HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 8.-The budding of Aaron's rod. The budding, blossoming, and fruit- bearing of the dry staff of office le.id by Aaron in the tabemncle, significant- I. As A MIRACLE. It was an unmistakable sign of God's interposition (such o. natural impossibility the occasion of an oath among the heathen: Homer's • Iliad,' i. 233, and Virgil's 'lEueid,' xv. 206), as every miracle is,-on behalf of his serv- ant Aaron, "disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of Gud,''-and in condemna- tion of "the rebels." Even if regarded as an arbitrary sign, it we.a none the less sufficient. God required that the miracles of Moses pirr se should be accepted both by tbe sympathetic Israelites and the reluctant Pharaoh (Exod. iv. 1-8). So too did our Lord (John xiv. 11; xv. 24). This miracle permanent so long e.s the rod existed. And all miracles, though transitory, of permanent value as proofs of the interposition of God (Exod. iii. 14). II. As A SYMBOL. 1. "The almond tree, as that which most quickly bringe forth blossoms and beautiful fruit, is an emblem of the mighty power of the word of God, which is ever fresh and unfailing in its fulfilment" (Jer. i. 11, 12). 2. A sign of the permanent vitality of God's appointed priesthood as " an everla.sting priesthood throughout their generations " (Exod. xl. 15). 3. A type of the miraculous attesta- tion of the unchangeable piiesthood of Christ. God, who "fulfils himself in mnny ways," about, hereafter, to replace the priesthood of Aaron by a Priest chosen by him- self, nfter the order of Melchizedeo. This priesthood attested by II resurrection (Acts xiii. 33; Heh. v. 9, 10), of which the resurrection of this dead tree was a type. And now that the risen Christ is in the holiest place, in the presence of God, his resur- rection and reign in glory are signs to all murmurers of his appointment as the one High Priest and King, who "shall send forth the rod of his strength," and reign till all enemies are placed beneath his feet.-P.
Ver. 10.-The two brethren and their rods. I. The rod of Moses, a shepherd's staff, a commonplace instrument, changed by God's power into" the rod of God" (Exod. iv.17), "the rod of his strength." (1) For the conviction of Moses himself (ibid. iv. 1-5); (2) for the punishment of the rebellious (ibid. vii. 20, &c.); (3) :for the deliverance of God's servants from imminent dnnger (ibid. xiv. 16, 26); (4) for the supply of their roost urgent wants (ibid. xvii. 6, 6); (5) for the con- quest of their foes (ibid. xvii. 9-12). Thus God makes the weakest conunonesl. NUMBERS, Q 226 THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. [cu. xvn. 1-18.