Num.16:1 to 18: 32 1Sam.11:1-14; Acts 5: 1-11
By Raphael ben Levi
“Sometime later, a discontented contingent challenged Moses. Korah (Kohath’s grandson, and Levi’s great-grandson) together with the Reubenites Dathan and Abiram gathered another 250 Israelite men, all of them respectable members of the community, some even chosen leaders, and confronted Moses.
Korah and His Men challenged Moses and Aaron: You’ve taken this leadership way too far. We are all holy; indeed each individual is holy to our God. The Eternal One is present among the entire congregation. How can you presume to be better than any of us, the Eternal’s chosen community?” (16:1-3 VOICE)
Something very ugly was brewing here that was rooted in the spirit of rebellion. The tassels (tzit-tzit) on their priestly garments failed to remind them of their high status and privilege as priests, but instead in their pride they wanted equality in status with Moses and Aaron that eventually turned to full blown rebellion.
The entire parasha is devoted to this one incident that surrounded two groups: the 250 prominent Levites under Korah and another group headed by two Reubenites, Dathan and Abiram, who were critical of Moses’ leadership (16:1-3). The length and description of the incident signals its significance and represents a red light that indeed led to disastrous consequences: Prov.6 states, “These six things the Lord hates; Indeed, seven are repulsive to Him: A proud look [the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others], a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that creates wicked plans, Feet that run swiftly to evil, A false witness who breathes out lies [even half-truths], And one who spreads discord (rumours) among brothers.”
All these things can be traced back all the way to Lucifer’s rebellion against God through to the present time as packaged in multiple disguises. Rebellion has reached epidemic proportions within society today that has gained a stronghold even within the Church. Godly principles are frequently abandoned and replaced instead with ones that are politically correct.
Betrayal is a bitter pill to swallow. God Himself knows this full well. Here in this parasha, it was directed towards Moses. Imagine his shock and disappointment so soon after the event surrounding the bad report from the 12 meraglim. At that time the people had wanted to stone him and now only a short while later he faced a similar challenge. What motivated Korah and his followers to do such a thing? An ‘argument for the sake of Heaven’ is a Jewish phrase meaning speaking out for truth. When we stand up for Yeshua, we stand for One who is the “Way the Truth and the Life.” (Jn.14:6) For the sake of Heaven we embrace the “fellowship of His sufferings” which is to stand against the tide of the world’s standards and ungodly opinions however unfashionable it may be.
But here we find an argument not for the sake of Heaven which is all about power not truth.One of our rabbis noted that: “If I argue for the sake of truth, then if I win, I win. But if I lose, I also win, because being defeated by the truth is the only defeat that is also a victory. I am enlarged. I learn something I did not know before. In a contest for power, if I lose, I lose. But if I win, I also lose, because in diminishing my opponents I have diminished myself.” When one deliberately sacrifices truth for the pursuit of power as was the case with Korah the collateral damage can be immeasurable.
Moses’ confrontation with Korah was the first and only time in his life where his leadership hinged on a miracle comparable to the confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal that was from without. But here it originated from within. Moses could have defended himself but instead, “4 When (he) heard their complaint, he collapsed to the ground, (wept before the Lord) again hoping to divert God’s anger.” (VOICE) Even when they ground his nose in the dust, Moses’ prime concern was not his own welfare but those who opposed him.
Korah and the Reubenites plus the 250 people were highly esteemed leaders within the community, not a rabble of good-for-nothings, but pride and the lust for power reduced them to a common mob with a mob mentality. Moses discerned their ulterior motives behind an indignant facade and told them,
“10 The Eternal has granted you this privilege, Korah, you and all your fraternity of Levites. Yet you want the whole priesthood too? You should be ashamed. 11 This has led you to band together against the Eternal.”
But Korah’s pride and rebellion over-rode any shame he might have had, clouding all moral and rational consideration. Satan has a way of twisting lies to make them appear as truth to deceive if possible the very elect. In his pride Satan thought he qualified to be equal to Almighty God as described in his downfall in Isa14 and Ezek.28.
Korah held a false conception of what defines godly leadership that’s grounded in servanthood instead of power and control which Scripture identifies as witchcraft. Rebellion is a most serious of sin in the sight of the Lord and Korah’s accountability was the more so because, “For those who have been given much, much is required” (i.e., the accountability is greater).
The Israelites fell for one of Satan’s favourite deceptions, half truth, one of his trade marks from a paper trail originating from the very beginning of creation. It was true that the Israelites were holy unto God and as a Levite, Korah had been set apart for service in the tabernacle, the highest position of tasks allocated within the Levitical clans. But a stand-alone truth pushed to an extreme and mixed with the lust of the flesh is invariably reduced to a heresy.
Moses could have arbitrated in the matter as he had done in the past but instead he commanded his accusers to allow God to decide things (Num.16:4–7). The Levites were required to burn incense in censers as part of their worship unto God (something only Aaron and his sons were permitted to do), (16-19), so at this point Korah should have backed off if he had had any sense.
The Reubenites, however, did refuse, though not for godly reasons (4-15): ”Forget it. We are not going to come running at your bidding. 13 You took us out of a place that was so rich—Egypt, flowing with milk and honey—in order to let us die in this desert wasteland, and now you’re actually trying to assert yourself as our ruler. 14 You haven’t brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey or delivered on your promise of fields and vineyards to call our own. What else will you do? Are you going to pluck out the eyes of these 250 men now? There’s no way we’re coming to you.”
However, Korah and the group of Levites complied with Moses’ request and the next morning they brought their incense offering at the entrance to the tabernacle together with Moses. It is amazing how their rebellious hearts blinded them as they continued to act with false piety without recognition of the peril they were placing themselves in.
Keeping up appearances whilst being double minded was something Yeshua spoke out strongly against. The book of Jude also speaks out plainly against Korah’s rebellion describing them as, “…waterless clouds carried along by the winds; trees without fruit even in autumn, and doubly dead because they have been uprooted;”
One commentary (VOICE) makes the point that, “Wisdom doesn’t come from old age or hard knocks. Wisdom begins with knowing and depending absolutely on God, who is never stingy when it comes to wisdom for those who seek it. He supplies all the wisdom we need when we ask. But when we try to go it alone—without God—trouble is around the corner.” This was the problem with Korah – he chose to deal with things his way.”
Moses issued the following warning: “29 If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. 30 But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, (Heb: Sheol – occurs 65 times in the Tanakh) then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.” (Num.16:29–30 NKJV)
On a side note, the Hebrew word ‘GeHinnom’ (lit: ‘the Valley of Hinnom’) in Judaism refers to the lower part of Sheol where the wicked would reside after death, with the righteous being placed in the higher section of Sheol known as Paradise. In the NT, reference to this lower section of Sheol is referred to as, hades, tartaros and gehenna which all offer different characteristics of Sheol. Scripture states that at the end of the age, Satan and his demons will be cast for eternity into a place described as “The Lake of Fire” where death and Sheol will also be cast alongside the unsaved. (Rev.20)
Immediately, even as Moses was speaking, God answered: “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.” (NKJV)
In the days of the kings, Jeroboam made exactly the same error as Korah did who ignored God’s instruction in Num.16:40 “… that no stranger, that is not of the seed of Aaron, (is allowed) come near to burn incense before Jehovah.” This regulation displeased many from the 10-tribes of Israel, and when Jeroboam came to the throne, one of his many sins was to appoint priests from amid all the people (1Kings 13:33-34) which led to their eventual exile.
No priesthood of Israel was permitted to add to or diminish from the Torah because, the power to augment is also the power to diminish – in other words to add or take away from Scripture leads to a curse rather than a blessing. Nothing could be clearer than the warning contained in the end of the Book of Revelation: “18-19 Now I bear solemn witness to every man who hears the words of prophecy in this book: If anyone adds to these words God will add to him the disasters described in this book; if anyone takes away from the words of prophecy in this book, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city which are described in this book.”
In the aftermath of the confrontation with Korah, God commanded Moses to tell Eleazar the priest to gather up the censers of the rebels, hammer them into sheets, and overlay the altar with them. Neither the coals of fire nor the censors used by the rebellious Levites could ever be used again. The coals of fire were scattered afar so as to cleanse the altar from pollution.
Eleazar emptied the censors and beat them into a bronze plate to cover the altar, providing a constant reminder that burning incense before the Altar of Incense was confined only to the family of Aaron (36-40).
And there are several additional reasons why God instructed Eleazar (16:37-40) to hammer out the bronze censers into sheets to plate the altar of incense that had been used by the 250 rebels led by Korah:
- as a reminder of what would happen to anyone who sacrificed a counterfeit offering. In modern day terms it would include people who masquerade as servants of the Lord yet offer false worship. Yeshua shared in Matt. 7 what their outcome would be… “21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven. 22 Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me [you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].’”
- Second, because of their unholy use, the censers needed to be re-dedicated as a reminder of the folly of sin. (When we confess our sins He is faithful and just…)
- the hammered censers shone like mirrors to remind the priests of the effectual fervent prayers of a righteous person which avails much, James 5:16 Yeshua emphasised this by stating that if we had even the faith as small as a mustard seed, “…you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matt.17:20)
– The bronze censors speak of the need for holiness in our walk with God. Nadab and Abihu were struck down in judgement when they offered ‘strange fire’ to God and now again we now see something similar rooted in rebellion happening with Korah who was unaware of his impending doom.
- The bronze censers are a beautiful reminder of the prayers of Yeshua who is forever interceding on our behalf 24/7. (Heb. 7)
- The special incense used for the bronze censors was salted, speaking symbolically of our lips which are sanctified by the coals of this altar and reminds us of guarding against careless speech or slander as seen in the tragic story here in this parasha.
After all these things, God’s judgment against Korah did not end. Incredibly, the Israelites now grumbled against Moses and Aaron accusing them of being heavy-handed. (17:6) This time, the dispute was resolved differently. Each of the 12 tribes were told to take a staff and write their name on it, and place it in the Tabernacle. Only one staff would sprout, confirming whom God had chosen. The next morning they discovered that it was Aaron’s staff which had budded, blossomed, and produced almonds – end of story! (Num.17:16–24).
This action, rich in symbolism, reminds us of Pesach time when the almond is the first tree to blossom, its pinkish-white flowers signalling the end of winter and the emergence of new life. In Jewish tradition, the almond flowers reflected symbolically the gold flowers on the Menorah (Ex.25:31; 37:17), lit twice daily by in the tabernacle. The Hebrew word ‘tzitz,’ as used here means “blossom,” which recalls the tzitz, the “frontlet” of pure gold worn as part of Aaron’s turban, on which were inscribed the words “Holy to the Lord” (Ex.28:36) and also the fringes of the tallit recalling the Torah – to be holy from head to toe!
The sages say that the sprouting almond branch represented a symbol of life, light, holiness, and God’s watchful presence over His people. Yeshua used the budding of the almond tree as a sign of His return. It indicated the end of winter and the beginning of spring, even as Yeshua’s return will signal the end of the current age and the beginning of the 1000-year millennium reign. Implied here is the importance for us to be watchful, attentive, and mindful until that time.
Again, instead of moving forward, things went from bad to worse! Soon afterwards they again fiercely complained against Moses, this time accusing him of being a murderer of good men! (16:41). A fool is not someone who makes a mistake but who never learns from his mistakes. God immediately intervened striking the Israelites with a plague – a common biblical form of Divine judgement. How one can be so easily deceived is sometimes puzzling but then look at the end of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran after which Iran celebrated their supposed victory even though in reality they had been utterly defeated and humiliated!
Moses now directed Aaron to pray to God for mercy which he did by taking a censer and standing between the living and the dead as an atonement for the people, stopping the plague and thereby saving many lives.
This passage contains a profound message about the importance of intercession. Aaron’s courageous act of standing between the living and the dead symbolises his role as a mediator between the people and God which powerfully resonates with Yeshua, our Great High Priest who is the only qualified mediator between humanity and God. 1Tim 2:5-6 states that, “..there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Messiah Yeshua, who gave himself as a ransom for all.”
And so the plague was stopped – but only after 14,700 had already died – there are always consequences for sin. (16:45-50) A corollary to this is found in the Talmud stating that during the period of counting the Omer, approximately twice that number of Rabbi Akiva’s students perished on one day (Yevamot 61b) from a mysterious plague, due to baseless hatred and divisions among them. This is how seriously God regards betrayal and deception which interestingly is something Islam specialises in. We only need to look at the current war between Israel and Iran to illustrate. On Tuesday, only minutes following the supposed “ceasefire” brokered by Trump, Iran made a deadly attack on Beer Sheva sending over a shower of ballistic weapons whereby 5 Israelis were killed in a 7-story apartment building that got hit with more than 20 injured. Once again, the enemy does what it does, and then asks for Israel to stop retaliating after which they proclaim victory because they fired the last shot. This is something we have seen repeatedly in all of the wars against Israel and rounds of conflicts from every side. Islamists always break cease-fire agreements when they are announced just before it is supposed to begin and after it has supposedly come into effect. Deception is their hallmark and their father is a liar and a destroyer of nations.
The rebellion of Korah and his followers was a tragedy from which we can learn many things. God has given us the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us from whom true believers are recognised by their fruits as identified in Gal.5: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We all have room for growth throughout our lives Scripture but nonetheless confidently cleave to God wholeheartedly in every circumstance. He alone can provide us with the wisdom and strength to counter every evil intention of the enemy and shine brightly as lights in a dark world. Moses and Aaron were good examples but not perfect role models unlike Yeshua whose footsteps we choose to follow in.
Korah is a sad example of someone who allowed Satan to jeopardise his destiny and calling. It is a terrible form of exile. Spiritual exile is an alienation harsher than its physical equivalent but it need not be a person’s final end because God in His mercy reaches out to us – the Good Shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep to rescue the one who has strayed. And here is good news for every believer that matter how far we may have fallen, God has provided us with the possibility to find reconciliation through Yeshua though the price may be high and we claw our way back even as King David did following his sin against Bathsheva.
In summary let me share with you a story from the Talmud concerning the water jug dilemma: Two people were walking along a path, and one of them had a jug of water. If both drink from it—there won’t be enough and they’ll both die. But if only one drinks, he’ll survive and reach the town.
One rabbi interpreted this to mean that it would be better that both drink and die, rather than for one to witness the death of the companion. Rabbi Akiva brought a different interpretation that your own life takes precedence over the life of your companion.” But there is also a third possibility that the one holding the jug should give the entire jug to his friend and die himself. This third interpretation, presents the concept of self-sacrifice, as explained by Paul who said, “I am speaking the truth in Messiah—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Messiah for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.” (Rom. 9:1–4)
Paul reflected the action of Aaron who ran into the plague, and through his courage, stopped it. This was a different Aaron who fell prey to the event with the golden calf not so long previous, but now had matured whereby he did not love his life even unto death. But greater still was the ultimate act of sacrifice demonstrated with Yeshua the Messiah, who gave Himself for us: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.” (Jn.15:13) God demonstrated His love for us that whilst we were yet sinners, Messiah Yeshua died for us! (Rom.5:8)
