange. Do you feel that? Right? The method we would think of is this: this group of people, even we can see that they want to listen to their own will and do not want to listen to God’s will, correct? So our thought would be: you must repent, you must understand God’s will, and you must do such and such.

But in chapter 17, what God seems to do is something that is not very easy for us to understand, right? He only does one thing: He shows that only this one tribe may come before Him. This includes chapter 18, which speaks of their responsibilities. He uses a method that seems as if it does not solve the problem to solve the problem. Of course, it is not that God has no wisdom; it is that we have no wisdom. I am saying this only to help you understand this passage of Scripture. Then where is the wisdom of God in solving this problem? God’s method is this: I will choose one clan of people from among you. I will let them serve Me before you. I will speak to you through them. I will solve problems through them. They will become the mediator between you and Me.

In fact, this method of God is a once-for-all method. Why? The Israelites were going to rebel and were going to listen to their own will; this was something certain to happen. Now they wanted to go back to Egypt. Later, in the land of Canaan, they would again worship idols, and so on. So the circumstances and problems of the Israelites were constantly changing, constantly shifting. Therefore, God wanted them not to listen to their own opinions, but to obey the law of God.

What kind of method did God use? The method was that God established a mediator. He especially chose one clan of people to serve as mediator and to serve Him, and through this He solved the problem. So you need to see the wisdom of God here. It seems that you might say, “This branch of almond wood was chosen, and the almond branch blossomed, and then they would not rebel anymore?” It seems unrelated. But actually it is not unrelated. God had long foreseen that they would certainly rebel, and so God especially chose one clan of people and caused that clan to become the mediator between God and man. Through them, God would speak to the people, and through them, the people would come to serve God.

So the establishment of the priestly class is precisely the best method God used to lead the Israelites. He established a group of people and had them serve God. This group of people could stand before God and represent man in offering sacrifices, and before man they could also represent God and proclaim the law of God. But the law spoken of here mainly refers to the ceremonial aspect. It is not like the office of the prophet, where the law spoken is mainly on the moral and spiritual level. The law spoken by the priest is mainly in the ceremonial aspect. In this way, after the priestly class was established on both sides, the relationship between God and man was reconciled.

So, brothers and sisters, you need to see God’s wisdom. God’s method is actually better than the method we think of. So in reality, when we see a problem, we feel as if God has not solved the problem. No, precisely He has solved the most fundamental problem, which is the problem of the mediator between Him and man. All right, next let us look at how God solves it. The staffs were given back to him, twelve staffs in total, and Aaron’s staff was among them. Then in verse 8, the next day Moses entered the tent of the testimony, where the ark was, and found that Aaron’s staff had sprouted. It had produced buds, blossomed, and borne ripe almonds. Of course, this is something supernatural. It is impossible. A staff continuing to sprout is impossible. So this was a miracle, showing God’s special election and preservation of Aaron’s tribe.

Moses then brought out the staffs and showed them to everyone. Look, indeed, the one God called is the tribe of Aaron, so that they might become the priestly class. From now on, none of you should covet or seek to seize the priestly class, because this class is especially chosen by God. Then Aaron’s staff was placed before the testimony as a sign for the sons of rebellion, so that their grumblings would cease and so that God’s wrath would also cease. Moses did so. So the whole matter is relatively clear. Through this method, Aaron’s staff sprouted; the buds opened; flowers appeared; and it bore ripe almonds. This shows that these were ripe almonds matured overnight. This is an impossible thing. It tells the Israelites that this is the tribe chosen by God. God used the miracle of the almond branch blossoming and bearing fruit to tell the Israelites His will.

From the perspective of botany, if an almond tree is planted and then grows to the point of bearing many fruits, it takes about six years. This is roughly the information I found online; it takes about six years. Then for six years of growth to happen in one night, what does that show? It shows that God’s salvation will come all at once. So I think that in this blossoming of the almond tree, of course we know that it certainly points to Christ; this is definite. Therefore, here we can very clearly see the work Christ has done.

God’s will is to establish a mediator between God and man. This mediator can cause the wrath of God to cease. He can also cause the grumblings of the people to cease, so that they will no longer have any dispute over the matter of who can represent us and who can speak on our behalf. This is the family of Aaron. This is Jesus Christ, whom God has appointed. He is chosen and designated by God. There cannot be another person, and there cannot be another way. So from this angle, we can see this very clearly.

The sign that God alone can work shows that if the Israelites are to be saved, they need to pass through a great high priest. And this great high priest is appointed by God, not chosen by men. So here I think chapter 17 actually contains a great deal of information concerning the doctrine of salvation. For example, let me give one example: unconditional election, right? God appointed the Levites to become this priestly class. Was it because the Levites were good? Clearly not. It was God who chose the Levites, and only then did the Levites become good. Of course, you can push it further back: man’s total depravity is indeed that all people have already become corrupt.

God specially chose such a tribe. There is unconditional election. This also includes definite atonement, right? Here God especially limited one tribe to serve as the tribe of substitutionary atonement. There is also the fact that God’s grace is irresistible, which we can also see, right? God completes such a work of salvation through this class. Later there is also the perseverance of the saints. Here we can see the perseverance of the saints. Why? Because Aaron’s staff that sprouted shows that God’s election of this tribe will never change. So whoever trusts in this tribe, whoever trusts in this great high priest, is able to come before God’s throne of grace, continually receive grace, and obtain help at any time.

Therefore, here I think the information concerning the doctrine of salvation should be very clear. And this also includes these divine attributes, right? A staff that was already cut off was certainly a dead branch. This dead branch could be resurrected, and in one night such a great work was accomplished. These are divine attributes. In the book of Jeremiah, the almond tree tells us about the word of God. The word of God can come in one night and become the redemption of the people. This very obviously points to what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. As long as we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are justified by faith. We do not need to depend on a long period of growth, a long period of doing things. We do not need that. We trust in Jesus Christ; He is our righteousness. Of course, we need to continually live a sanctified life in Jesus Christ. So I think that in chapter 17, the information concerning the doctrine of salvation is very clear. God appointed the house of Aaron to serve Him. What is the purpose? The purpose is to tell us that there must be a great high priest approved by Him in order to accomplish the redemption of God’s people.

So here, the whole line of thought we read in chapters 16 and 17 is that we need to become familiar with God’s way of solving problems, rather than our own way of solving problems. Our way of solving problems is that we think, “Ah, these people are self-centered. Then how can we change their self-centeredness?” We go and speak to them about how God’s will is good and beautiful. Of course, this is good, and of course this is also right. But the method God uses in chapter 17 to solve the problem is to tell the Israelites, “I have specially appointed a priestly class. You simply must not rebel against His will anymore. In Him you can receive the peace I give. Your rebellion against Him is rebellion against Me.” So this way of solving the problem, which looks somewhat awkward, is precisely God’s way of solving the problem.

Because the rebellion of the Israelites—now they wanted to return to Egypt, and later, in the land of Canaan, including afterward when they committed all kinds of sins—the solution is only one thing: they must find that great high priest who can truly solve their problem. If there is no great high priest who solves the problem, they cannot return before God. So this is the message of this chapter for us.

When we come to verses 12 and 13, the people of Israel said to Moses, “The tabernacle of the LORD cannot be approached. We are all going to die. Are we all going to die?” They wanted to ask, “Are we all going to die?” Then chapter 18 actually speaks of the purpose of establishing the priesthood. It was not in order for God to strike them dead. The Israelites had one problem: they always could not figure out where the problem was. They always found the wrong root of the problem. If you find the wrong problem, you will also find the wrong solution. As long as they listened carefully to God’s word, actually everything could be solved. But they simply did not believe. They simply used their own methods to solve the problem. God did not allow them to draw near to the tent of meeting. God did not allow them to come directly face to face with God. In fact, this was God’s protection of them.

The reason God established the priestly class and had the priests serve Him was precisely that God set up a barrier around His own tabernacle: “Do not come in. If you come in, you will die. You need a priestly class to serve Me on your behalf, standing in front of you.” But the Israelites thought that it seemed like a very shameful thing that they could not approach the tabernacle of the LORD. “I also want to approach the tabernacle. Why is it that only the priestly class can approach? Why can I not approach?” Their logic was very wrong. It seemed that they were saying, “As long as I approach the tabernacle of the LORD, I can make the LORD listen to me and lead me back to Egypt.” This was their line of thought. This line of thought was completely wrong.

So what God wanted to do was this: “I cannot let you approach Me, because I am the infinitely holy God. If you approach Me, I will strike you dead. Therefore, I need to establish a priestly class.” Actually, this was God protecting them. If you worship Me through them, then you can receive protection.

So you see, the Israelites are very much like us. We also always find the wrong problem and find the wrong solution. Our problem is always that our money is not enough, or that our body needs to be healed, or that our marriage and family have problems. We have many problems, but we do not solve them according to God’s method. Actually, what God wants is simply that we obey Him. Obey, give thanks, praise, and keep the law, and God will help us solve our problems. Of course, the purpose is not to solve problems. The purpose is the way of worshiping God. But we always want to control God. We always want to draw near directly to the tabernacle of the LORD ourselves and say to God, “Come and change.” This approach is completely wrong.

So verse 13 says that everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, shall die. “Are we all going to die?” It seems as if this matter of coming near to the tabernacle of the LORD means, “As long as I come near, I can change it. As long as I come near and enter in, I can say that I will persuade God.” Actually, that is not what this is about. They completely failed to understand God’s meaning. God’s meaning was not that He would listen to them. You cannot control God. God is maintaining His dignity. God is acting for His glory. Therefore, God established a priestly class to serve Him. If you have problems, you may come to the priests; you may come here to offer sacrifices. So what God wants to uphold is His glory, while what the Israelites wanted was their own thoughts. The tension occurs at this point.

So God said, “Then let Me tell you who the great high priest I have established is. It is the family of Aaron. It is the priestly class. Only they may come. I give you a proof, and that is this sign.” In the end, they would be able to solve all your problems. So I think the reminder for us here is that, in fact, we also are unconditionally elected, right? God chose us not because we are good people. God loved us, and therefore He chose us. How can we come before God? It is through the Lord Jesus Christ, who was nailed to the cross. Only through His atonement for our sins and the righteousness He imputes to us can we come before the Father’s throne of grace. Of course, we must listen to the words of Jesus and listen to God’s teaching. This is what we ought to do. We must never try to control God through all kinds of methods.

So you see, in Korah’s company, right, they directly wanted to go before God. They did not want to look for the priest. They kept thinking that Moses and Aaron were lying. They kept thinking that God did not mean this. Their thinking was actually very strange. As we read through the Bible, Moses and Aaron were speaking God’s will. How did it become that these two men were exercising authority on their own? What does this show? It shows that the people of Korah’s company, the Israelites, still did not understand God’s will. They did not know God. So they treated Moses and Aaron, who knew God, as if they were lying.

“God certainly did not say this,” right? “How could God possibly let us die in the wilderness? God certainly did not mean this. So I will overthrow you. I will directly approach the tabernacle. I will listen to God’s voice inside the tabernacle.” Then God says, “If all of you come in, all of you must be struck dead. Therefore, you must go through a great high priest, a mediator, whom I have established, in order for your peace to be preserved.” So I think that here God is turning around the Israelites’ concept, turning them from being self-centered to being God-centered. They must no longer think according to their own ideas, as if approaching the tent of meeting could solve the problem. No. The focus is not solving the problem of the tent of meeting. The focus is the problem that if you approach the tent of meeting, you will be struck dead. And the only way to solve the problem that we will be struck dead if we approach the tent of meeting is this:

to establish a priestly class. The true great high priest to whom Aaron points—only the prayer of that great high priest can enable us to live forever before Him. And for us Christians, this great high priest is the One whom we must love and obey. Because of Him, we have not been struck dead. Because of Him, we are able to live and enter the new heavens and the new earth. Therefore, we must listen to His words. Therefore, we must seriously follow the statutes and ordinances of Jesus Christ. So our whole life must be a life of sanctification, right? Paul says that since Christ died for us, we should live for Him. So Paul uses this very direct statement to tell us why we should listen to God’s word and why we should not imitate these Israelites. They thought they could control the LORD in the tent of meeting. No. It is not that a large number of people can control Him. No. There is only one way: through the Lord Jesus Christ. So may God lead us, so that in Jesus Christ we may seriously follow God’s statutes and ordinances and serve Him well. All right, today’s sharing will simply come to this point. Thank you, everyone.