Justin Houtz

Numbers 17, 1 Corinthians 1

DateVersionReading Plan
May 14, 2025ESV (2016)OT/NT Plan 2025 – 2027

Numbers 17

Observation & Interpretation

The LORD spoke to Moses, telling him to speak to the people and get from them a staff from each father’s house; twelve staffs in all (Num. 17:1-2). Aaron’s name was to be written on the staff of Levi (Num. 17:3). The staffs were to be deposited in front of the ark of the covenant in the tent of meeting and the staff of the man whom God chose would sprout (Num. 17:4-5). This was to cease the grumblings of the people of Israel (Num. 17:5). Moses did as he was instructed, depositing the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the testimony (Num. 17:7).

When Moses went into the tent of the testimony the next day, he saw that the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted, put forth buds, produced blossoms and bore ripe almonds (Num. 17:8). Moses brought all the staffs from before the LORD to all the people who looked and each man took his staff (Num. 17:9). The LORD told Moses to put back Aaron’s staff before the testimony to be kept as a sign for the rebels to end their grumblings against Him lest they die (Num. 17:10). Moses did so and “the people were seized with terror and feared to go into the general vicinity of the tabernacle.” (BBC).

Application

The BBC makes an important observation regarding the budding of Aaron’s staff:

Aaron’s rod pictures the resurrected Christ as the Priest of God’s choosing. Just as the almond tree is the first to blossom in the spring, so Christ is the firstfruits of resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20, 23).

As the firstfruits of resurrection, Christ went before us that we may have resurrection life in Him and thereby glorify His great name. In Christ alone is achieved the fruitfulness of salvation and, by His Spirit, the sanctification that conforms His elect to the image of the Son. How great a joy this should stoke in our hearts that we have a resurrected High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God.

1 Corinthians 1

Observation & Interpretation

Paul addresses the church of God that is in Corinth and those sanctified in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:2). He gives thanks to God always for the grace given them in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:4). Paul acknowledges that they were enriched in every way as they await the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:7). “Paul’s optimism concerning the Corinthians is based on the faithfulness of God who called them into the fellowship of His Son. He knows that since God had gone to such tremendous cost to make them sharers of the life of our Lord, He would never let them slip out of His hands.” (BBC)

Paul appeals to them that there be no divisions among them as quarreling had been reported to him (1 Cor. 1:10-11). Each of them were saying that they followed someone else. Paul rebukes this sectarianism as it disregards “the One who had been crucified for them.” (BBC). Paul explains that he baptized only a few of them because Christ did not send him to baptize but to preach the gospel (1 Cor. 1:14-17). This he did not with words of eloquent wisdom lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power (1 Cor. 1:17).

Paul speaks of how the word of the cross is folly to those perishing but the power of God to the saved. The BBC points to something vitally important in this statement:

Notice the solemn fact in this verse that there are only two classes of people, those who perish and those who are saved. There is no in-between class. Men may love their human wisdom but only the gospel leads to salvation.

Paul continues to say that the Jews demanded a sign and the Greeks sought wisdom, but he did not cater to such desires, preaching instead only Christ and Him crucified. The BBC provides a helpful quote: “[Paul] was not a sign-loving Jew, nor a wisdom-loving Greek, but a Savior-loving Christian.” He explicates the upside-down nature of the kingdom, that God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, “[taking] up people who are of no esteem in the eyes of the world and use them to glorify Himself.” (BBC). It is because of Him that they are in Christ Jesus who Himself wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification and redemption, so that if there be any boasting, it would be in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:30).

Application

It seems important at this time to meditate on the last words of Paul in this chapter, that all boasting would be in the Lord. I was recently invited in discussion to reflect on what the Lord has been doing and that what I was able to identify was dishearteningly spartan. How easy it is to get carried away in the day-to-day that we lose sight of our Lord’s masterful work in all things. May this be an opportunity to reacquire our vision and attentiveness of our great God in the boasting of His great name.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Son who is our resurrected High Priest. Praise, honor and glory be to our God who has granted us new life in Himself. Father, keep my eyes fixed on You, seeing your holiness, righteousness, goodness and grace in every gifted moment that is my life.

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