“When men in the camp were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord, the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. Fire also broke out in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.” Psalm 106:16-18 ESV
Verona NY Presbyterian church
Recap
}Basically from the time the Israelites leave Egypt we have nonstop instances of ulinu- THE WHINE.
}The whining gets so bad that in Numbers 11 Moses has a mini-meltdown and Yahweh appoints 70 elders to help Moses deal with the people.
}The incident that made Moses have his meltdown was when the non-Israelites made the Israelites crave meat. After the elders are chosen Yahweh sends quail but it ends up being a curse because it kills some of those who ate it.
}After the quail (mostly) Miriam and Aaron start to oppose Moses. Miriam is struck with leprosy.}In chapter 13 twelve spies are sent in to spy out the Promised Land and after the mission ten of the twelve (minus Caleb & Joshua) convince the congregation that the land is unconquerable.
}When Caleb & Joshua try to tell the people that it can be done they threaten to stone the 2 faithful ones.
}Yahweh promises to punish everyone who was just counted by the census (those 20 and up) by making them die in the wilderness but allowing their children to enter the Land.
}The whining gets so bad that in Numbers 11 Moses has a mini-meltdown and Yahweh appoints 70 elders to help Moses deal with the people.
}The incident that made Moses have his meltdown was when the non-Israelites made the Israelites crave meat. After the elders are chosen Yahweh sends quail but it ends up being a curse because it kills some of those who ate it.
}After the quail (mostly) Miriam and Aaron start to oppose Moses. Miriam is struck with leprosy.}In chapter 13 twelve spies are sent in to spy out the Promised Land and after the mission ten of the twelve (minus Caleb & Joshua) convince the congregation that the land is unconquerable.
}When Caleb & Joshua try to tell the people that it can be done they threaten to stone the 2 faithful ones.
}Yahweh promises to punish everyone who was just counted by the census (those 20 and up) by making them die in the wilderness but allowing their children to enter the Land.
Overview of Chapter 15
Sacrifices, sins, and Sabbaths
}Verses 1-31 of this chapter deal with various laws about sacrifices and unintentional sins.
}“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you…” (15:1-2)
}How sad because all of these people were just told that they were never going to enter the Land.
}Verses 32-36 tell a short narrative of a man who broke the Sabbath laws to gather sticks. The man is put into custody while Moses asks the Lord about his fate.
}Verses 1-31 of this chapter deal with various laws about sacrifices and unintentional sins.
}“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you…” (15:1-2)
}How sad because all of these people were just told that they were never going to enter the Land.
}Verses 32-36 tell a short narrative of a man who broke the Sabbath laws to gather sticks. The man is put into custody while Moses asks the Lord about his fate.
Three "S's" continued
}We may think that the punishment handed down by God is harsh (he was stoned outside the camp) but during this time in the Hebrew camp the people needed to see examples of where breaking the laws would get you.
}Next the Lord tells that people that they would tie tassels to the 4 corners of their garments so that they would have visual reminders to obey God’s commands. Just as one would tie string around his finger to server as a memory aid, the tassels tied to the corners of their shirts were for the same reason.
}Next the Lord tells that people that they would tie tassels to the 4 corners of their garments so that they would have visual reminders to obey God’s commands. Just as one would tie string around his finger to server as a memory aid, the tassels tied to the corners of their shirts were for the same reason.
Numbers 16:1-24
Korah's Rebellion
}When the people aren’t grumbling and whining with their ulinu they sure enjoy rebelling against Moses’ leadership.
}In Chapter 16 a Levite named Korah rebels and even uses falsely applied logic to try and prove his cause; “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” (16:3)
}Moses tries to remind Korah that he is even a Levite and is called out and separate from the rest of the people. Kohathites were charged with handling the holy furniture of the Tabernacle. It’s pretty sad that this isn’t enough for Korah.}Two of the main co-conspirators with Korah were Dathan and Abiram. When Moses tries to talk to them they have fully convinced themselves of the same lie that is heard repeatedly through the wilderness journeys.
}These 2 keep trying to say that Egypt was the land flowing with milk and honey and that Moses led them into the wilderness to die. In this strange alternate universe Egypt wasn’t a prison for the Israelites- it was the Promised Land.
}Moses becomes angry at these statements (and rightfully so) because in Egypt they were slaves and it was not rosy.
}When the people aren’t grumbling and whining with their ulinu they sure enjoy rebelling against Moses’ leadership.
}In Chapter 16 a Levite named Korah rebels and even uses falsely applied logic to try and prove his cause; “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” (16:3)
}Moses tries to remind Korah that he is even a Levite and is called out and separate from the rest of the people. Kohathites were charged with handling the holy furniture of the Tabernacle. It’s pretty sad that this isn’t enough for Korah.}Two of the main co-conspirators with Korah were Dathan and Abiram. When Moses tries to talk to them they have fully convinced themselves of the same lie that is heard repeatedly through the wilderness journeys.
}These 2 keep trying to say that Egypt was the land flowing with milk and honey and that Moses led them into the wilderness to die. In this strange alternate universe Egypt wasn’t a prison for the Israelites- it was the Promised Land.
}Moses becomes angry at these statements (and rightfully so) because in Egypt they were slaves and it was not rosy.
Numbers 16:25-50
Another rebellion crushed}Moses warns everyone to get away from this group of rebels and wicked men because their judgment is imminent.
}Moses then tells the congregation that Yahweh will prove that Moses is chosen because a different type of judgment will come of this group- not just your normal, run-of-the-mill judgment that might be mistaken for something else.
}The earth opening up and swallowing only the evil people is a vindication that Moses is chosen by God and that the others have no basis to stage their rebellion.
}After Moses starts to deal with the clean up after Korah and his cronies get sucked down into the earth the congregation continues grumbling.
}Now the people start accusing Moses of killing innocent people and they seriously anger Yahweh who is once again totally ready to destroy them.
}If Moses and Aaron did not intervene on the people’s behalf by bringing fire from the incense altar there would have been more killed than just 14,700.
}Moses then tells the congregation that Yahweh will prove that Moses is chosen because a different type of judgment will come of this group- not just your normal, run-of-the-mill judgment that might be mistaken for something else.
}The earth opening up and swallowing only the evil people is a vindication that Moses is chosen by God and that the others have no basis to stage their rebellion.
}After Moses starts to deal with the clean up after Korah and his cronies get sucked down into the earth the congregation continues grumbling.
}Now the people start accusing Moses of killing innocent people and they seriously anger Yahweh who is once again totally ready to destroy them.
}If Moses and Aaron did not intervene on the people’s behalf by bringing fire from the incense altar there would have been more killed than just 14,700.