Num 17, Deu 18:1-8, Heb 7:11-14 | ESV | STEP | The Lord spoke to Moses , saying ,

Numbers 17

Aaron’s Staff Buds

1 ^{▼▼Ch 17:16 in Hebrew} The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 ^b“Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers’ house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. Write each man’s name on his staff, 3 and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers’ house. 4 Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, ^cwhere I meet with you. 5 And the staff of the man ^dwhom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me ^ethe grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.” 6 Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. 7 And Moses deposited the staffs before the Lord in ^fthe tent of the testimony.

8 On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff. 10 And the Lord said to Moses, “Put back ^gthe staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept ^has a sign for the rebels, ⁱthat you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.” 11 Thus did Moses; as the Lord commanded him, so he did.

12 And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. 13 ^jEveryone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, shall die. Are we all to perish?”

Deuteronomy 18:1-8

Provision for Priests and Levites

1 “The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, ^kshall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They ^lshall eat the Lord’s food offerings ^{▼▼Or the offerings by fire to the Lord} as their ^{▼▼Hebrew his} inheritance. 2 They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them. 3 And this shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: ^othey shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. 4 ^pThe firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. 5 For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes ^qto stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time.

6 “And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, ^rwhere he lives—and he may come when he desires ^{▼▼Or lives—if he comes enthusiastically}— ^tto the place that the Lord will choose, 7 and ministers in the name of the Lord his God, ^ulike all his fellow Levites who stand to minister there before the Lord, 8 then he may have equal ^vportions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his patrimony. ^{▼▼The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain}

Hebrews 7:11-14

Jesus Compared to Melchizedek

11 ^xNow if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. 13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended ^yfrom Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.