Chapter 28—Aaron’s Rod
God mercifully condescended to give the host of Israel another
evidence, one calculated to correct their perverted judgment. He there-
fore required that each tribe should take a rod, and write upon the rod
the name of the house of their fathers. “And thou shalt write Aaron’s
name upon the rod of Levi; for one rod shall be for the head of the
house of their fathers. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle
of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod whom I shall choose
shall blossom. And I will make to cease from me the murmurings of
the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you. And Moses
laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. And
it came to pass that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle
of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was
budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded
almonds. And Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord
unto all the children of Israel, and they looked, and took every man his
rod. And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before
the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels. And thou shalt
quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.” God
here wrought a miracle which was sufficient to silence the complaints
of the Israelites, and which was to be a standing testimony on whom
God had settled the priesthood. All the remarkable changes in the
rod occurred in one night, to convince them that God had positively
distinguished between Aaron and the rest of the children of Israel.
After this miracle of divine power, the authority of the priesthood was
no longer called in question. This wonderful rod was preserved to be
frequently shown to the people to remind them of the past, to prevent
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them from murmuring, and again calling in question to whom the
priesthood rightfully belonged. After the children of Israel were fully
convinced of their wrong, in unjustly accusing Moses and Aaron, as
they had done, they saw their past rebellion in its true light, and they
were terrified. They spake unto Moses, saying, “Behold we die, we
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