In the previous chapter which is the book of Numbers chapter 16, and in our previous article of the rebellious of the church in the wilderness of which this is the second part, we see how God dealt with the evil attitudes (envy against the servants of God –Moses and Aaron: competing and comparing with Moses and Aaron: causing an uproar, division and confusion in the church in the wilderness: the false judgement of incompetent brought against them to diminish and humiliates them before the entire church in the wilderness) of Dathan, Korah and Abiram with those that joined with them through the strange judgement and punishment of earthquake sent to destroy all of them at once.
 
Now, God is making final statements, points and warnings to deter future murmuring, envy, competitive spirit of false perception and blind arguments of spiritual equality in the position of relationship and power bestowed on Aaron and Moses through the priesthood ministerial responsibility, for every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them who are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man takes this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. Hebrews 5:1-4. Note: by the virtue of the preciousness of the blood of Christ, all believers are precious in God’s sight (Isaiah 5:13. Isaiah 43:4), and they are all honourable sons and daughters of the kingdom, called by God, but for different purposes which made some among them to be more honourable in purpose than others according to God’s own pleasure (2 Samuel 23:23): it is therefore imperative that you seek out your purpose in God and not in another with the good sense of personal awareness, gratitude and submission before God to the place you are positioned and fixed (head, feet, hand, ear, mouth, finger, nose, etc) to be and to function effectively as a part or a member as one body in Christ: nevertheless, man that is in honour, and understands it not; he is like beasts that perish. Psalms 49:20.
 
The specific honour bestowed upon Aaron from God, and of which the brethren with the evil hearts and eyes were jealous and bitter of him is the decoration of the vessel (Aaron) with different characteristics of graces to minister before God to the rest of the people as a part of the body for the edification of the whole body. A man can receive only what is given him from above. John 3:27. There is no greater honour for anyone among God’s children in general (Moses, Aaron or king Saul, David or Solomon. 1 Samuel 2:30) than to walk increasingly in obedient, so that all should bring honour to God who has made us accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:5-7): to seek and commit to serve him according to the spiritual capacity and potential bestowed upon each and every one of us in particular, having gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us. If any man therefore serves Christ in the capacity he received of Christ, without measuring himself with another, such are they that truly seeks and desire for the honour that comes from God, and not the honour which comes from men, that they should receive true honour (promotion) and commendation from God for their faithfulness and fruitfulness according to the measure he has given them (John 12:26): those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour, and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: that there should be no schism in the body; but that member should have the same care one for another. 1 Corinthians 12:23-30.
By the grace of the Spirit of God, I seek to speak to us on the three characteristics features and manifestations to reveal or make known divine authenticity, approval, presence and continuity of the honor bestowed upon God’s true servants that are called and anointed into the priesthood of the five-fold ministry. Although, all are not called to be apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists; yet, out of these ministries and ministers of the priesthood ministerial gifts shall be born new apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists just as Aaron’s dry rod yield almonds with new leaf or flower before the Lord, and even as Moses was instructed to encourage, anoint and appoint Joshua as a new prophet and leader of the people in the church in the wilderness. Numbers 17:8. Numbers 27:18. Ephesians 4:4-12.
 
But first, let me say this that while some are called into the higher office and service in the Lord, every one of us in Christ Jesus is a minister of God in his own capacity with the ministry of reconciliation, being sent into the world as the ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-20), and each with a certain spiritual rod (symbol of power with God in Christ Jesus) designed to work effectively with the rest of the brethren for the good and profitableness of the entire body (and from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the Lord spoke unto Moses, gather the people together, and I will give them water. Then Israel sang this song, spring up, O well; sing you unto it: the princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah. Numbers 21:16-18): but not necessary a mantle for a unique ministry given to a particular single man as gift for the entire body of Christ to fulfill a particular work of the ministry for the perfecting of saints. Acts1:17-25. 1Timothy1:12. 2Timothy 4:15.
Some people are better off in their walk with God and in their spiritual life and services before God if they would submit under or are in collaboration with someone else in the priesthood ministry than to set aside or create their proper ministry out of self-exaltation of pride of a contentious and self-induced zeal, and not by the Spirit’s call with confirmations from other quarters for their assignments with a unique anointing according to the dispensation (Colossians 1:25) of God to fulfill the word of God upon their lives. This is the cause we have so many of these foolish, stupid, blasphemous, vain jangling, ungodly and unscriptural practices of these self-appointed teachers of babes leaders and Shepherds, speaking and teaching things which ought not to be said to draw men after them, and not sparing the flocks for filthy lucre sake, having men’s person in admiration because of advantage – take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Acts 20:28-30. Jude 1:16.
 
We are all the blessed of God, but not with equal spiritual graces and anointing to function (as every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:10-11) equally. Some of those graces shall not be increased and fruitful except we exercise them in the company of other believers such as in the intercessors or singing group, or in some other group meetings for productivity and profitableness to bless others: for the earth which drinks in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and brings forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receives blessing from God: but that which bears thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:7-12.
 
And the Lord spoke 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 shall 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 shall 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. And Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. 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. Numbers17:1-9.
 
(A) Observe the flower which spring forth out of Aaron’s rod or from his dry tree before the dawn of the day as if someone presently cut it off as a fresh branch from the almond tree. This speaks of the freshness of God’s anointing released daily as an early dew upon his ministers, so that they should bring out new spiritual treasures of revelation knowledge of the deep things of God ordained before the world unto their glory (1 Corinthians 2:7) to refresh the lives and souls of the people of God (give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain; my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Deuteronomy 32:1-3) they are called to minister unto in God’s stead. They should be bringing out new things every day or periodically in their season by the revelation of the Spirit of God through the anointing that works in them, just as the new flower budded out of an old rod of Aaron. Note: the priesthood ministries of the fivefold ministers are given for spiritual awakening and perfection of the people they are called to serve, while they should also be careful how they conduct themselves in order to make sure that they are living faithfully (1 Corinthians 4:2) according those things they are taught by God is important for their salvation and of those that heard them, lest they should misrepresent God who has bestowed such a great honor of deeper relationship in fellowship upon them, and be rebuked and chastised of him, even as Moses and Aaron were rebuked and chastised by God in the incident of the water of strife at Meribah, and were denied access to enter into the Promised land because of their misrepresentations of God by their comportment and response to the crisis before the people.
 
(B) The priesthood ministers and ministries grow increasingly in the Lord (spiritual budding) because of their personal abiding life and faithfulness to their cause in the husbandman and the vine – Christ. They don’t grow worst; but rather, they grow better and increasingly stronger from grace to grace, and from glory to glory as by the Spirit of God. God is the same and faithful creator who has called them, who is also doing the works in them, and he will not fail to finish his works in them and through them unto the end. A local church can only grow according to the limit of the spiritual growth and experiences of his under- shepherd with God. Let him try to give what he doesn’t have or receive to the congregation, it won’t be impactful, and the fruit of it would not abide for long, if there is any. Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts? Isaiah 28:9. Therefore, the shepherd should continually seek the face God, not his own gain and belly, but for the sake of the flocks which are under his care (his watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down and loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Isaiah 56:10-11) to nourish and protect, lest they be weary of being fed daily with same old corn, instead of fresh and finest of the wheat sent daily from above, and lest God delivered his flock from his mouth that they are not as a prey forever unto him. Ezekiel 34.
 
(C) These men are given as leaders and commanders to the people (Isaiah 55:4-5) of God with power and authority to bless in the name of the Lord (Numbers 6:22-27): therefore no one should take this honor unto himself by whatever reason (now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. Romans 16:17-18: Galatians 4:1) than he that is called of God, as of Aaron. Hebrews 5:4.
 
They are fearless men for truth’s sake, but truly full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgement, and of might, to declare unto Jacob (brethren) his transgression, and to Israel (church) his sin (Micah 3:8), and their safety is not negotiable with God. Jeremiah 36:26. Their spiritual fruitfulness and productivity is unlimited because they shall bear much more abiding fruit to fill the face of the earth with fruit – In that day sing ye unto her, a vineyard of red wine. I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them; I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me. He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. Isaiah 27: 2-6.
                                   
Moses died when he was a hundred and twenty years old: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. Deuteronomy 34:7. While these men ministry is with God (at my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 2 Timothy 4:16-17) and their durability in the ministry is also determined by him (yet for love’s sake I rather beseech thee, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. Philemon 1:9) that has borne them from his belly to carry them to their old age: and to their hoar hairs will he bear them (Isaiah 46: 3-4) according to their usefulness, purposes and the blessings (thus says the Lord, as the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so, will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all. Isaiah 65:8) they carry before him who has appointed them. They are the big branches in the vine, and they yield almonds to deliver a massive of spiritual nutrients. Their fruit is sweet, and they are like the palm trees which gladdens the heart of God and man by their ministries: the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; to show that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. Psalms 92:12-15.