The Staff of the Covenant

Genesis 32:10 ESV

(10) I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness
that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and
now I have become two camps.

H4731 - staff
‫ מקל‬maqqel or ‫ מקלה‬maqqelah
(596b); of unc. der.; a rod, staff: - rod (1), rods (6), staff (5), staffs (1), stick (2), sticks (1), wand
(1), war clubs (1).

Hebrews 11:21 ESV

(21) By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship
over the head of his staff.

In ancient times, the male head of the family or patriarch had a staff upon which was
written the history of his family – the birth of each child, marriages, land purchases and
significant events. Papyrus or even scribing on stone was not as practical in the days of
Abraham. Abraham gave his rod to Isaac who in turn gave it to Jacob, not necessarily the
firstborn, but the child of the covenant. Who did Jacob give it to?

Genesis 49:8-10 ESV

(8) "Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your
enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you.
(9) Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down;
he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?
(10) The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

The staff of the covenant couldn’t go to the firstborn Reuben because he had defiled his
father’s bed. Simeon and Levi (2nd and 3rd born) had committed murder. Judah, the 4th
born was given the scepter.

The next time we see the staff it was in the hands of Moses.

Exodus 14:13-16 ESV

(13) And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the
LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you
shall never see again.
(14) The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."
(15) The LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go
forward.
(16) Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the
people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.
Moses wasn’t just lifting up any old stick – that stick had the written history of his family,
all the promises of God that had been made to him. When the word of God is lifted up
over any problem, it divides in two!! Amen!

Elisha had prophesied a son to the Shunammite woman that she would have a son. Years
later when that son fell dead in the field, what did Elisha send to be laid on the boy?

2Ki 4:29 NKJV

(29) Then he said to Gehazi, "Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be
on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not
answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child."

On the staff was written – “on this day God promised this woman a son.” It wasn’t just a
stick, it was the written promises of God.

1Sa 17:36-40 NKJV

(36) Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be
like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God."
(37) Moreover David said, "The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and
from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."
And Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you!"
(38) So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he
also clothed him with a coat of mail.
(39) David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them.
And David said to Saul, "I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them." So
David took them off.
(40) Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones
from the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag, in a pouch which he had, and his
sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.

What was written on that staff? Lord 1, Bear 0. Lord 1, Lion 0. What gave David the
courage to face the giant? The written promises of God and the history of what God had
already done for him.

So what is the staff of the new covenant? The cross of Jesus! On it, God inscribed His
own name. In Hebrew, Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews – spells out Yud Hey
Vav Hey or Jehovah/Yahweh. The final staff of the covenant has been written and God
Himself signed it – hallelujah!