Aaron’s Rod
33
standard, and all the spiritually defective, the lame, the halt, and the
blind, unite their influence to scatter and sow discord.
Every advance of God’s servants at the head of the work has been
watched with suspicion by those who have had a spirit of insurrection,
and all their actions have been misrepresented by the fault-finding,
until honest souls have been drawn into the snare for want of correct
knowledge. Those who lead them astray are so affected themselves by
blind prejudice, and by rejecting the testimonies God has sent them,
that they cannot see or hear aright. It is as difficult to undeceive some
of these, who have permitted themselves to be led into rebellion, as
it was to convince the rebellious Israelites that they were wrong, and
Moses and Aaron were right. Even after God, in a miraculous manner,
caused the earth to swallow up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, the leaders
in the rebellion, the people still would have it that Moses and Aaron
were wrong, and that they had killed the people of the Lord. The
Hebrews were not cured of their rebellion until fourteen thousand
and seven hundred of the people had been slain who had joined the
rebellious. And then, after all this, God in mercy condescended to
[38]
perform a remarkable miracle upon the rod of Aaron, to settle their
minds forever in regard to the priesthood.
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