The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff. On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you. The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.”
So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among them. Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law.
The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the Lord’s presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff.
The Lord said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.” Moses did just as the Lord commanded him. (New International Version)
Issues of power – who has it, and who doesn’t, and how it is used – has been with us throughout all of human history.
And the issues of power are always tied to values, morals, and ethics. It ultimately comes down to who is truly in control, and whether that control is good or bad, moral or immoral, ethical or unethical.
One way of looking at the whole of the Bible is that it is a collection of books about power, control, and authority – mostly between God and humans, but also between one another as people.
If we fail to consider power issues, then a society will devolve into injustice, power inequities, and the few controlling the many.
In today’s Old Testament lesson, there were people questioning the authority system, and who had the power to act as a religious priest in the nation of Israel.
The covenant code, handed down from God to Moses on Mount Sinai, and then to the people, included only the tribe of Levi acting as priests. The other eleven tribes could not have a priestly class of people.
Specifically, only the Levite Aaron and his descendants could serve as a priest. And this structure did not sit well with some of the Levites from clans other than Aaron’s, as well as some of the other tribes.
Among all the tribes of Israel, the Lord chose the tribe of Levi. And among the Levites, Aaron is to alone be the priest, with his descendants serving after him in history.
A lot of grumbling in the tents of the Israelite tribes was happening. And God heard all the murmurings under their breath.
Therefore, God instructed each tribe to bring the symbol of their tribal authority – the staff – to Moses. They were all left overnight before the Lord, in front of the altar in the tent of meeting.
In the morning, the Levite’s staff with Aaron’s name alone engraved on it, was the only one that budded and sprouted almonds – all in a single night.
God was clarifying that Aaron was the divine choice as priest in Israel. The staff was then stored and kept as a continual reminder that when the Lord makes a choice, that is exactly what is going to happen.
The purpose of displaying the tribal staffs was to stop the incessant complaining of people about the Levites, and Aaron in particular, holding the power and authority of handling and officiating the sacrificial system in Israel.
Only Aaron could approach the tabernacle of God – and only then with detailed prescriptions of how to do it – and anyone else who would try to act as only a priest could, would die. The authority structure was that serious in Israel.
Nobody gets to do whatever the heck they want to do, when it comes to authority structures and systems of power. The rule of law is important; it’s serious business.
God bestowed an honorable privilege and responsibility on the family of Aaron. In doing so, their work, worship, and ministry was meant to contribute to the public welfare of all Israelite families.
And that is the case for all of us, when it comes to possessing any sort of authority. An authoritative position is never meant for personal use, but to be a public service for the good of everyone in the community, and in the leader’s constituency.
I suppose there will always be persons who arrogantly believe they ought to be in charge, or in some position of authority in order to wield power. They will, unfortunately, rarely examine their motives for wanting power; or consult wise persons who could help direct them.
If one has been elected – either by the people in a lawful election, or by God in a divine decree – then to murmur and grumble about that person who was chosen comes from a dark place in the complainer’s heart.
An unwillingness to submit to the rule of law only brings harm to others, and eventually to oneself. And it raises the ire of God.
Through the covenant law handed down to the Israelites, God intended to provide human justice, protect human rights, promote a good and just society, establish a fair economy, curb human sin and corruption, and bring peace and security to all the tribes of Israel.
If the power structure is unjust through an abusive individual, that’s another thing altogether. But if a good rule of law is in place, and appropriate people are serving the community, then it is our place and our duty to be properly submissive, obedient, and supportive.
It’s a question of being helpful or harmful to what is going on. And we always have a choice about how we are going to respond.
So, how will you use your own personal agency?
Almighty God, save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and make us one united people who are mindful of the rule of law.
Give the spirit of wisdom to those in the authority of government, so that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth.
In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in you to fail. Amen.
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 