The Copper Censers
Numbers 17, verse 1. Now the Lord spoke to Moses Numbers 17, verse 2. and to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, “Take up the copper censers out of the midst of those burned up, and scatter the strange fire there, so as to sanctify Numbers 17, verse 3. the censers of those sinners—even the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives—and make them into beaten plates, as a covering for the altar; so they might be brought before the Lord and sanctified, to become a sign to the children of Israel.” Numbers 17, verse 4. And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest took the copper censers which those burned up had brought, and they added these as a covering for the altar, Numbers 17, verse 5. as a memorial to the children of Israel, that no outsider who is not of Aaron's seed should put incense before the Lord and be like Korah and his insurrection, as the Lord said by the hand of Moses. Numbers 17, verse 6. The next day the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You killed the people of the Lord.” Numbers 17, verse 7. Now it happened, when the congregation regrouped itself against Moses and Aaron, they hastened to the tabernacle of testimony; and the cloud covered it, and the Lord's glory was seen. Numbers 17, verse 8. Then Moses and Aaron entered the front of the tabernacle of testimony, Numbers 17, verse 9. and the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, Numbers 17, verse 10. “Get away from the midst of this congregation, and I will utterly destroy them at once.” So they fell on their faces. Numbers 17, verse 11. Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take the censer, put fire in it from the altar, throw incense on it, and carry it quickly to the camp, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the Lord's face, and is beginning to strike the people.” Numbers 17, verse 12. So Aaron took it as Moses told him, and ran into the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he threw in the incense, and made atonement for the people; Numbers 17, verse 13. and he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague ceased. Numbers 17, verse 14. Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died because of Korah. Numbers 17, verse 15. Then Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of testimony, and the plague ceased.
Aaron's Rod That Budded
Numbers 17, verse 16. After this, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Numbers 17, verse 17. “Speak to the children of Israel and get a rod from them, a rod from each of their fathers’ houses, from all their rulers according to their fathers’ houses—twelve rods. Write each man's name on his rod. Numbers 17, verse 18. You shall also write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi, for there is one rod that shall be given according to the tribe of their fathers’ houses. Numbers 17, verse 19. Then you shall put them in the tabernacle of testimony before the ark of the testimony, where I will be known to you. Numbers 17, verse 20. So it shall be, the man I choose, his rod will blossom; thus I will remove the murmurings of the children of Israel which they murmur against you.” Numbers 17, verse 21. Then Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each of their rulers gave him a rod apiece, for each ruler according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods; and Aaron's rod was in the midst of their rods. Numbers 17, verse 22. Moses then put the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of testimony. Numbers 17, verse 23. Now it came to pass on the next day, Moses entered the tabernacle of testimony, and behold, Aaron's rod for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds, and had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds. Numbers 17, verse 24. Then Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord to all the children of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod. Numbers 17, verse 25. The Lord then said to Moses, “Bring Aaron's rod back before the testimonies, as a sign to the sons of the disobedient, and let their murmurings cease from before Me, lest they die.” Numbers 17, verse 26. Thus did Moses; as the Lord ordered him, so he did. Numbers 17, verse 27. So the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we are utterly destroyed, we are ruined, we are consumed. Numbers 17, verse 28. Whoever touches the tabernacle of the Lord dies. Shall we utterly die?”