Rejection, Resurrection, and Declaration

As we have often discussed, Moses is a pattern of Yeshua.

In the wilderness Moses is rejected by three groups of people in succession. First Moses was rejected by his own family, Aaron and Miriam who said, “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” (Num 12:2). Then came the rebellion of Korah who said to Moses, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD’s assembly?” (Num 16:3). Finally, after the death of Korah and his followers, “the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. ‘You have killed the LORD’s people,’ they said.” (Num 16:41).

Each of these examples represents the rejection of a specific role Moses performed before the people. In the first example, Moses was rejected as a prophet. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” Then Moses was rejected as a priest. “The whole community is holy, ever one of them.” Finally, Moses was rejected as a king over the whole community who “grumbled against Moses and Aaron”. Moses was rejected as a prophet, as a priest, and as a king, the three roles of Yeshua.

Stephen draws on these rejections of Moses as a comparison to Yeshua. “But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt…You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit. Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him” (Acts 7:39-52).

At each rebellion against Moses, the LORD judged the people involved. Finally, the LORD determined to demonstrate the calling and authority of Moses before the people. The LORD told Moses to collect a staff from each of the twelve tribes and write the name of the tribe on the staff. “The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed, and produced almonds” (Num 17:8). Moses had been rejected three times and then declared to be the chosen of God by a staff that “budded, blossomed, and produced almonds”.

According to the Torah Club, the Hebrew word used for blossom is not the more common word “tzamach”, but “tzitz”, which is the same word used for the sacred plate of gold worn on the forehead of the High Priest. Since the name of God is etched on the gold plate, the sages suggested that when Aaron’s staff blossomed God’s name also appeared etched onto the wood. “The Holy One blessed be He decreed that the unspeakable name that is written on the high priest’s plate should be written on Aaron’s staff, as may be deduced from the passage, ‘It had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms.” (Numbers Rabbah 18:23).

The budding of Aaron’s almond staff is often equated to the resurrection. (For this reason, Teresa believes that the almond tree may be the “tree of life” because it is associated with the resurrection of Aaron staff and is included in the design of the menorah.) By this miracle, Moses was declared to be the chosen of the LORD through the resurrection of the staff. The rod of Aaron would be kept in the Ark from that day forward “as a sign against the rebels” (Num 17:10). In fact three items were kept in the ark corresponded to the three roles of Moses and therefore Yeshua: manna (prophet), the rod that budded (priest), and the two tables of the law (king).

Yeshua is often equated in scripture to a branch (Isa 11:1)(Jer 23:5)(Zech 6:12) that was given “a name above every name” (Phil 2:9). In a like manner as Moses, Yeshua was “declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead” (Rom 1:4). Like Moses, before the resurrection Yeshua was rejected three times, think Peter. Rejection, resurrection, then declaration of authority. The pattern is shown by Moses and fulfilled by Yeshua.

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:9-11).