God has just had to punish certain people of the tribes of Israel because they were questioning His way. God wanted to prove to the rest of the people what His way was. So, he came up with a small test.
Numbers 17:1-5- And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod. And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.
God told Moses to have each tribe take a rod, a long piece of tree limb used for walking, and write a princes name on it. There would be 12 rods, one from each of the 12 tribes. God told Moses to write Aaron's name on the rod for the tribe of Levi.
God wanted Moses to place the rods in the Tabernacle and wait over night. The man who God chose would have his rod grow leaves and blossoms and fruit. This would be a miracle, because none of the rods had any roots. Moses wasn't going to water them, or put them out in the sunlight- things that plants need to grow. God was going to make the rod grow!
Numbers 17:7-9- And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness. And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
The next day, Moses brought the rods out and the people saw that God had chosen Aaron.
The people spent many years after that wandering the wilderness for their sin of not following God's command to enter the Promised Land. The ones who were old enough to vote "no" died off in the wilderness.
Numbers 20:1- Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.
Yes, even Moses' and Aaron's sister died. Everyone that was over the age of 20 years old when Caanan was scouted would die in the wilderness. What a tragic ending for those who weren't willing to trust God!
