Day 66, March 7 Bible Reading
1445-1407 BC
Num. 16-17 Korah’s rebellion / The fruit of Aaron’s staff
Num. 18:1-7 New responsibilities for priests and Levites
Num. 20:1-13 Miriam’s death / The waters of Meribah: Moses and Aaron sin
Num. 20:14-29 Edom refuses passage / Aaron’s death on Mount Hor
Num. 16-17 Korah’s rebellion / The fruit of Aaron’s staff
Num 16:1-3 Moses had another rebellion on his hands. This time it was not from Miriam nor Aaron but from 250 leaders, who he previously selected from the Levites to adjudicate lower court cases, along with ring leaders, Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Their case? All the congregation is holy. Why do you Moses and Aaron assume they are above everyone else? You view yourselves too highly.
Num 16:4-11 What was Moses’ reaction? He fell on his face. This is an example of Moses’ meekness. He did not rail or fight or defend himself. Are we devoid of the need to always defend ourselves in the midst of a challenge to our person or station from those who feel we have not earned it or have been appointed to it? Moses said if you want to represent God to the people, be priests and take your censers with the holy fire and God will determine who is holy. Moses’ only retort was using the Levite’s own accusations against them by saying “You Levites view yourselves too highly”. They were already specially chosen before the Lord. Why are they doing this?
Num 16:12-15 This finally wore Moses’ patience thin. Moses called out to Dathan and Abiram to show themselves but they refused. They accuse him of taking them out of Egypt which was the real land of milk and honey in their minds. What selective memory. Have you ever met people with selective memory who were wrong and strong? Moses got angry. He told God to not accept their offering.
Num 16:16-22 Well de mark bus. They talked big but as soon as God’s glory appeared, and He said to Moses and Aaron, move away, I will consume them in a moment, they cry for mercy. Funny how they appealed to God. Too late.
Num 16:23-34 Well Moses told the entire congregation to move their tents away from Dathan, Abiram and Korah. Imagine the scene; Dathan and Abiram standing at the doors of their tents with their wives, sons and little children. Moses upped the ante. He said If these men died naturally then God has not sent me. If God does a new thing and causes them to fall alive in a pit, then these men have rejected God. Notice he did not say that “God has sent me” but rather, “they have rejected God”. But what kind of test is this anyway? They will die no matter what God did… Death was certain. What do you think about God killing the children also, alive as the earth swallowed them up? Are they in heaven or in hell?
Num 16:35-40 Well just as Naidab and Abihu were consumed when they offered strange fire in their censers, all 250 Levites were consumed by God’s fire. This is an example of God as a consuming fire. Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was supposed to take the censers out of the blazing fire and scatter the fire some distance away and be hammered as a new covering for the altar. This is interesting. God considered the inanimate objects as holy, hot the humans. Technically this is the law of devotion as we covered before. Any human devoted must be destroyed. This was to be a memorial to all, that anyone who is NOT a descendant of Aaron must not present strange fire and incense before the Lord.
Num 16:41-45 Well these people never learn. Some people who were against the death penalty, maybe the first liberals (ok that was a joke), complained hat Moses and Aaron killed people. When the mob turned against them, they headed for the tabernacle for God to defend them. God was ready to consume them all
Num 16:46-50 This time, Moses appeased God’s wrath by telling Aaron to take a censor and making a quick emergency atonement for the people. A plague had started to kill the people. Aaron had to run and stand between the dead and living to stop the plague. In that duration 14,700 people died. This is like something out of a strange science fiction. What do you think?
Num 17 In an effort to stop all the coups and rebellions, God said once and for all to determine the person I have chosen, have all the leaders of the tribes of Israel bring to me their rods and write their names on them. The one rod that will blossom, will be from the man I have chosen. Aaron’s rod blossomed before the Ark of the Covenant, and even produced ripped almonds. It was now placed in the Ark as a Testimony to all. Now the ark has a rod, with two stones and manna (white cream stuff, the seed). Umm… What does that remind you of? Think carefully.
Num. 18:1-7 New responsibilities for priests and Levites
Num 18:1-7 Any infractions against the sanctuary and associated with the priesthood, would be Aaron and his sons; responsibility. The Levites may help but as God said, “I give your priesthood to you as a gift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”
Num. 20:1-13 Miriam’s death / The waters of Meribah: Moses and Aaron sin
Num 20:1 Miriam died in the Wilderness of Sin in Kadesh, in the first month
Num 20:2-6 There was no water, the people complained again.
Num 20:7-13 Previously when this happened in Ex 17, God told Moses to strike to rock which he did. This time God told Moses to SPEAK to the Rock, but Moses, maybe just wearied of the people, in exasperation struck the rock. What he said was telling. “Must WE bring water for you out of this rock?” Moses was psychologically on edge. There was no “WE” involved. God still allowed the water to come out, but he told Moses you are barred from going to the promised land also.
Paul says this Rock was Christ which followed them in the wilderness “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” 1 Cor 10:1-5
Num. 20:14-29 Edom refuses passage / Aaron’s death on Mount Hor
Num 20:14-20 Moses appealed to Edom to let then pass through their country but they refused. Nothing is going well for them. They have to take to long way.
Num 14:21-29 Aaron also was judged because Moses struck the Rock at Meribah. What did you think about that? Aaron died on top of Mount Hor. His son Eleazar became High Priest. He was mourned for 30 days.
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