Numbers 17 Summary: A Concise Overview in 5 Minutes

Numbers 17 Summary - A Quick Overview

WHEN:

• The events recorded in Numbers 17 took place during the 40 years the Israelites were living in the wilderness as a punishment for their faithlessness (14:33-35).

• The Israelites were in the wilderness from approximately 1490-1450 B.C.

CHARACTERS:

• Moses – Moses was selected by God to lead the Israelites to Canaan. God spoke directly to Moses and Moses communicated God’s words to the people.    

• Aaron – Moses’ brother and the High Priest of Israel.

• Rebellious Israelites – After the rebellion of Korah (Numbers 16), some of the Israelites questioned Moses and Aaron’s authority to lead Israel.

WHERE:

• For a while, the Israelites had been camped in the wilderness of Paran at Kadesh (13:26), but God told them to turn around and go back into the wilderness “by the way to the Red Sea” (14:25). They would remain in the wilderness for 40 years.  

OUTLINE:

• AARON’S ROD BLOOMS (17:1-13):

  • Following Korah’s rebellion, and as a further sign of God selecting Moses and Aaron as leaders of Israel, God told Moses to collect 12 staffs, one from the leader of each tribe, and put them in the Tabernacle.

  • God would cause the staff of the man He wanted to lead the priests to sprout.

  • Moses did as the Lord instructed and gathered the 12 staffs.

  • Aaron’s staff represented the tribe of Levi.

  • Moses left the staffs in the Tabernacle overnight.

  • In the morning, Moses returned to the Tabernacle to find Aaron’s staff had sprouted buds, blossoms, and ripe almonds.

  • He brought all 12 staffs out of the tent to show the people.

  • When they saw the miracle, they were convicted of their sin and feared God’s anger.

  • God told Moses to keep Aaron’s staff at the Tabernacle as a reminder to the rebellious people and as a sign of His blessing on the household of Aaron.

APPLICATION:

• As we discussed in chapter 15, God gave His people physical reminders to help them recall spiritual principles (tassels on their clothing, Aaron’s rod, the Passover Feast, etc.).

• Think of some ways you can fill you home, your office, and the places you spend most of your time with reminders of God and His principles.

• Put a picture on your wall with a Bible verse you need to apply.

• Buy a bracelet with one of God’s promises on it.

• Set a widget on your phone to remind you to pray at certain times through the day.

• Reminding ourselves repeatedly of God’s promises, laws, grace, wrath, and awesomeness is part of the reason daily Bible study is important, we need to be continually reminded.

• If God thought reminders were important, so should we!

DIAGRAM OF THE CAMP OF ISRAEL:

DIAGRAM OF THE TABERNACLE: