Based on Numbers 16:41-17:11 (New King James Version)
“On the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘You have killed the people of the Lord.’ Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. Then Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of meeting. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.’ 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; for wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun.’ Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; 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. Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident. So Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, for the plague had stopped. 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.’ So Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each of their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. And Moses placed the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds. Then Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord to all the children of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod. 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.’ Thus did Moses; just as the Lord had commanded him, so he did.”
The Word of the Lord teaches us things here that we must keep in mind even today, even though it is written in the older books of the Bible, which clarifies a mistake: the mistake of thinking that we are supposed to focus only on the New Testament. The Word of God consists not only of the New Testament, but also of the Old Testament, from Genesis to Revelation. Thus, it has been inspired by the Holy Spirit Himself throughout the centuries of its composition. From Genesis to Revelation, it constitutes all divine counsel for humanity and all Biblical teaching. For a doctrine to be legitimate and accepted as holy teaching, it must agree with the fullness of Scripture, and not with one verse here and another there. We must always remember this: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Matthew 5:17-18. And it also says: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Therefore, we must read, study, and apply all the Scriptures in our lives, as the Holy Spirit guides.
Let us think for a moment about all the divine teaching we lose if we leave aside the Old Testament. How could we know about the creation of the world if we did not have the Old Testament? And how could we know about the father of faith, Abraham, as mentioned in the Word, if we did not read the writings of Moses? And what would we know about the Ten Commandments, which are still very much in force before God? And what about the prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled? These are just a few of the many things we find in the Old Testament. Therefore, ignoring something as valuable as the Old Testament is not biblical and goes against what the Holy Spirit Himself teaches. And as such, this is what the Lord taught: “Then He said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.’” Matthew 13:52.
Now, what can we learn from this passage we saw today? The first thing is that we should not murmur or complain. This was a serious problem before, as it is now. God does not tolerate complaining. And we saw that the Lord even took the lives of those who had reached the end of His patience. And make no mistake, He will do so now as well. Why? Because everything moves according to God's will, in one way or another. And what insult is it to His all-seeing and all-knowing majesty if we complain about what He does? Because ultimately, complaining about circumstances or divine plans is protesting against God Himself. God appointed Moses and Aaron to lead the people. And many of the people did not like this because they envied them, even though God had performed incredible signs and wonders on behalf of the people through these men. We must always remember this: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. How can a person who complains against what God desires to accomplish do the Father's will? Do you see the problem with complaining? If you are dissatisfied or troubled by your circumstances, pray about them, humbly asking God for help, but without complaining, for your own good, always asking for His will, because it is the only way we will gain entrance into His kingdom through the Lord Jesus.
The other thing we can see is that God can bring life out of what seems dry or dead, even to show His answer, His will. We can never think that everything is already lost, and that there is no solution. On the contrary, in the will of God, God brings life even out of death. If Christ had not died for our sins, we would not have His resurrection, nor the redemption we obtain precisely through the shedding of His blood. So, we must always have faith in God's answers, and accept His will, even when everything supposedly seems lost and without human hope. As it is written: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8. Therefore, let us live and hope in Him as such, as the Eternal and Almighty God that He is. Therefore, seek His guidance in everything, even in everyday matters, to see the manifestation of His will, but always focusing on the main thing, no matter what happens, no matter how things are, may you grow in love for the Lord, so that everything may work together for the good in your life, as the Word also says: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28. And so, are you following the Lord’s direction, loving Him how He deserves to be loved. Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!