A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Numbers · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
Verſ. 2. Speak unto the children of Iſrael, and take of every one of them a rod, &c.]
No doubt the Lord ſaw that notwithſtanding his ſevere proceeding againſt thoſe that mutined againſt Aaron, yet the hearts of many amongſt them were not ſufficiently wrought upon, but were ſtill riſing againſt this dignity of Aaron; and therefore the Lord in wonderfull mercy by this enſuing miracle labours to overcome their rebellious hearts. Now to this end he enjoyns Moſes to take of each Prince of the tribes a rod or ſtaff, ſuch as men did uſe ordinarily to carry in their hands (as we reade of ſuch a rod that Moſes uſed to go with, Exod. 4. 2. And the Lord ſaid unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he ſaid, A rod) or rather ſuch as the Princes did uſe to carry in their hands as the ſigne of their dignity, Numb. 21. 18. The Princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged …t, by the direction of the law-giver, with their ſtaves; for a rod or ſtaff in the hand of governours was a ſigne of their power and authority from God. See Pſal. 110. 2. The Lord ſhall ſend the rod of thy ſtrength out of Zion, rule thou in the midſt of thine enemies; and Jer. 48. 16, 17. The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast. All ye that are about him bemoan him, and all ye that know his name ſay, How is the ſtrong ſtaff broken and the beautifull rod? and thus the very ſigne of their authority becomes a ſigne and witneſſe againſt them that the prieſthood belo…ged not to them, but to Aaron onelyonly.
Verſ. 2. Of all their Princes, according to the houſe of their fathers, twelve rods.]
There were twelve ſeverall tribes, and twelve Princes, of each tribe a Prince, and every Prince brought a rod with his name upon it: whence to me it ſeems evident that there were twelve rods beſides Aarons, as is more fully expreſſed, verſ. 6.
Write thou every mans name upon his rod.]
Not the name of the Patriar…hs, Reuben, Simeon, &c. (for we ſee that not Levies but Aarons name was written on his rod) but the name of every Prince, who was at preſent head of the tribe, upon his own ſtaff: whence alſo it appears that there were twelve rods beſides Aarons; elſe if there were but one rod for the two tribes of Ephraim and Manaſſeh, which of thoſe two Princes names were written on their rod?
Verſ. 3. For one rod ſhall be for the head of the houſe of their fathers.]
That is, though I have diſtinguiſht the tribe of Levi into two parts, that of the prieſts, the poſterity of Aaron, and that of the other Levites; yet as in the other tribes there is but one rod for a tribe, ſo muſt it be for the tribe of Levi: and as the head or chief of every tribe hath his name written upon the rod of that tribe, ſo ſhall Aarons name be written upon the rod of Levi, whom I have ſet in the chief place, that hereby my choice of him to ſerve in the prieſthood may be fully made known.
Verſ. 4. And thou ſhalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, &c.]
That is, before the ark, which is called the testimony, becauſe therein were kept the tables of the law, called the teſtimony Exod. 25. 26. Either therefore they were to lay theſe rods in the holy place before the vail where the ark ſtood within behind the vail, or elſe in the moſt holy place before the ark: for upon ſuch extraordinary occaſions we need not doubt but Moſes uſed to go into the moſt holy place; and evident it is, that after they were bro…ght forth again, and Aarons rod was found to flouriſh, the reſt continuing dry ſticks or ſtaves as they were before, that was carryed into the moſt holy place (and therefore the Apoſtle Heb. 9. 4. mentions Aarons rod that budded amongſt thoſe things that were within the vail) and yet it is ſaid to be returned to the place where they were all laid before, verſ. 10. Bring Aarons rod again before the testimony. However this laying of theſe rods up before the Lord was to ſignifie, that it was referred to him to determine this controverſie concerning the prieſthood.
Verſ. 5. And I will make to ceaſe from me the murmuring of the children of Iſrael.]
That is, in this particular concerning Aarons prieſthood.
Verſ. 6. And the rod of Aaron was among their rods.]
That is▪ there being twelve rods brought for the twelve Princes of the twelve tribes (which were it ſeems according to the cuſtome of thoſe times, made of the almond tree, for ſuch Aarons was, verſ. 8. that bloomed bloſſomes and yielded almonds) they were all laid together, and Aarons was put alſo amongſt the other twelve.
Verſ. 8. And behold the rod of Aaron for the houſe of Levi budded &c.]
Hereby the Lord did diſcover miraculouſly that he had choſen Aarons and his poſterity to be the onelyonly prieſts that ſhould ſerve at his altar: and withall the flouriſhing of this rod ſignified, firſt, the budding of Aarons poſterity▪ together with the flouriſhing glory and fruitfulneſſe of the prieſthood which continued in his poſterity; ſecondly, the miraculous flouriſhing glory of Chriſts prieſthood (of which Aarons was a type) to wit, how he, that rod out of the ſtemme of Jeſſe, and branch that grew out of his root, Eſa. 11. 1. though at firſt he was as a dry and withered ſ…ick, ſo that there was no beauty nor comlineſſe in him, Eſa. 53. 2. and eſpecially in his death and bur…all, when he was indeed withered in the eye of reaſon without hope of recovery and dryed up like a potſheard, Pſal. 22. 15. ſhould yet ſuddenly ſprout forth again, to wit, in his reſurrection, and ſo his prieſthood ſhould become an eternall prieſthood, and l…e Aarons budding & fruitbearing rod ſhould bring forth fruit to man believing on him remiſſion of ſinnes, righteouſneſſe and eternall li…e, and by the preaching of the Goſpel, that flouriſhing rod or ſceptre of righteouſneſſe, ſhould become glorious all the world over, to the great joy of all thoſe that have intereſt in him; and thirdly, that all thoſe, that in the dayes of the Goſpel were truly ſet apart to teach the people as Aaron was, though in themſelves but dry and withered ſticks, yet by the ſpeciall grace of God ſhould bear and bring forth buds and fruit, and that their fruit ſhould remain, John 15. 16.
Verſ. 12. And the children of Iſrael ſpake unto Moſes, ſaying, Behold we die, we periſh, we all periſh.]
Being by this miracle fully convinced of their ſinne, and then calling to mind how ſeverely God had puniſhed this their murmuring againſt Moſes and Aaron, how ſome had been burnt with fire, ſome ſwallowed up into the earth alive, ſome conſumed with the plague, they are ſtricken with an apprehenſion of the like danger (the firſt ſtep to repentance) and therefore cry out as men that might juſtly expect to be every one of them deſtroyed, as they were indeed in danger to be preſently taken away by ſome judgement, had not the Lord been the more mercifull to them.
Verſ. 13. Whoſoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the Lord ſhall die.]
This is an amplification of their wofull condition, to wit, that though God ſhould ſpare them now, yet they ſhould alwayes be in danger, if they did never ſo little preſſe beyond the limits allowed them, whoſoever (ſay they) cometh any thing near, that is, nearer then they ſhould, and keep not off at their full diſtance (wherein we may eaſily tranſgreſſe) we ſee God will not ſpare them; yea happely (as men terrified are indeed wont to conceive their danger greater then it is) they complain as if it would be perilous to come near the tabernacle at all.
Shall we be conſumed with dying?]
This may be a deprecation, Shall we be conſumed, that is, of thy merciemercy let us not be conſumed: for ſo queſtions are often uſed in earneſt deprecations, as Pſal. 85. 6. Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoyce in thee? and Eſa. 64. 12. Wilt thou refrain thy ſelf from theſe things, O Lord? wilt thou hold thy peace and afflict us very ſore? But I rather take it as a bemoaning of their condition.