The Tree of Life

Numbers 17

1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to the sons of Israel, and get from them a rod for each father's household: twelve rods, from all their leaders according to their fathers' households. You shall write each name on his rod,

3and write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi; for there is one rod for the head of each of their fathers' households. 4 "You shall then deposit them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony, where I meet with you. 5 "It will come about that the rod of the man whom I choose will sprout. Thus I will lessen from upon Myself the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you."

6 Moses therefore spoke to the sons of Israel, and all their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers' households, twelve rods, with the rod of Aaron among their rods. 7 So Moses deposited the rods before the LORD in the tent of the testimony. 8 Now on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. 9 Moses then brought out all the rods from the presence of the LORD to all the sons of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod. 10 But the LORD said to Moses, "Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put an end to their grumblings against Me, so that they will not die." 11 Thus Moses did; just as the LORD had commanded him, so he did.

As I read these verses over and over and was thinking about the understanding that the Cloud leads us to the place of death to give us life I thought about the Tree of Life.

Moses was having a rough time with the others in leadership. First it was Miriam, then the Levitical leaders and finally most of the camp. Aaron was the centre of the controversy as the spiritual leader of the whole nation. Moses was asking God to confirm to the people that Arron was indeed the choice he had made to be the high priest. God did a miracle that involved the branch of a tree that had been his walking stick. When it was put before the Lord with all the others his rod came alive, grew leaves blossoms and almonds. No small task for a dead piece of wood. But that is exactly what happened at the cross.

This theme seems to be everywhere I look. As I have pondered the meaning of this for us today it was as if God Himself said again, "The world, the flesh and the devil promise you life but end up killing you, the Cross promises death but ends up giving you life."

Aaron's rod represented Aaron's life. When he placed it before the Lord in surrender God's power brought what was dead to life. The surrender is the Cross. The life is the Resurrection. And there it is to for all to see - a dead piece of tree that brought forth living fruit. This surely was the sign of the Cross to that generation.

I find it so extraordinarily interesting that the life giving fruit of the Garden of Eden which if eaten gave eternal life was found on a tree.

Genesis 3:22 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"--

It was on a Cross, a piece of wood from a tree, that the life of the Son of God was poured out to give life to the world he loved. I do not believe this is a coincidence.

It was on the Cross death was met and conquered forever. In order to find that life we too must walk the way of the Cross. The Cross is the Tree of Life. The world the flesh and the devil constantly tells us that their way will save us. But ultimately they eternally kill us. The Cross tells us we will be slain but ultimately releases the power of life in us that can never be killed.

Mark 8:31

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." 34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 35 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 "For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

As Jesus was hung on the Tree of Life he died. That's what the world sees. A tragic figure who trusted in God but God failed him.

Matthew 27:39 And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads

40and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, 42 "He saved others; He cannot save Himself He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 "HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

They saw the reality of death like we do. But Jesus knew that the death he would die on the Tree of Life would undo death forever. He knew that Aaron's rod placed in surrender before the presence of the Almighty would burst forth with abundant life. He knew that those who would embrace their cross would find the same..... in the place they thought death was life would come.

Today that means for me that far from seeing the Cross as the my place of death, my cross is the door to life. Embracing it will kill something but not me. It will kill the lies, it will kill the evil in my soul, but it will not kill me. It will be the very thing that brings the me that God had in his mind when he called my name before the world began to full life. Out of this dead earth hung and killed on the Tree of Life comes a glorious creature formed in His image and created to do His will.