The Spiritual Journey (7)

Bible Reading: 

Numbers 13:1~2; 14:29~30; 16:1~3, 31~32, 41~42, 48~49; 17:6~8

  Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt and through the great and awesome wilderness. They experienced a total of twenty-four stations before finally arriving at the beautiful Promised Land of Canaan. 1 Corinthians chapter 10 particularly tells us that their failure serves as a warning and instruction for us, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. These twenty-four stations represent twenty-four experiences of Christians. When these twenty-four experiences are presented before us, the goal is to let us examine and test to see on which station our experience lies. I strongly believe that some, who thought that they had believed in Jesus before, have been reading the Bible and praying, will discover that they actually are still at Rameses and have not even started on their journey. Others, who thought that they follow the Holy Spirit, and also serve and love the Lord according to the Bible, will find out today that they are still going round and round the wilderness, wasting their lives. Thus, we will use the messages in these eight meetings to list out the major spiritual experiences in the life of Christians. This will allow those among us who are still in Rameses of Egypt, or Christians who are circling in the wilderness to be awakened, make a new start, face and march fearlessly onward to the destination, the land of Canaan.  We will now speak about the experience of Kadesh.

XVI. Not allowed to enter Canaan (Num 13:1~14:38)—Establishing Christ’s spirit of faith 

[Kadesh]

After the congregation of Israel left Egypt, it would only take them eleven days to go from Horeb (Mt. Sinai) to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road. (Deuteronomy 1:2). However, because of their repeated failures in Kadesh, the Lord did not allow them to enter Canaan. Consequently, the adults of that generation spent almost thirty-eight years wandering in the wilderness in vain. With the exception of those who were twenty years of age and below, the rest of the people died in the wilderness. The Scriptures particularly recorded that incidence of failure to instruct us, upon whom the ends of the ages have come (I Corinthians 10:1~11) (Hebrews 3:17~19). Of all the men in that generation who came up from Egypt, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive to lead the succeeding generation into Canaan. I deeply desire that this message would remind us spiritually so that we will not become Christians who fall in the wilderness.

1. The whole assembly did not believe in the promise of God

   We have already mentioned that the people of Israel came to Kadesh.  Kadesh is located at the border of Canaan; hence, it would be very easy to enter Canaan from there.  So when they arrived at the border of Canaan, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel, from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them." And according to the command of the Lord, Moses chose a man from every tribe as a representative.  Thereupon, Moses said to them, "Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; whether the land is [d]rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land." The twelve spies went as they were instructed.

   After forty days, they returned from spying out the land. They went to Moses and to Aaron, and to the whole assembly of the children of Israel; and brought back word to them, and to the whole assembly; and showed them the fruit of the land.  And they told Moses, and said, "We went to the land where you sent us. It truly [g]flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large…”  And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it." But the men that went up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than us. The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants; and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." Upon hearing the evil report, the whole assembly lost their faith and lifted up their voice and cried.  And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “Let us select a leader, and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces before the whole congregation of the assembly of the children of Israel. Joshua and Caleb bravely stepped out and rent their garments. They spoke to the whole assembly of the children of Israel, saying, "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.." But the whole assembly did not believe in God’s promise and they stoned the two with stones.

2. God did not allow them to enter Canaan

   The glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the children of Israel.  And the Lord said to Moses, "How long will these people reject[d] Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? … all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice...they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it."  (Numbers 14:23)

   In the past, the Lord had been lenient toward the people of Israel and forgave them several times.  But why is it that this time He said with certainty that they would not be allowed to enter Canaan? It is because they had committed the sin of unbelief. True, doing evil is definitely a sin, but the greatest sin in God’s sight is unbelief. This is just like a person who, despite doing good works, is still a candidate for hell because he does not believe in God. In other words, even if you are the chief of all sinners, you are still qualified to enter heaven because of faith. Because of God’s mercy which prepared for us so rich a salvation, we do not need to strive. All is but grace. The just shall enter the gate by faith.  By faith, the just enter straight into the fullness of Christ. It is from faith to faith, starting with faith and ending with faith.

   The night before the children of Israel left Egypt, they slew the lamb at Rameses by faith.  By faith, they took some of the blood and put it on the doorposts and the lintel of the houses; they observed the Feast of Passover by faith. Likewise, they crossed the Red Sea by faith.  If they did not hold fast to their faith at that time, they certainly would have thought, “When we reach the midst of the sea and the sea water rolls back, will we not be buried there?” However, since they had the faith that came from the experience of their first-born being spared from death at Passover, they held fast to that faith and boldly crossed the Red Sea.   It was a pity that when they reached Kadesh, the border of Canaan, and with just a short distance from Canaan, they lost their faith.  Because of their unbelief, the Lord could not work anymore.

3. God purges the spirit of unbelief

   From this historical fact, we can see that salvation is received through faith.  The work of God is accomplished through man’s faith. The greatest thing that we can do for the Lord in our whole life is just to believe. No wonder when Lord Jesus was here on earth, the multitude asked Him, “What should we do that we may work the works of God?”  “Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:28)  Therefore, God has a very serious work, that is, to purge all the unbelief of man.

   There is unbelief in the nature that we inherited from Adam. There is no faith in our nature.  It is the enlightening and moving of the Holy Spirit that causes our hearts to turn to Christ, to know that He is the Savior, and to comprehend that Jesus is the Son of God.  At that moment, the revelation of God’s Son enters you and me. When Christ comes in, faith also enters.  This is also what made the apostle Paul say, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)  This means that in our whole life, it is the faith of the Lord Jesus that makes us keep on walking the path of the wilderness.  As the hymn goes:

   I know not how this saving faith

   to me He did impart;

   or how believing in His word

   wrought peace within my heart.

   If we talk about ourselves, we have no faith at all from head to foot.  That is why in the path of following the Lord, our faith is shaky and unstable.  Hence, God does the refining work in you and me (the people of Israel) in order to eliminate the unbelief in our nature. God’s first step was: "Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land, those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land." (Numbers 14:36~38)

   Furthermore, all that were numbered, from twenty years old and upwards, their carcasses would fall in the wilderness.  Thirdly, the rest of them would wander in the wilderness for forty years.  ‘Forty’ signifies undergoing trial.  God uses these three things to purge the spirit of unbelief in the Israelites, and eliminate their evil heart of unbelief.  On the other hand, God established the faith of Christ in their midst at Kadesh once again.  He established Christ’s spirit of faith.

4. Caleb upheld his faith and entered Canaan

   Starting from Hazeroth, God’s work was concentrated on building up the inner spirit of man in order that the chosen people He redeemed could enter spiritual abundance.  But to enter a deeper spiritual experience, one must profoundly deal with the problem of the spirit

   When we mention about establishing the spirit of faith, we will cite Caleb as an example.  Because the Bible particularly recorded that "My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it." (Numbers 14:24)  Caleb had ‘different spirit’ in him; that is, the spirit of faith. He was different from the rest. This spirit is also the Holy Spirit and comes from Christ. There was faith in this spirit that made him consistently and persistently follow the Lord to the end. This "followed the Lord fully" is faith.

   Experience-wise, the day when we came under grace and were born again, we were smeared with the blood of the Lamb and we ate the flesh of the lamb. This signifies that we have the life of God’s Son within us; it is also then that we obtained faith.  Therefore, Hebrews 3:14 tells us, "For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end."

5. Establishing Christ’s spirit of faith

   Caleb symbolizes God’s work in us.  Today, God continues to work in you and me in order that we may also have a different spirit.  Brothers and sisters, Satan has a sinister work among the disciples, and it is the most malicious trap, that is, making Christians lose their faith.  Never take faith as a very simple matter.  Remember what Jesus told Peter? "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." (Luke 22:31~32) True enough, not long after this incident, Peter denied Jesus thrice before the maidens.  Peter failed tremendously, and he completely lost his faith.  Later, after he repented with sorrow, his faith was again totally restored.  When he wrote the epistles in his old age, Peter said, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." (1 Peter 5:8~9) This means that we must have a steadfast faith, so as to complete our walk in the spiritual path. I deeply hope that our faith is anchored in Christ.  Let Christ establish the spirit of faith in us.

6. The ten spies, together with the people of Israel, hadpersonally witnessed the many evident miracles of God in the wilderness.  Why is it that their faith was lost so soon?  Was it not because they looked at the difficulties and dangers in Canaan? The moment our eyes are not fixed upon the beauty, goodness, and expanse of Canaan, faith will be gone.  Consequently, Hebrews 12:2 says, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.."  This means that we must fix our eyes on the Lord in following the Lord’s way.  Then, not only will our faith be strengthened and established, it will also grow.

XVII. The destruction of the tribe of Korah  (Num 16:1~40) — Establishing Christ’s spirit of submission

[Kadesh]

Not long after God punished the ten spies who brought bad news and destroyed them with plague, the incident of the tribe of Korah followed.  When the assembly heard that the Lord would not allow them to enter Canaan, Numbers 16:1~3 state, "Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, 'You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?'"

1. The tribe of Korah rebelled

   Korah was no ordinary man.  His life was particularly described in detail in the Bible.  He took the lead in assembling the people. Those who followed him include the Reubenites Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and On, the son of Peleth.  He also led two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, men of renown. Together, they assembled against Moses and Aaron.  With a domineering tone, they told Moses and Aaron, “All the congregation is holy, every one of them…Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” Apparently, they are pointing out that we are all Levites. The violent and intimidating manner of their conspiracy indicated that they rejected the leadership of Moses and Aaron.  This is the rebellious spirit.

   When the rebellious spirit sprouted among Israel, it was a serious matter.  Before, the people grumbled against Moses because of lack of water. It was due to difficulty of subsistence. The Lord could understand and forgive this. But now they wanted to overthrow the authority established by God. This is rebellion. They banded together to smite the leaders appointed by God. This indicated a struggle for power.  The power struggle ruined the order in God’s house. This incident was a rebellion and God definitely would not allow it.

2. The rebellious spirit is a distinctive characteristic of Satan

   The origin of the devil was the beautiful archangel, Lucifer.  He led many followers and originally occupied a noble position. One day, he wanted to exalt his throne and be equal with the Most High.  He wanted to overthrow the sole glorious position of the Son of God and be the head himself. He said in his heart, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God." This implied that he wanted to be equal with the Most High. This was the first rebellion in the universe.  When God saw this, He immediately judged, punished, and changed the archangel into satan. Those that followed the archangel in rebellion all became devils.  From this, we can see how serious God’s judgment is towards rebellion.

   Similarly, the history of mankind is that of rebellion.  The devil could not take it when it saw man’s forefather Adam obey God.  So he hid behind the serpent to tempt Eve, and enticed her by telling her, “If you eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, your eyes will be opened, and you will be as God, knowing good and evil.”  By this, he caused our forefather to doubt God’s love and made them think that God did not want them to have wisdom like Him.  Hence, they transgressed against God’s commandment and ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Adam’s desire to gain wisdom showed that he wanted to be independent from God.  This is rebellion.  Therefore, Romans 5:19 says, "For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners..." Since God definitely would not allow the existence of a rebellious spirit, He drove them out of the Garden of Eden immediately.

3. God purges the rebellious spirit 

   God will not allow the rebellious spirit to exist, so He must purge the rebellious spirit.  When Korah, Dathan, and Abiram banded together to rebel against Moses and Aaron, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, "Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins." And they got away from round the tents of Koran, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little children. And Moses said, "By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord." And it came to pass when he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them. The earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that belonged to Korah, and all their property; …and the earth covered them and they perished from among the congregation. (Numbers 16:20~33)  This incident points out that God judges a rebellious spirit.

   This is said to be the most severe judgment of God in the history of mankind.  God can tolerate murder or arson, but He cannot condone rebellion because it is a serious offense. Since the sin of rebellion aims to overthrow the power of God’s throne and destroy His administration; therefore, God must judge severely.  It is also written in the Bible, "And a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense." (Numbers 16:35) Thus, all the rebellious spirits were purged. From this, we can see that God does not allow even a tiny bit of rebellious spirit to remain in the church.

4. Caleb and Joshua had the spirit of submission

   On the other hand, the Lord also wanted to establish Christ’s spirit of submission among God’s people. The spirit of submission must fill the church. Christ’s spirit of submission has to be in every saint.  During that generation, only Caleb and Joshua were totally submissive.  Together with the ten spies and the whole congregation, they passed through the Feast of the Passover, crossed the Red Sea, and traversed the wilderness.  They had the same encounters as the congregation for forty years; yet, the two continuously trusted and obeyed. The Scripture specifically records that the Lord told Moses and Aaron that "Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in." (Numbers 14:30)  This means that only the two could enter the beautiful land of Canaan.  Spiritually, it means that the reason why they could attain Christ’s fullness was because of the spirit of submission.

5. Establishing Christ’s spirit of submission

   In the church today, God likewise wants to establish Christ’s spirit of submission in our midst.  When the Lord Jesus came from heaven to earth (Word became flesh), He was always obedient to God the Father.  For thirty-three and a half years, not once did He argue with God the Father.  From His birth in a manger, He stood in His position as a man. He kept on emptying Himself, humbling Himself, and becoming obedient even unto His death on the cross.  Philippians 2:5 tells us, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”  This means that Christ is the example and model of obedience.  When Christ wants to fill us, He must first refine us and abolish every rebellious spirit. Then He can establish the spirit of submission in you and me.  The lesson of submission is very deep.  Hence, the experience on the way to Kadesh grows deeper and deeper.  Although submission is truly hard to learn, yet it is God’s appointment. It is His leading.  Our responsibility is to learn; God’s responsibility is to establish.

   Once there was a young man who went for a job interview in a company. The owner of the company saw that this young man was greatly talented and was honest and kind.  So he hired him on the spot and told him to report for work the following day. The next day, the young man reported to work on time. The boss gave him a job and that was to move a pile of bricks from the back of the company building to the front.  He followed orders and transferred the bricks from morning until sunset and left only after the work was done. The next day, he reported for work. The boss told him to transfer the bricks from the front of the company building to the back. He again obeyed the boss. From morning until dusk, he transferred the bricks and then left his working place. The boss was very pleased. The third day was no different.  For a week, he was moving the bricks back and forth. He obeyed his boss’s desire, without asking for any reason. This young man was an intellectual and it was but reasonable for him to ask for the purpose in moving the bricks. However, he never did. Obedience does not ask for a reason. After a week, the owner of the company promoted him and assigned him to be the manager of a major decision-making department in sales. He represented his boss in deciding the sales price. The boss promoted him to a position of power and responsibility.  This is a true story.

   Today, the Lord also wants us to keep learning the lesson of obedience. Therefore, Peter told us that we must humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. (1 Peter 5:6), knowing that every incident that happens to you and me has the permission of God the Father. May the Lord be gracious to us.May God establish Christ’s spirit of submission in you and me so that we would become a submissive church.

   David was a great king of Israel.  Before he was enthroned, he learned the lesson of obedience over a long period of time. In his youth, he was anointed king by the prophet Samuel, but he did not immediately become king. From the time of his anointing, he was constantly persecuted and pursued by Saul.  Many times, Saul repaid his kindness with wickedness for no reason at all. Yet, David never grumbled against the Lord’s anointed. Because David was humble and obeyed, God exalted him to be the great king of Israel, for God had already established Christ’s spirit of submission in him.

   
   

XVIII. Plague befell the assembly  (Num 16:41~50)—Establishing Christ’s spirit of gentleness

[Kadesh]

Right after the tragedy where the band of Korah went down alive into pit, the whole assembly of the children of Israel murmured on the morrow against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.” Now it happened, when the confregation had gathered together against Moses and Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of meeting, and suddenly, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. (Numbers 16:41~42)

1. The congregation stubborn and angered

   This historical fact makes us see that when the congregation of Israel saw the destruction of the band of Koran, they did not take it as a warning. On the contrary, they were hardened and angered.  A hardened spirit makes a person disobey.

2. God purges the stubborn spirit

   And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” Because the wrath has gone out from the Lord and the plague has begun in the assembly. The Bible especially recorded, "Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident." (Numbers 16:49)

   From the death of fourteen thousand seven hundred stubborn people in the plague, it is not difficult for us to comprehend that God judges a hardened spirit. When we follow the Lord, a hardened spirit will hinder us from entering into Christ’s abundance. Therefore, obstinate people will suffer much loss; stubborn Christians will not grow. Stubbornness means rejecting the cross.  Hence, God must sternly judge the stubborn spirit in man. In the past, the whole assembly of Israel brought in the plague and died because their hearts were hardened. This clearly shows that God purges the hardened spirit.

3. Establishing Christ’s spirit of gentleness

   At that time, when the tribe of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On, together with the two hundred and fifty leaders of the children of Israel, gathered to contend against Moses and Aaron, the Scripture says, “When Moses heard it, he fell on his face.” (Numbers 16:4)  Through this, we can see that Moses had already established Christ’s spirit of gentleness before God.

   1. Moses’ spirit was gentle

      First it was when Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, the Bible says, "Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth." (Numbers 12:3) Later, it was when the people of Israel saw the band of Korah consumed, but were still hardened and murmured against Moses and Aaron. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Get you up from the midst of this assembly, and I will consume them in a moment.”  The Bible again records, "And they fell on their faces. So Moses said to Aaron, 'Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them'...Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded,....and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped." (Numbers 16:44~48)

      This historical fact plainly shows us that after leading a shepherd life for forty years in Midian, the stubborn Moses who had once been educated in all the learning of the Egyptians was not only purged of his hardened spirit.  At the same time, he was also trained by God. Christ’s spirit of gentleness was established in him. As a result, not only was the presence of the Spirit of God explicitly with him, Christ’s spirit of gentleness was also established within him. He possessed such humility and lived in peace with others. He gently accepted the unreasonable maltreatment of others. He would rather die that other people might be saved.

   2. The Lord Jesus is the Spirit of gentleness

      Once, when the Lord Jesus was on earth, He brought the disciples up the mountain. His disciples came to Him.  And opening His mouth He began to teach them, saying, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5) This means that only a meek spirit can make our life grow and inherit Christ’s fullness.

      One time, the Lord’s servant Brother Spark went to Taiwan.  The fellow-workers gathered together and asked him, “We want our spiritual lives to grow. What is the secret to attaining the abundant life?” He smiled in reply, “You have to ask the Lord to grant you a meek spirit.” Oh! These were the words from the experience of a spiritual person.  Only the meek people can inherit the land of Canaan.

      Matthew was one of the twelve apostles called and appointed by the Lord Jesus.  He followed the Lord for three and a half years and was deeply drawn to the ‘meekness’ of Christ.  So, in Matthew 11:29, he did not forget the words spoken by Jesus that day when He was with them, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart..." These words were not recorded in the other gospel books.

      What then is the meaning of ‘meekness’?  ‘Meekness’ means gentle and soft in spirit. When unreasonably treated or grieved by others, there is no resistance in the spirit but rather silent endurance. The Apostle Peter is no exception. When writing the epistle in his old age, he particularly recorded the Lord Jesus’ meek state on the cross, saying, "Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;" (1 Peter 2:22~23)

      
      

XIX. The budded rod  (Numbers 17:1~11) — Knowing the body of Christ

[Kadesh]

It is written in Numbers chapter 17: And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel, and get from them a rod from each father’s house, all their leaders according to their fathers’ houses—twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod. And you shall write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi. For there shall be one rod for the head of each father’s house. Then you shall place them in the tabernacle of meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you. And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I choose will blossom; thus I will rid Myself of the complaints of the children of Israel, which they make against you.” (verses 1~5)

1. Therod of Aaron budded

   Moses then followed what the Lord said. He took one rod for each prince according to their fathers’ houses, a total of twelve rods, and the rod of Aaron was among them.  He laid the rods before the Lord in the tent of the testimony.

   The following day, Moses went into the tent of the testimony and "behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds." (Numbers 17:8)  And the Lord said to Moses, "Bring Aaron’s rod back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die."

   Only the rod of Aaron budded and brought forth buds, bloomed blossoms, and ripened almonds.  In other words, the rest of the staves withered and became lifeless. In the north, whenever it snows in winter, the trees wither and decay until the snow melts in springtime. Then the trees will put forth buds and leaves and bear fruits.  The rod of Aaron budded, bloomed, and bore almonds after one night. This refers to the authority of a resurrected life. ‘Budded’ denotes the resurrected life and ‘rod’ symbolizes authority.  Therefore, the budding of Aaron’s rod refers to the authority of a resurrected life.

2. There is the authority of life in the church

   Experience-wise, starting from Rameses, a Christian experiences the pillars of fire and cloud, manna, and living water from the rock. He also passes through the refining work of God in many aspects. His spirit had been trained to be upright.  He believed, was obedient, and had become meek… After all these multi-faceted spiritual learning, his spiritual life is already rather rich and experienced. At this time, their authority of life can be seen explicitly in the church. Christians whose spiritual lives are advanced, matured, and experienced show forth the authority of life and are naturally revered.

   In the family, parents rear and educate the children. During their childhood, the children oftentimes either quarrel or fight when they are together. Gradually, they grow up and rarely quarrel anymore. In fact, when the younger brother or sister is insulted or oppressed by others, the elder one will automatically step forward to protect the younger one, thus they begin to care for each other. After age twenty, they would naturally have mutual respect for one another and would treat each other courteously.  When the whole family gathers for a meal, the children will sit in order and address the elder ones—eldest brother, eldest sister, second brother, second sister—with respect. The older they grow, the more explicit the order becomes. ‘The budded rod of Aaron’ demonstrates that God’s children must obey the order established by God.  The order in God’s house is manifested from the authority of life.

   Since authority is based on life, the life of Christ in us, therefore he who has a greater portion of Christ’s life within is spiritually more mature and naturally possesses more spiritual authority. 

3. Knowing the body of Christ

   There is also order in God’s house.  As a person walks the path of wilderness, the more he loves and pursues the Lord, and the more he is dealt with, the more his life will grow into fullness.  Naturally, he will be a spiritual elder. It is just like the appearance of Aaron’s rod which is a manifestation of the authority of life in the church.  It is at this time that we come to know what is called the body of Christ and what is called the house of God.

   When the saints walk in the pathway of life, they journey from Rameses, pass the Red Sea, and walk through the wilderness. They walk a fairly long way, station after station.  After the in-depth work of the cross, their lives grow, mature, and gradually show forth the authority of life. Then, the order of life is established in the church, and the body of Christ is lived out. Each member of the body, in his own post, works together with the others. There is the order of the authority of life, and the body of Christ is manifested.

   Before, there was no relation whatsoever between God’s house and me. When I heard that the church is the body of Christ, I seem to comprehend, but in reality, I do not. However, when the authority of life exists in the church—who are the parents, who are the elder brothers and sisters, who are the younger brothers and sisters would naturally be manifested in an orderly manner. The church is the body of Christ, not an organization in the society. When the lives of the saints grow, spiritual order will naturally be manifested.  There is no need for strife. When the rod of Aaron budded, it was clear that the authority of life was in him.  The other tribes could not compare with him.  In the church, who the elder is will naturally be manifested.  When the body of Christ appears, we will find out that I am but one small finger of the body; he is the shoulder; you are the foot; and another one is the mouth. However, such manifestation will not be seen when the saints in the church are still immature.

   We are walking the pathway of spiritual life, establishing the body of Christ, and building the house of God. Our goal is to reach the fullness of Christ. Any church that does not have Christ’s fullness as its goal is but a religious group organized according to man’s will.  May the Lord be gracious and merciful unto us. May He grant us the spirit of wisdom and revelation that we may truly see what is the magnificent plan of God.  Christ is the centrality and universality of God’s great plan, so that the church would be filled with Christ, spiritual lives would grow, and the body of Christ would be manifested.

<-- Back to "The Spiritual Journey Next Chapter -->