Day 44: Numbers 16-18

(The previous post covered Israel's spying of the Promised Land and Israel's rejection of God's command to take the Promised Land. Also, the command to follow the Sabbath was restated with the penalty being death for doing anything not stated in the Law, even picking up sticks.)

Numbers 16
¹ Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
² and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown;
³ and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and Jehovah is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the assembly of Jehovah?

(Korah gathered 250 men against Moses and Aaron. This was conflict within the camp between a self-appointed leader and the leadership. It seems that Korah was accusing Moses of pride and attempting to rally the people against him. This story was referenced in Jude 1:11 because Korah was an example of someone who was destroyed because he was without reason.)

⁴ And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:
⁵ and he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, In the morning Jehovah will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he shall choose will he cause to come near unto him.

(Moses stated that God would show them who were His and who was holy. This should have already shown the people that Moses was humble. If Moses didn't qualify for his leadership role and if Moses was in pride, would he have left this up to God or would he have argued against Korah?)

⁶ This do: take you censers, Korah, and all his company;
⁷ and put fire in them, and put incense upon them before Jehovah to-morrow: and it shall be that the man whom Jehovah doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.
⁸ And Moses said unto Korah, Hear now, ye sons of Levi:
⁹ seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of Jehovah, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them;
¹⁰ and that he hath brought thee near, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee? and seek ye the priesthood also?
¹¹ Therefore thou and all thy company are gathered together against Jehovah: and Aaron, what is he that ye murmur against him?

(Moses was questioning their intent. Did they not understand the importance of the roles they were given?)

¹² And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, We will not come up:
¹³ is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but thou must needs make thyself also a prince over us?
¹⁴ Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.

(The sons of Korah of the Levites were jealous of Moses. They wanted more than what they had been given. In the Book of Jude, Korah was mentioned as an example of one of the three types of deceptions that repeatedly occurred among believers. Korah was stating a right what: Moses and Aaron had a lot of responsibility. However, Korah stated a wrong how and why: Moses and Aaron exalted themselves above the congregation. Moses responded by talking about God. Korah appeared to be about the people. However, Korah was really facilitating his own purpose and progress, not the peoples'; he was a boss, not a leader.)

¹⁵ And Moses was very wroth, and said unto Jehovah, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.

(Moses told God not to respect their offering. Moses stated his will that he had not hurt one of those men. Like a leader, Moses bore the pain of the people, he did not inflict pain. Moses referenced Justice.)

¹⁶ And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before Jehovah, thou, and they, and Aaron, to-morrow:
¹⁷ and take ye every man his censer, and put incense upon them, and bring ye before Jehovah every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each his censer.
¹⁸ And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.
¹⁹ And Korah assembled all the congregation against them unto the door of the tent of meeting: and the glory of Jehovah appeared unto all the congregation.

(Korah gathered all the congregation against Moses and Aaron at the door of the tabernacle and the glory of the Lord appeared to them all.)

²⁰ And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
²¹ Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.

(God told Moses and Aaron to separate themselves from the rest of the people so He could consume them in a moment. It seemed God made His choice in extreme fashion!)

²² And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?
²³ And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
²⁴ Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
²⁵ And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.
²⁶ And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.

(Moses warned the people to depart from the wicked men or they would be consumed as well.)

²⁷ So they gat them up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.
²⁸ And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that Jehovah hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.

(Moses made them aware that this sign would be proof that he was directed by God in all these works.)

²⁹ If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then Jehovah hath not sent me.
³⁰ But if Jehovah make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then ye shall understand that these men have despised Jehovah.

(If the men of Korah died a common death, then Moses was not sent by God. If the ground opened and swallowed the men and all that “appertain” to them, it would be understood that these men despised God.)

³¹ And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them;
³² and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

(The earth opened and swallowed all the men that "appertained" unto Korah and all their goods.)

³³ So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into Sheol: and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the assembly.

(Again, Korah committed an emotional/spiritual sin and God's physical response seemed to be extreme.)

³⁴ And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them; for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up.
³⁵ And fire came forth from Jehovah, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.
³⁶ And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
³⁷ Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are holy,
³⁸ even the censers of these sinners against their own lives; and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before Jehovah; therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.
³⁹ And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, which they that were burnt had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,
⁴⁰ to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, that is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to burn incense before Jehovah; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as Jehovah spake unto him by Moses.
⁴¹ But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of Jehovah.

(The people blamed Moses and Aaron for the deaths. They did not believe the sign God gave them. So, there was now a conflict between the congregation and the leadership.)

⁴² And it came to pass, when the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tent of meeting: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Jehovah appeared.
⁴³ And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting.
⁴⁴ And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
⁴⁵ Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
⁴⁶ And Moses said unto Aaron, Take thy censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense thereon, and carry it quickly unto the congregation, and make atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from Jehovah; the plague is begun.
⁴⁷ And Aaron took as Moses spake, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.
⁴⁸ And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
⁴⁹ Now they that died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides them that died about the matter of Korah.

(14,700 died by the plague, not counting those that died because of Korah.)

⁵⁰ And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tent of meeting: and the plague was stayed.




Numbers 17
¹ And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
² Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of them rods, one for each fathers' house, of all their princes according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.
³ And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi; for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers' houses.

(Aaron's name was on the rod of Levi.)

⁴ And thou shalt lay them up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.
⁵ And it shall come to pass, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you.
⁶ And Moses spake unto the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
⁷ And Moses laid up the rods before Jehovah in the tent of the testimony.
⁸ And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and bare ripe almonds.

(Aaron's rod brought forth not only buds, it brought forth blossoms, almonds, and ripe almonds.)

⁹ And Moses brought out all the rods from before Jehovah unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
¹⁰ And Jehovah said unto Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that thou mayest make an end of their murmurings against me, that they die not.

(Aaron's rod was to be kept for a token. This was for hope that future generations would learn from the mistakes made by the murmurers.)

¹¹ Thus did Moses: as Jehovah commanded him, so did he.
¹² And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.
¹³ Every one that cometh near, that cometh near unto the tabernacle of Jehovah, dieth: shall we perish all of us?




Numbers 18

(This chapter covered laws pertaining to priests and Levites.)

¹ And Jehovah said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy fathers' house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

(God was very direct in that this responsibility was a burden to bear.)

² And thy brethren also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou near with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall be before the tent of the testimony.
³ And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the Tent: only they shall not come nigh unto the vessels of the sanctuary and unto the altar, that they die not, neither they, nor ye.
⁴ And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the Tent: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
⁵ And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar; that there be wrath no more upon the children of Israel.
⁶ And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are a gift, given unto Jehovah, to do the service of the tent of meeting.

(The Levites were given to Aaron, as a gift from God, to do the work of the tent of meeting.)

⁷ And thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil; and ye shall serve: I give you the priesthood as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
⁸ And Jehovah spake unto Aaron, And I, behold, I have given thee the charge of my heave-offerings, even all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, as a portion for ever.
⁹ This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, even every meal-offering of theirs, and every sin-offering of theirs, and every trespass-offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.

(Although it was a burden to be called to serve, God recognized this and gave to the priests portions of the offerings. God is Just.)

¹⁰ As the most holy things shalt thou eat thereof; every male shall eat thereof: it shall be holy unto thee.
¹¹ And this is thine: the heave-offering of their gift, even all the wave-offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, as a portion for ever; every one that is clean in thy house shall eat thereof.
¹² All the best of the oil, and all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first-fruits of them which they give unto Jehovah, to thee have I given them.
¹³ The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring unto Jehovah, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thy house shall eat thereof.
¹⁴ Everything devoted in Israel shall be thine.

(Everything devoted was for the Levites.)

¹⁵ Everything that openeth the womb, of all flesh which they offer unto Jehovah, both of man and beast shall be thine: nevertheless the first-born of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.
¹⁶ And those that are to be redeemed of them from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary (the same is twenty gerahs).
¹⁷ But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savor unto Jehovah.
¹⁸ And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave-breast and as the right thigh, it shall be thine.
¹⁹ All the heave-offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto Jehovah, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, as a portion for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before Jehovah unto thee and to thy seed with thee.
²⁰ And Jehovah said unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any portion among them: I am thy portion and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.

(The Levites had no inheritance in the land or any portion among the people. The Lord was their portion and their inheritance.)

²¹ And unto the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the tent of meeting.
²² And henceforth the children of Israel shall not come nigh the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin, and die.
²³ But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations; and among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
²⁴ For the tithe of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave-offering unto Jehovah, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

(The tithes of the Israelites were given to the Levites to inherit.)

²⁵ And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
²⁶ Moreover thou shalt speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up a heave-offering of it for Jehovah, a tithe of the tithe.

("a tithe of the tithe." - The Levites gave a tenth of the tithes to the Lord, and the Lord gave it to the priests.)

²⁷ And your heave-offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the grain of the threshing-floor, and as the fulness of the winepress.
²⁸ Thus ye also shall offer a heave-offering unto Jehovah of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and thereof ye shall give Jehovah's heave-offering to Aaron the priest.
²⁹ Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave-offering of Jehovah, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.
³⁰ Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye heave the best thereof from it, then it shall be reckoned unto the Levites as the increase of the threshing-floor, and as the increase of the wine-press.
³¹ And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting.

(The Levites were rewarded for their service.)

³² And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best thereof: and ye shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, that ye die not.

(This post covered conflicts from within Israel with leadership. Korah rallied 250 leaders against Moses and Aaron. The earth swallowed Korah and those with him. Separately, 14,700 died by plague when the people of the congregation rallied against Moses and Aaron.)

Day 45