In Hebrews 9, we get to read about some of the details of the tabernacle, and when you reach verse 4, the author describes the ark of the covenant and its contents: “…and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant.” Now we all know about the manna and God’s miraculous provision for His people in the wilderness. Similarly, the tablets on which God wrote his commandments of the covenant that He made with Israel in Exodus 19-20 are equally familiar. But what about that other one. Aaron’s rod that budded. That’s a little different. I’d venture to say that if we took a poll of 100 church members, the percentage that would know the significance of this simple item would be very low. (But we’re going to change that right now!)
In Numbers 16, we find the record of a few of the Levites, namely Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, became so frustrated with the extra authority granted to Moses and to Aaron that they incited a rebellion against their leaders. Now remember, the authority of Moses and Aaron was both God-given and God-directed. It wasn’t Moses and Aaron instituting their own will over the people like a dictatorship. Theses 3 men accused Moses of failing to bring them into the land of promise (neglecting the fact that years earlier they had stood on the brink of the Promised Land and refused to go in for fear of the giants).
By clear and definitive action, God dealt with this rebellion (Numbers 16:28-35). Yet the people continued to complain against Moses and Aaron, accusing THEM of killing “the Lord’s people.” By the time God finished dealing with all of these rebels, over 14,000 of them had died.
Remember, Aaron had already been declared God’s chosen priest to represent the children of Israel before Him. Yet it was this “exclusive” position that Korah, Dathan, and Abiram thought ought to be open to more people. God wanted to remind His people of His power, authority, and position as their God. So He gave them a token of remembrance. Moses was to collect a rod from each tribe of Israel and place them in the tabernacle. In the morning, whichever rod had grown buds would signify God’s ordination of His chosen representatives. The next morning, it was Aaron of the tribe of Levi whose rod had budded. Again, this was not a new indication of God’s choice, but a confirmation.
Moses was told to put the rod with the Ark of the Covenant as a token for the people to remember the consequences of rebelling against God’s chosen one(s). So going back to Hebrews 9:4, what do the three things in the ark teach us?
The ark was more than a time capsule or a treasure box – it was to hold reminders for the people so that they would never forget the covenant that God made or the God of the covenant.