Putting Numbers 17 and 20 together, we see the grace of God in priestly government, to bring His redeemed people through the wilderness, and also the contrast between law and priestly grace.
This grace is drawn out by Israel’s sin, but grace does not, of course, allow sin. Law could not bring the people into the land. Law must have kept the whole nation out, except for Joshua and Caleb, who followed the Lord fully. We see the law’s actions in chapter 16, in the judgment that fell on Korah and his company. If, when redeemed, we were put under the law, we should be no better off than before. Still, God cannot allow sin. Neither could He give the people up, for, as Moses pleaded with Him, had He not redeemed them (Num. 14:13-1613And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;) 14And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. 15Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, 16Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. (Numbers 14:13‑16))? He cannot give them up, He cannot allow sin, and therefore He brings in priestly grace to meet the difficulty. To take away their murmurings, He does not use the rod of Moses, but that of Aaron. The rod of Moses could only judge them for their sin, and thus take away their murmurings by judgment. But Aaron’s does it by priestly grace.
Aaron’s Rod – Priestly Grace
God makes it very manifest by whom He will act. Aaron’s rod is chosen out of the 12 rods, and the remarkable sign of its blossoming and yielding fruit showed that priesthood was connected with life-giving power, as well as with intercession. Both are needed to uphold them and to raise them when failing. “The last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (1 Cor. 15:4545And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45)). This is the care and authority by which we are led through the wilderness. The priesthood of Christ alone can carry us through. It is the rod of authority too, for “Christ [is] a son over His own house” (Heb. 3:66But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (Hebrews 3:6)). But we see that unbelief cannot avail itself of this: “The children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. Whosoever cometh anything near unto the tabernacle of Jehovah shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?” (Num. 17:12-1312And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. 13Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the Lord shall die: shall we be consumed with dying? (Numbers 17:12‑13)). God had shown them that there was this grace; they had seen the power in Aaron’s running in among the congregation and staying the plague. They had ground for full assurance, but unbelief prevailed. They did not know God, though at the very moment He was acting for them in priestly grace.
Faith Tested
The circumstances of chapter 20 put them to the test, for when apparent power decays, faith is put to the test. There is no water. They were in a terrible state of mind—wishing they had shared the judgment that had fallen on their brethren, for there was no confidence in Jehovah. Yet they called themselves the congregation of Jehovah. They had the pride, but not the comfort of it. Moses and Aaron fell on their faces. There seemed no remedy, but Jehovah appeared; He was the only remedy, and He makes Aaron’s rod the means of the application of that remedy. It had already been appointed before the occasion for its exercise occurred. There was real need, and God never denies this, but He will have us go to Christ to meet the need. It was not to be Moses’ rod, for then it must be judgment. Nor was the rock to be smitten again. Water could be had now without smiting the rock, for it had been smitten before by the rod of judgment.
Speak to the Rock
So it is with us. Everything comes to us through Christ’s having been on the cross, and we do not need the cross again, but the priestly work. It was now, “Speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water” (Num. 20:88Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. (Numbers 20:8)). All things are ours; we draw nigh now, not for acceptance, but to have our need supplied. In Numbers 20:9-109And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him. 10And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? (Numbers 20:9‑10), we see that Moses was vexed and speaks unadvisedly. He could not rise to the height of God’s grace, and that was why he could not enter the land. He was in a better mind the first time Israel murmured. Then he said, “It is not against us ye murmur, but against Jehovah”; now he says, “Must we fetch you water out of this rock?” By doing this, he was setting up Aaron and himself, and using Jehovah’s authority to do it. He smites the rock too. There would really have been more glory to Moses if he had spoken instead of smiting, but he did not see this.
Sanctify Him
God called Aaron’s rod “the rod,” for the other was set aside; they were never under that rod again. It is Christ for us, or nothing. Any other principle must have dealt with them as with Korah. To smite the rock again would be the same as saying that because we fail Christ must die again. It is denying grace to say that anything is needed now except intercession. To “sanctify Him” would be to give Him credit for all that He is, as He has revealed Himself. To “sanctify him in our hearts” is to attach to Him all that He is. But Moses did not do this. He did not count upon God’s grace, which was all that was needed. But does God stop His grace because of this? Does He stop the outflowing of the water to quench their thirst? No, He does not. If Moses failed to sanctify Him before the people, He will only the more sanctify Himself before them. He comes in Himself when the one who should act fails. Just as when the disciples, who ought to have been able to cast the evil spirit out of the child, failed in doing so, Jesus, coming down from the mount of transfiguration, said, “Bring him to Me.” It was wrong that they could not cast him out, but His own personal involvement was gained through it. He gives the people the water they need, in spite of Moses’ unbelief and their murmuring. He will act according to the rod of His appointing, if Moses does not.
Christ Never Fails
Thus Christ never fails in carrying on that which as priest He has undertaken. Israel should have walked under the power and comfort of that rod. They saw the blossoms and the fruit, and they should have counted on it. If there is anything we want and we doubt of getting it, because we say we do not deserve it, that is putting ourselves under the law. It is forgetting that it is, “Speak the word only.” He deals with all our evil, as His children, in grace. Look at Peter’s case. Was it because he repented that Jesus prayed for him that his faith should not fail? We know it was not. And was it because Peter wept that the Lord turned and looked upon him? It was afterward that he wept. When we do wrong, priestly grace acts for us and obtains for us grace to see and confess and put it away. Christ probes the heart of Peter, but does not leave him in the evil. This is the privilege of His children.
The Priesthood of the Church
Grace sends the gospel to the world. Grace gives priesthood to the church. It all originates in God. If I sin, it is not I who go to the Priest, but He goes to God for me. It is not said, If a man repents, but if he sins, “we have an advocate with the Father.” When, through the action of priestly grace, a sense of my sin is given me, I go to God for strength against it. It is He who obtains that for me which brings me back to God. All this is the fruit of His unsolicited grace. It was God who appointed the rod. He is the God of grace, in spite of all our evil, and when we see it we are confounded. Carrying us through the wilderness is as much grace as redemption and forgiveness. Even when Israel strove with God, He was “sanctified in them.” It is very sad to have “Meribah” (chiding, or strife) written on any part of our history, but He makes it an opportunity for His grace. The people got what they needed, though Moses is shut out from Canaan. God would make them know the extent of His grace. Another time grace might act in a different way—in chastening, perhaps, if needed, but this taught them what the character and extent of the grace was. It is the same grace that spoke in Isaiah 43:2222But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. (Isaiah 43:22): “Thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.” But then God says, “I have not wearied thee, but thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities” (Isa. 43:2424Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. (Isaiah 43:24)). What language for God to use! Yet He goes on: “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake” (Isa. 43:2525I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. (Isaiah 43:25)). Nothing can make us more ashamed of our unbelief than this astonishing grace. And all because of Christ. Nothing makes us hate sin like this.
J. N. Darby (adapted)