1. Which tribe would bear Aaron’s name upon their rod?
    •        Levi (Numbers 17:3).

2. What was the purpose of these rods?
    •        “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” (Numbers 17:4-5).

3. Which rod budded?
    •        The rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms,
    and yielded almonds (Numbers 17:8).

4. Did the mindset of the children of Israel change, after they saw the rod which budded, from their rebellious
mindset against Moses and Aaron we read of in chapter sixteen?
    •        Yes, they now were filled with fear (Numbers 17:10-13).

5. Who was going to be responsible for the iniquity related to the sanctuary and the priesthood?
    •        Aaron and his sons (Numbers 18:1).

6. Would the priest die if a Levite came near the vessels of the sanctuary or the altar?
    •        Both the priest and Levite would die (Numbers 18:3).

7. Who would receive a tenth in Israel as an in heritance for their service?
    •        The Levities (Numbers 18:21; 24; cf. I Corinthians 9:9-13).

8. Were those who received the tithes of Israel expected to give a portion of that to the Lord?
    •        Yes, (Numbers 18:26).

9. Was the red heifer expected to be without spot, as was the other animals sacrificed to God?
    •        Yes, (Numbers 19:2).

10. What instructions were given if a man died in a tent?
    •        “This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be
    unclean seven days” (Numbers 19:14).

11. What was to occur to the man who was unclean and did not purify himself?
    •        “But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the
    congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord: the water of separation hath not been
    sprinkled upon him; he is unclean” (Numbers 19:20; cf. v. 13).
    •        The water of separation was revealed in Numbers 19:4-9.

12. Where did Miriam, Moses’ sister (Exodus 15:20; cf. Exodus 4:14), die?
    •        Kadesh (Numbers 20:1).

13. Again, as we’ve seen before (Exodus 15:22-27; 17:1-4), what did the children of Israel do when water was
lacking?
    •        The people opposed Moses and Aaron, questioning even the very reason why they had been delivered
    out of Egypt (Numbers 20:2-5).

14. What did the Lord instruct Moses to do to provide water for the people?
    •        “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou,
    and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and
    thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink”
    (Numbers 20:7-8).

15. Did Moses do as God instructed?
    •        No, he smote the rock instead of speaking to it (Numbers 20:9-11).

16. What is Moses’ end going to be because of how he did or did not follow God’s instructions?
    •        Even though Moses had done and would continue to do much good, he would not enter the promise
    land because of this transgression (Numbers 20:12).

17. Does Numbers 20:13 show us that we strive against God when we doubt Him and disobey Him?
    •        YES!  As the context shows the people mad and Moses and Aaron, God says their fight was with Him!

18. What is meant when the children of Israel addressed Edom as their brother in Numbers 20:14 (you will have to
think outside of the context for this answer from our studies in Genesis)?
    •        The Edomites were descendents of Esau, Jacob’s brother (Genesis 25:30; 32:3; 36:1; 8).

19. Did the Israelites appeal to pass through the land of Edom on peaceful terms?
    •        Yes, (Numbers 20:15-17; 19).

20. Did the Edomites allow Israel to pass through their land?
    •        No, (Numbers 20:18; 20-21).

21. Why would Aaron die and not enter into the promise land?
    •        For the same reason Moses was rejected from passing over (Numbers 20:23-24; cf. 20:12-13).

22. How was Aaron’s place passed on to Eleazar?
    •        “Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor: And strip Aaron of his garments,
    and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.  And
    Moses did as the Lord commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.  And
    Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of
    the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount” (Numbers 20:25-28).

23. Chapter twenty began with the people against Moses and Aaron.  Did the chapter end in a like manner?
    •        No, the mourned the death of Aaron 30 days (Numbers 20:29).

24. How did Israel obtain the help of God against the Canaanites?
    •        They vowed to kill all of them if the Lord delivered them into their hands (Numbers 21:1-3).

25. Why did God send fiery serpents among the people?
    •        “…the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.  And the people spake against
    God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is
    no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.  And the Lord sent fiery serpents
    among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died” (Numbers 21:4-6).

26. What was the purpose of the brass serpent that Moses made?
    •        “Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord,
    and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the
    people.  And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to
    pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.  And Moses made a serpent of brass,
    and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent
    of brass, he lived” (Numbers 21:7-9).

27. Was Israel able to defeat the Amorites?
    •        Yes, even as they offered peaceful passage through their land but was denied.  The Amorites came up
    against them and was delivered into their hands too (Numbers 21:21-31).

28. What did God tell Moses about Og?
    •        “And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them,
    he, and all his people, to the battle at Edrei.  And the Lord said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered
    him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of
    the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.  So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was
    none left him alive: and they possessed his land” (Numbers 21:33-35).
Having A Basic Understanding of Some Old Testament Truths
Part 21 – The Twelve Rods Through Israel’s Victory Over Bashan (Numbers 17-21)

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© 2008 This study was prepared for the midweek studies of the Sunrise Acres church of Christ in El Paso, TX by Brian A. Yeager.