Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

Numbers 16 verse 1 to 18 verse 32 (Korah).

 

This Torah portion is called Korah; it is the account of the treason of the son of a Levite named Korah and his rebellious cohorts. We read in verse 1 of Numbers 16: ‘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 action.’

 

We all understand that the way of HASHEM is a way of giving and sharing, as opposed to that of Satan and the world - which is in essence a way of get. We notice from the quoted verse that Korah who ‘took’ was one of those people in the world who are simply out to get, usually something that they don’t have. I am certain that most of us know people in both categories mentioned. Korah was much like Satan, who rebelled against HASHEM when He wanted to make himself like the Most High, as we read in Isaiah 14: 12 – 14 (KJV1), as follows: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (13) For thou hast said in thine heart, ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars2 of G-d: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: (14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.’” Like Satan who influenced a third3 of the angels to follow him in his rebellion, Korah influenced, those mentioned in verse one, but also a total number of 250 men to join him in his rebellion against Moses and Aaron.

 

Korah and his followers made up of 250 leaders of Israel, chosen in the assembly, men of renown challenged the authority of Moses and Aaron, saying to them in verse 3 of Numbers 16: “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are set-apart, every one of them, and HASHEM is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of HASHEM?” Obviously, Moses was shocked to hear Korah’s accusation. He therefore challenges Korah and his followers to a test to prove their authority, by letting G-d choose the appropriate leader for the congregation. In verse 12 - 15 of Numbers 16, we read: ‘Then Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, “We will not come up. (13) Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of the land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, but you would lord it over us? (14) Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!’ At this point Moses really became angry and said to HASHEM in verse 15: “Do not regard their offering! I have not taken a single donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them.” Moses also instructs Korah and his men to take firepans and put incense on it, and tell them to each bring a censor before HASHEM. He also told Aaron to do likewise.

 

The next morning Korah assembled the entire congregation at the doorway of the tent of meeting. Then HASHEM spoke to Moses and Aaron saying (in verse 21): “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” So Moses and Aaron fell on their faces, saying to HASHEM (in verse 22): “O G-d, Thou G-d of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, wilt Thou be angry with the entire congregation?” Next HASHEM tells Moses to move the congregation away from Korah and his men. Moses obeys HASHEM and said to the congregation in verse 28 - 30 of Numbers 16: “By this you shall know that HASHEM has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing. (29) If these men die the death of all men, or if they suffer the fate of all men, then HASHEM has not sent me. (30) But if HASHEM brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallow them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned HASHEM.” When Moses finished speaking, the earth opened up and swallowed Korah and his men, with all their households and their possessions. The nation fled at the outcry of Korah and his cohorts and then fire also came forth from HASHEM and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense. After this HASHEM told Moses to tell Eleazar the son of Aaron, that he should take up the censers out of the midst of the fire as they are set-apart. In addition Moses told him to take the censors and let them be made into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they are set-apart and shall be a sign to the sons of Israel. Eleazar obeyed and made an altar as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no layman who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should come near to burn incense before HASHEM, that he might not become like Korah and his company – just as HASHEM had spoken to him through Moses. Like I said in Torah portion Shemini, we should not ever burn incense before HASHEM.

 

However, this initial outburst triggered another challenge from the sons of Israel, when they grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying in verse 41 of Numbers 16: “You are the ones who have caused the death of (HASHEM)’s people.” Next the congregation assembled against Moses and Aaron, and they turned to the tent of meeting. Afterward the cloud covered the tent of meeting and the glory of HASHEM appeared. When Moses and Aaron came to the tent of meeting HASHEM spoke to Moses saying that they should get away from the congregation, so that He may consume the congregation. However, Moses instructed Aaron to quickly take his censor and put fire from the altar in it and burn incense on it, thus making atonement for the congregation, for the wrath of G-d has gone forth from HASHEM and a plague started. Aaron did as Moses told him and took his stand between the dead and the living, and so the plague was checked. However, we see that 14 700, besides Korah and his men, died by the plague.

 

Continuing in Numbers 17, we see that HASHEM has now gained the attention of the nation, He tells Moses to take the rods of all the leaders according to their father’s households and write their names on their rods. HASHEM also tells Moses to write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi. Then HASHEM tells Moses to deposit the rods in the tent of meeting in front of the tent of meeting, saying that it will come about that the rod of the man whom HASHEM chooses will sprout. Moses did as HASHEM told him and the next day, he saw that Aaron’s staff not only sprouted buts, but also bear flowers and almonds. Moses brought the rods out in the presence of HASHEM showing it to all the sons of Israel. Each man took his rod, but HASHEM instructed Moses to put Aaron’s rod before the Ark to bear testimony, to be kept against the rebels that they may put an end to their grumblings against HASHEM, so that they should not die.

 

This should also serve as a warning to those of us whom HASHEM has called out of the world, to follow Him, not to entertain thoughts of rebelling against Him. As much as Y’shua chose His own disciples, we know that one of them were chosen to betray Him. Similarly are some who follow Him, appointed for condemnation, as may be deduced from the parable of the dragnet recorded in Matthew 13: 47 – 50, as follows: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; (48) and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. (49) So it will be at the end of the age; the angels shall come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, (50) and will cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” An explanation of this may be read in Jude verses 3 & 4, as follows: “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (called out believers). (4) For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our G-d into licentiousness and deny (contradict) our only Master Y’shua Messiah.” Rav Shaul puts it like this in 1 Corinthians 11: 19: ‘For there must also be factions among you, in order that those who are approved may have become evident among you.’ A point to remember is that the Israelites were at that time observing the Sabbaths (weekly and annual), the Kosher food laws and the other commandments of HASHEM. Rav Shaul wrote about them in Romans 9: 31 - 33, as follows: ‘But Israel pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. (32) Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, (33) just as it is written, “BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.’ Rav Kepha talking about Y’shua says in 1 Peter 2: 8: ‘And, “A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.’

 

It is as simple as that, if we are disobedient to the word, after we have been called, we will not make it into the kingdom of G-d. We read in 2 Timothy 2: 11 – 15: ‘It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him (in immersion), we shall also live with Him; (12) if we endure, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; (13) if we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself. (14) Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of G-d not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. (15) Be diligent to present yourself approved to G-d as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.’ How do we deny or contradict Messiah the word of G-d? By saying for example that: the Sabbath starts at any other time as we are told in the Scriptures. According to Genesis 1: 5, the first day of the week starts in the evening like indeed the Sabbath and any other day of the week does. Leviticus 23 verses 27 & 32, confirms that the 10 day of the seventh month (The Day of Atonement) also starts on the ninth day of the month at evening and lasts until the tenth day at evening. This is similar to the seventh day Sabbath and any other day. In addition we read in Nehemiah 13: 19 that the Sabbath starts in the evening after it grows dark. If we argue that the Scriptures talk about the Sabbath day as if the day part of the Sabbath is what is Set-apart, we are merely wrangling about words and could lead people astray. Similarly, we as Israelites may not declare a feast day unto HASHEM, since Judah is G-d’s Lawgiver, as we read in Psalm 60: 7; they have the Oracles of G-d, according to Romans 3: 1 - 4 and Romans 9: 4 and are therefore responsible for the calendar. They are presently running the small country in the middle-east called Israel, according to the same calendar. HASHEM is pleased with their calendar as we read in Nahum 1: 15, ‘Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace! “Celebrate your feasts, O Judah; pay your vows. For never again will the wicked one pass through you; he is cut off completely.’

 

The main theme of this Torah portion is contained in the idea, that HASHEM enters a covenant of salt with Aaron, his sons and the Levites. The covenant of salt essentially implied that Aaron and the Levites were to influence the people, not the other way round. Similarly those of us who are called out at this time, are called the salt of the earth by Y’shua in the first part of Matthew 5: 13, saying: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” We are supposed to show people in the world how to keep the Torah with a spiritual intent. If we turn back to where we come from, we will have lost our saltiness and will be good for nothing. The covenant of salt is spelled out in Numbers18, where HASHEM tells Aaron and the Levites that they shall serve in the tent of meeting and offer up sacrifices to HASHEM. We read in verses 20 to 24 of Numbers 18: ‘Then HASHEM said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel. (21) And to the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting. (22) And the sons of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting again, lest they bear their sin and die. (23) Only the Levites shall perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the sons of Israel they shall have no inheritance. (24) For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to HASHEM, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, ‘They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel.’” However, we read further that the Levites had to give a tithe of the tithe that they receive to Aaron the priest.

 

 

 

 

1 I quote from the King James Version to make it clear that Isaiah 14 is talking about Lucifer, who is Satan the devil; because there are some who assert that this is in fact talking about Adam. A second witness is found in Luke 10: 18, where Y’shua said to the seventy that He sent out ahead of Him to every city where He Himself was going to go, as follows: “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.”

2 We know that the stars of G-d as used in the Scriptures, refer to angels, as is explained in Revelation 1: 20, in this way: ‘As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands; the seven stars are the angels of the seven congregations, and the seven lampstands are the seven congregations.’

3 We read in Revelation 12: 3 – 4 & 9, ‘And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his head were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour the child. (9) And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.’ The quoted section also serves as a 3rd witness to the fact that Isaiah 14 is indeed talking about Satan.