For most Bile students and those who have watched made-for-television movies, it is usually the rod of Moses that is imbued with the miracle-working power of God, but few realize that Aaron’s rod was also used; perhaps even just as much as Moses’ rod.
Exodus 4: 1-4, 17
Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’ “ So the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A rod.” And He said, “Cast it to the ground.” So he cast it to the ground and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” (and he reached out his hand it became a rod [again] in his hand). “And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do signs.”
7: 8-10b, 12b
Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, “Show a miracle for yourselves, ‘then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’ “ And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
NOTE: Where did Aaron’s rod come from?
19
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they might become blood. And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone.’ “
8: 5-6
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, “Stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’ “ So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
16
So the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it might become gnats throughout all the land of Egypt.’ ”
NOTE: Moses performed the following miracles with his rod: Fire mingled with hail (9: 22-26); The Locusts (10: 12-15); Thick Darkness (10: 21-23??).
Exodus 11: 10a
So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh. . .
NOTE: Afterwards, Moses raised his rod to part the Sea of Reeds (14: 15-16) or Red Sea and used the rod of God in the defeat of King Amalek (17: 8-13).
Numbers 17: 8
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.
COMMENTARY: It would seem that contrary to popular opinion and tradition, God used Aaron to perform just as many miraculous signs as He did with Moses, and Exodus 4: 1-10 gives an interesting background glimpse into things that just might go unnoticed for the most part, and of which 5: 28-31a says: So Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he commanded him. Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. Then he [Aaron??] did the signs in the sight of the people. So the people believed. . .
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 4, 2010
pbks@hotmail.com
