Shabbat Shalom Saints of the Most High God.
These are my thoughts and reflections on this Sabbath’s Torah Reading. It is the 112th reading of the 3-year Torah Reading Cycle. (See torahresource.com)
Key Elements of this Week’s Reading:
- Korah-Levite of the Kohath clan. He was technically not a priest. Yah chose Aharon’s line to be the sole priestly line for the nation (Exo. 6:18-21; Lev. 6:16). Yehovah specifically spelled the duties of the Kohathites out. These were privileged to carry the holy implements of the sanctuary when the nation traveled (Num. 4:4-20).
- Dathan, Abiram, and On (some scholars believe On is a wrongly translated preposition), all Reubenites.
- 250 leaders of the Assembly–all well-known leaders of the nation.
- Rebellion–a rising up against Moshe and Aharon (Pro. 17:11; Num. 16:1-3).
- We live in a day/a time, when rebellion, especially rebellion against the things and ways of God, is not only promoted and encouraged but is also viewed as fashionable. Rebellion against Yehovah, as described by the judge and prophet Samuel, is as the sin of witchcraft (1 Sam. 15:23).
- Jude described rebelliousness as comprising blasphemers who are cursed. These operate in the way of Cain, whose only interests are that of their own. The rebellious will amount to nothing. Their time is fleeting (Jud. 10-13).
The accusation: Since the entire nation is holy and YHVH dwelt in their midst, why do you, Moses and Aaron, take complete authority over the nation? Why are you, Aharon and Moshe, so special? Who died and made you chief? We’re all special because we are all holy and Yehovah dwells among us all. And so the first question that likely comes to one’s mind reading these initial 3-verses is why?
Why: Family and lineage dynamics. Given all that the generation coming out of Mitsrayim witnessed and experienced, some wonderful and others terrifying, it doesn’t make any rational sense that these leaders would attempt such a foolish stunt. Certainly, family dynamics could have had something to do with it: Korah was a Levite just like Aharon and Moshe, but Yah had put Aharon as second in command, and of course, Moshe as the head of the nation. Being from the clan/line of Kohath, Korah did not possess a true leadership role. No doubt Korah resented the disparity. Dathan, Abiram, and On were Reubenites. These, and likely many Reubenites, carried a chip on their shoulders when amid the other tribes. Of course, Reuben was the oldest of Ya’achov’s 12 sons, and, in the Hebrew culture, Reuben would have enjoyed having the birthright. Thus, there may have been a reaching expectation that being of the tribe of Reuben, Dathan, Abiram, and On should be among the most privileged sons of the nation. The gang of haters challenged Moshe and Aharon on two fronts: (1) They falsely claimed that every son of Israel had been deemed by Yah as holy, challenging their priestly office. (2) From a lineage perspective, Korah’s Reubenite cohorts claimed headship over all the tribes since Reuben was the oldest of Ya’ahov’s (aka Jacob’s) sons.
The claim of the challengers or rebellious ones: We’re all holy and Yah dwells with all of us (“…but you, you will belong to Me as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation…” Exo. 19:6; Lev. 11:45; 19:2; Num. 15:40). A commentator of the ESV Study Bible, in his analysis of this reading, contrasts the holiness that the rebellious ones were supposed to possess with the holiness that Yehovah instilled among the holders of the Aharonic Priesthood, which included Moshe and Aharon and sons. This writer calls the holiness that Korah is referencing as “ethical holiness,” which, of course, differs somewhat from priestly holiness. The writer points out that the priestly holiness that the priestly holiness that Moshe, Aharon and sons possessed and enjoyed afforded them the distinct privilege and honor of interceding unto Yah on behalf of the nation through the Levitical sacrificial system. It should not be missed, as the ESV Commentary article goes on to point out, that the priestly holiness was not sought by Moshe nor Aharon and sons. According to the ESV Commentary article, it should not be missed that Moshe nor Aharon and sons did not seek the priestly holiness, but it was conferred upon them by the Will and Purpose of Elohim. (Reference Heb. 5:4)
Here’s an interesting observation: If Korah and his band of merry-haters actually thought the way they verbalized to Moshe and Aharon, why did they confront them about it in the first place? Why did Korah and his three buddies bring along with them to this confrontation so many of the sons of Israel? It seems reasonable to me to conclude that these knew deep down that Moshe and Aharon possessed the intangible credibility to be in the positions they currently held. Thus, these haters had to dispossess Moshe and Aharon of that intangible credibility and then install themselves as leaders of the nation somehow. How they planned to actually carry out this coup it is not clear. However, how does one truly dispossess someone of that which the Almighty has given to them? In the minds of the haters, that comes only through violent means. Clearly, their rebellion was driven solely by their jealousy of Moshe and Aharon.
Clearly, their own ambitions and jealousies blinded these men. These had knowledge of Yehovah. They’d seen what Yehovah had done for the nation. Yet these failed to recognize that their rebellion was not against Moshe and Aharon, but it was against Yehovah. These challenged the authority and will of the Great I Am and they would pay with their lives.
The Set-Apart Spirit operating upon Moshe turned the tables upon these haters. Instead of Yehovah simply devouring the haters with fire as He did with Nadab and Abihu, Yah would steer them to an end that would etch into the consciences of every Israeli the identity of those whom Yehovah has chosen and that any who challenged Yehovah stands the chance of being destroyed. I love Moshe’s comeback to challengers: “You take too much upon yourselves, sons of Levi” (16:7).
We must give kudos to Moshe, who reasoned with Korah instead of engaging in a verbal or physical altercation with him. Moshe sought to instill in Korah the sense of worth that he already possessed in his privileged position as a Kohathite charged with the transport of the holy implements of the sanctuary (16:8; cf. Num. 4:4-20). Sadly, the hearts of the others caused them to reject Moshe’s conciliatory reasonings, choosing instead to charge Moshe with not keeping his promise to lead them to the Promised Land (16:12-14).
The hardened, rebellious hearts of the haters, who assembled themselves along with the nation before the Tabernacle, as Moshe instructed, incited Yehovah to anger. Yah thought to destroy the entire nation over the haters’ sin of rebellion. However, Moshe, a type of Mashiyach, earnestly interceded on behalf of the nation, saving them from certain destruction (16:20-22). However, the haters had their fates irrevocably sealed in the heart and mind of Yehovah, much to their dismay.
Before Yehovah destroyed the conspirators, Moshe first explained to the nation that what they were about to witness was to establish in their minds and hearts that Yehovah was the one who installed him as the nation’s leader. Moshe wanted to clarify forever in the minds of the children of Israel that he did not install himself, nor did he aspire to the leadership position over the nation (16:28). As part of this unfortunate response to Moshe’s leadership, he prophesies to the nation exactly how the challengers would die, which I find to be absolutely delicious:
(29) If these die as all men do, or if they are visited as all men are visited (that being, if these haters die as a result of unforeseen accidental or natural causes), they YHVH has not sent me (i.e. Moshe). (30) But if YHVH creates what is unheard of, and the earth opens its mouth and swallow them up with all that belongs to them, and they do down alive into She’ol, then you shall know that these men have scorned (or despised and rebelled against) YHVH.
Moshe’s prophecy happened precisely as he had declared (16:32-34). The 250 souls that accompanied Dathan and Abiram and On (assuming On is an individual and not a mistranslated Hebrew preposition or something) suffered the same fate as Nadab and Abihu (16:35).
The next day, the nation, having processed what had happened to their tribal leaders, turned against Moshe and Aharon. The nation accused Moshe of murdering their leaders, which again incited and ignited the anger of Yehovah. A plague suddenly broke out in the community. Moshe’s intercession on behalf of the people brought mercy and grace to the undeserving people. Yah instructed Aharon to take holy fire in a censer and stand between the living and the dead, stopping the spread of the plague. The death toll for this insurrection was 14,700 souls. (16:41-50)
Again, why would the people rise up against Yah’s anointed and appointed? Maybe their emotions got the best of them. Certainly, their hearts were hardened against Yah and His chosen one. John D. Barry et. al. offer that the nation attributed the deaths of their leaders to Moshe, not Yehovah (Faith Life Study Bible). I don’t necessarily agree with Barry et. al. (that is, I’m not completely rejecting their suggestion). For the people to hold Moshe and Aharon solely responsible for the deaths of their tribal leaders would suggest to me they saw Yehovah as nothing more than a puppet or tool who served their personal whims and agendas.
I tend to agree with the commentators of the NLT Study Bible who describe the actions of the nation the following day as “self-destructive, defiant behavior.” Indeed, what we’re talking about here is the desperately wicked heart of an uncircumcised of heart people who subsisted on rebelliousness against the things and ways and people of Yehovah. As we clearly see illustrated in this sobering story, rebelliousness is intoxicating and blinding.
Kingdom Lessons:
- Rebelliousness is a deal-breaker to making it into the Kingdom. The one who dares to rebel against the King of the Universe for whatever reason cannot receive nor enter the Kingdom of Elohim.
- Yehovah places those who are His in the Body of Mashiyach as He sees fit, according to His Will and Purpose.
- Holiness is given to those whom Yehovah deems as holy. It falls to every son and daughter of Yehovah to seek Yah’s righteousness and walk in it. Yah declares His chosen and obedient ones holy. We do not classify ourselves as holy. Yah declares us holy according to His established criteria.
- Although we may not directly commit a sin against the Almighty, Yah will hold us accountable for the commission of that sin when we stand by and support those who physically instigate and commit the sin as He did the 250. Therefore, we are wise to watch the words that come out of our mouths; the words and statements that we type and post on social media; our participation in various causes and rallies and protests, and so forth.
- Touch not Yah’s anointed and appointed with our words, hands, or even our minds.
- We must seek after and take full possession of a pure heart that is resistant to rebellion.
Have a blessed and abundantly overcoming day of rest in Yeshua Messiah beloved of the God of Avraham, Yitshaq, and Ya’achov.