The video version is available at: https://youtu.be/-OrH8PTOQKo
The
reading is Numbers chapter 16
By
Dan and Brenda Cathcart
In
the last Torah portion, the children of Israel refused to go into the land that
God promised to give to them. As a result, the entire generation that came out
of Egypt would remain in the wilderness for forty years and die there never
seeing the fulfillment of God’s promise. However, exactly forty years from
their deliverance, the next generation would go into the land. The rejection of
the land occurred in the fifth month of the second year from their deliverance
from Egypt. That leaves thirty-eight years and seven months to go before the
new generation would enter the land. The Torah relates only one event that
occurred during these years before it picks up the story of the journey to the
land on the first day of the first month of the beginning of the fortieth year
with the death of Miriam. The event that was recorded during the time between
the second and fortieth years in the wilderness was the rebellion against Moses
and Aaron led by their cousin Korach. Why did God preserve this event out of
all the events that must have happened during these years? What is God
communicating to future generations of Israel and to us thousands of years
later?
We
are not told the date of Korach’s rebellion, but biblical commentators who
speculate on the timing believe it happened shortly after the children of
Israel were sentenced to live out their lives in the wilderness. At that time,
Moses and Aaron relayed God’s judgment for their grumbling and rebellion.
Numbers 14:26-29 NAS95 26 The LORD
spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 27 "How long shall I bear with this evil
congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the
sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. 28 "Say to them, 'As I
live,' says the LORD, 'just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely
do to you; 29 your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered
men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have
grumbled against Me.
Notice
that the word of the LORD came through both Moses and Aaron. After hearing
these words from Aaron and Moses, the armies of Israel tried to take the land
by their own strength. They were soundly defeated and driven away from Kadesh which
was in the wilderness of Paran. In this context, several questions need to be
asked. What future did this generation see for themselves? Where would they go
now that they couldn’t take the land of the Canaanites? Did Korach believe that
God really said they would die in the wilderness?
The
complaints began with Korach, a Levite of the family of Kohath.
Numbers 16:1-2 MKJV 1 Now Korah, the
son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, took both Dathan and Abiram,
the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben; 2 even they rose
up before Moses with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty rulers
of the assembly, elect men in the congregation, men who were well-known.
The
root of Korach’s discontent may have been that he was passed over for the role
of captain of the Kohathites in favor of Elizaphan, the son of Kohath’s
youngest son.
Korach
wins over three leaders of the tribe of Reuben: Dathan, Abiram, and On, to his
cause. Together, they influenced two hundred fifty more men who were all
well-known leaders in the congregation. This rebellion which started in the
inner camp of the Levites spread to the south side of the camp where the tribe
of Reuben was the leading tribe. From there it spread throughout the camp. When
the rebellion was fully formed, they confronted Moses and Aaron and brought
their charges against them.
Numbers 16:3 NKJV 3 They gathered
together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "You take too much
upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the
LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the
LORD?"
Just
like the serpent in the Garden of Eden twisted God’s words when he tempted Adam
and Eve, Korach used a twisted version of the truth to support an outright
false statement. The opening statement accused Moses and Aaron of exalting
themselves above the rest of the congregation through their offices of high
priest and leader. This goes back to Mt. Sinai when God spoke the ten words to
all of the congregation. At that time, the children of Israel were so
frightened that they implored Moses to speak to God for them.
Exodus 20:18-19 NKJV 18 Now all the
people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the
trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled
and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we
will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die."
In
the case of Moses, first God, and then, the children of Israel appointed Moses
to speak to God. God emphasizes Moses’ status with Him when Aaron and Miriam
complained that Moses set himself apart from them.
Numbers 12:6-8 NKJV 6 Then He said,
"Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make
Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. 7 Not so with My
servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. 8 I speak with him face to face,
Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the LORD. Why
then were you not afraid To speak against My servant Moses?"
As
for Aaron, God chose Aaron while they were still in Egypt. He was the one God
chose to go out and meet Moses on Mt. Sinai and accompany him back to Egypt.
God’s choice of Aaron and Moses was confirmed when the fire of God consumed the
offering on the altar when Aaron and Moses entered the tabernacle together, and
then exited and blessed the people.
Leviticus 9:23-24 NKJV 23 And Moses
and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the
people. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people, 24 and fire came
out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the
altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
Korach’s
outright false accusation that Moses and Aaron exalted themselves to positions
of authority is supported by a perversion of the truth. Korach states that all
of the congregation is holy. It is true that the children of Israel were called
to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests.
Exodus 19:5-6 NKJV 5 'Now therefore,
if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a
special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 'And you
shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words
which you shall speak to the children of Israel."
However,
Korach failed to pay any attention to the requirement that they must obey God’s
voice in order to be holy to the LORD!
The
second supporting statement, that God is among the entire congregation is,
again, true. However, when the tabernacle was set up, not even Moses could draw
near. In order to draw near, the children of Israel had to go through the
priesthood and bring the proper offerings! Even the arrangement of the camp was
to protect the sanctity of the tabernacle and preserve the lives of the people.
Korach chose to ignore these restrictions that even though God dwelled among
them, they couldn’t casually draw near to Him. The British Family Bible
comments on these claims by Korach.
Every word of this speech was a
falsehood. Instead of “lifting himself up,” Moses humbled himself, “Who am I?”
It was God who lifted him up over Israel. And Israel was as “holy,” as Moses
was ambitious. What holiness was there in so much infidelity, fear, idolatry,
mutiny, disobedience?... They were still fresh from their last obstinacy; and
yet these flatterers say, “All Israel is holy.”[i]
Moses
recognized that Korach’s complaint was not really against either him or Aaron;
it was against the LORD. He refers Korach’s argument to the LORD.
Numbers 16:4-7 NKJV 4 So when Moses
heard it, he fell on his face; 5 and he spoke to Korah and all his company,
saying, "Tomorrow morning the LORD will show who is His and who is holy,
and will cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause
to come near to Him. 6 "Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company;
7 "put fire in them and put incense in them before the LORD tomorrow, and
it shall be that the man whom the LORD chooses is the holy one. You take too
much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!"
Moses
turns the accusation of Korach back on Korach and his supporters. He
specifically addresses the sons of Levi among the rebels. God had already
honored and set apart the entire tribe of Levi to serve the priests and
tabernacle on behalf of the rest of Israel, yet these Levites wanted a greater
honor; they wanted the priesthood.
Numbers 16:8-11 NKJV 8 Then Moses said
to Korah, "Hear now, you sons of Levi: 9 "Is it a small thing to you
that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to
bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to
stand before the congregation to serve them; 10 "and that He has brought
you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And
are you seeking the priesthood also? 11 "Therefore you and all your company
are gathered together against the LORD. And what is Aaron that you complain
against him?"
The
test of who is holy is reminiscent of events at the dedication of the
tabernacle when Nadab and Abihu offered incense to the LORD using strange fire.
The fire of God came out and consumed Nadab and Abihu.
After
singling out the Levites among the followers of Korach, Moses, then, turned his
attention to Dathan and Abiram of the tribe of Reuben. When Moses calls for
them, they refuse to appear before Moses implying that it is his leadership that
they are rejecting not God’s leadership.
Numbers 16:12-14 NKJV 12 And Moses
sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, but they said, "We will
not come up! 13 "Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a
land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you should
keep acting like a prince over us? 14 "Moreover you have not brought us
into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and
vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!"
Moses
had asked the Levites if it was a “small thing” that God had separated them out
to draw near to Him and do the work of the tabernacle. Dathan and Abiram return
the question to Moses asking if it was a “small thing” that Moses, not God, but
Moses, brought them out of Egypt and didn’t bring them into the Promised Land. When
the ten spies told the congregation that they couldn’t defeat the armies of
Canaan, the people complained that God had brought them out of Egypt to kill
them. They called for new leadership.
Numbers 14:3-4 NKJV 3 "Why has
the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and
children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to
Egypt?" 4 So they said to one another, "Let us select a leader and
return to Egypt."
It
seems that Dathan and Abiram are pursuing this call for a new leader. Who would
be better to lead the children of Israel than Dathan and Abiram the descendants
of Jacob’s first son Reuben? They blamed Moses for not taking them into the
Promised Land when it was their own fault that they rejected the land! As a
further insult against God, Dathan and Abiram slandered God by calling Egypt a
land flowing with milk and honey! Joshua and Caleb, while remonstrating with
the children of Israel to take the land, refer to the land as a land of milk
and honey.
Numbers 14:8 NKJV 8 "If the LORD
delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, 'a land
which flows with milk and honey.'
Dathan
and Abiram refused to participate in the test of who is holy and who could draw
near to God.
The
next morning, the two hundred fifty men along with Aaron gathered to offer
incense to the LORD. Korach gathered all the congregation to watch the
proceedings.
Numbers 16:17-19 NKJV 17 "Let
each take his censer and put incense in it, and each of you bring his censer
before the LORD, two hundred and fifty censers; both you and Aaron, each with
his censer." 18 So every man took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense
on it, and stood at the door of the tabernacle of meeting with Moses and Aaron.
19 And Korah gathered all the congregation against them at the door of the
tabernacle of meeting. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the
congregation.
Notice
that it is the two hundred fifty men who attempt to offer incense while the
leaders of the rebellion stand back and watch! When God saw the congregation
gathered together against Moses and Aaron, it angered Him so much that He was
ready to destroy the entire congregation. After Moses plead with God to only
destroy the guilty, Moses went to the tents of Korach, Dathan, and Abiram. Korach
and the congregation went with him.
Numbers 16:25-27 NKJV 25 Then Moses
rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. 26
And he spoke to the congregation, saying, "Depart now from the tents of
these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their
sins." 27 So they got away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and
Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents,
with their wives, their sons, and their little children.
Moses
asked God to destroy Korach, Dathan, and Abiram in such a way that the
congregation would know without a doubt that it was God who was bringing
judgment on them, not Moses. God responded by opening the earth and swallowing
them up.
Numbers 16:31-33 NKJV 31 Now it came
to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart
under them, 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their
households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. 33 So they and all
those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and
they perished from among the assembly.
At
the same time, the other two hundred fifty rebels along with Aaron were at the
door of the tabernacle preparing to offer incense. The fire of the LORD came
out and consumed them just like it had done to Nadab and Abihu.
Numbers 16:35 NKJV 35 And a fire came
out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering
incense.
God
dramatically demonstrated who was His, who was holy, and who could drawn near
to Him! Of those offering incense, only Aaron remained alive. The children of
Israel could not draw near to God without going through Aaron and his sons, the
chosen priests who were holy to the LORD. We, as believers in Yeshua as our
high priest, cannot draw near to God without Going through Yeshua. Without Him,
it is as if we are offering strange fire to the LORD.
The
next day, the people, reeling from the destruction of Korach, Dathan, Abiram,
and two hundred fifty of their leaders, lashed out once more against Moses.
They blamed Moses for killing the people of the LORD.
Numbers 16:41 NKJV 41 On the next day
all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and
Aaron, saying, "You have killed the people of the LORD."
They
could not accept their own guilt in supporting Korach and his rebellion.
Perhaps, they could not accept the consequences of their own actions when they
rejected the land. God’s anger was roused against the congregation in the form
of a plague which began to rage through the congregation.
Numbers 16:46-48 NKJV 46 So Moses said
to Aaron, "Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on
it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for
wrath has gone out from the LORD. The plague has begun." 47 Then Aaron
took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already
the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made
atonement for the people. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living; so
the plague was stopped.
Aaron’s
act of bringing the smoke and scent of the incense into the congregation to
stop the plague emphasized that Aaron is the one who belonged to God, who was
holy, and who could draw near to God. The previous day, God’s fire consumed all
those who brought the incense contrary to God’s instructions. Now, the incense
offered by Aaron, brings their deliverance from the plague! To drive this point
home, the leader of each tribe was instructed to bring the staff of their
office to lay before the LORD in the tabernacle where God would choose the
staff of the man that God chose. Aaron’s staff came to life!
Numbers 17:8 NKJV 8 Now it came to
pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and
behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth
buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.
The
children of Israel would not be selecting a new leader and returning to Egypt.
They would remain in the wilderness and die there according to their own words.
Aaron and his sons would remain priests before the LORD. The Levites would
retain their position as servants doing the work of the tabernacle. The Levites
were taken in the place of the firstborn to belong to God. They were chosen to
be holy to God and to draw near to Him. Leadership of the children of Israel
would change. The book of Judges shows that God selected judges from many of
the tribes, but the priesthood would remain unchanging.
This
is the last event the scriptures record about the generation of the children of
Israel that came out of Egypt. It closes out God’s dealings with them. They
started out of Egypt with such hope and promise, but they fell short. They did
not enter the Promised Land. However, God’s promise remains. Yehovah is God;
there is no other. He will rule over His people.
Study
Questions:
2.
The test of who was holy established who
God would accept bringing the offering of incense. What does God say about the offering of
incense? What is the significance of God choosing this act as the test? What is
the connection with Nadab and Abihu?
3.
Korach, Dathan, and Abiram were swallowed
up by the earth. Where else do we see someone swallowed up by the Earth? How
are the situations similar to this one? What is significant about this means of
death?
General
Portion Questions
4.
The rest of the Torah portion that is not
about Korach’s rebellion includes instructions for the duties of the priests
and Levites, as well as the responsibilities of the children of Israel toward
the priests and the Levites. What is the significance of these instructions
placed here in the Torah?
5.
Of all the events that must have occurred
during the thirty-eight years before God began to bring the next generation
into the Promised Land, why did God choose to have the rebellion of Korach
included in the Torah? What is the overarching message that God is
communicating by including this event?
6.
What other insights did you gain from this teaching? What indicators are there in
this Torah Portion that point to Messiah Yeshua?
©
Moed Ministries International. All rights reserved.
[i]
Power Bible CD 5.9. Complete British Family Bible Commentary on Numbers 16:3.
Paul Wright. 1782.
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