The Book Of NUMBERS
Numbers 21:8 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole:
and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live."
 Verse 1: Between chapters 19 and 20, a period of about thirty-eight years has passed. We know this because Aaron’s death is recorded in verse 28, and Numbers 33:38 tells us that he dies in the fortieth year after Israel’s exodus from Egypt. All the events of the book thus far have taken place in the second year following the exodus. (Numbers 9:1) This is also the third and last travel narrative found in Exodus through Numbers. The first was from the Red Sea to Mount Sinai (Exodus 13-19), and the second was from Sinai to Kadesh (Numbers 11-12). Now, thirty-eight years later, the children of Israel return to the site of their last major rebellion against God and the reason for their wandering in the desert for this whole time.
Shortly after arriving in the wilderness of Zin and setting up camp at Kadesh, Miriam dies and is buried there. (Exodus 15:20, Numbers 26:59) Verses 2-13: It’s clear from verse 2 that the nation’s rebellious attitude and predilection for complaining has not changed since their last visit here. The incident described in this passage is very similar to the one from Exodus 17, and Moses even gives both sites the same name: Meribah. (v.13) In both cases there is no water readily available, and the people immediately resort to complaining against Moses. This time, rather than wishing they had died in Egypt, they moan, “…Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!” (v.3) (Exodus 17:2, Numbers 14:2) The brethren they are referring to are all the ones that died instantaneous deaths for rebellion against God. (Numbers 11, 14 and 16) Since the ones complaining here are the remnant of the first generation that will be dead within a year, perhaps they feel they have nothing to lose by murmuring and grumbling now. Thirty-eight years of wandering in the desert has done nothing to correct their contentious spirit and bad attitude. Not only that, the Israelites actually blame Moses for bringing them back to Kadesh, as if it wasn’t their own disobedience that caused them to wander in the wilderness since their last sojourn here! (v.4) Yet they also have the audacity to call themselves the “…congregation of the LORD…” as if they have always been upright, faithful and obedient to God since the exodus! But then they throw in the usual complaint about Moses bringing them out of Egypt where they had plenty to eat and drink (v.5), as if it was all Moses’ plan in the first place and had nothing at all to do with the LORD! (Exodus 17:3) In response to all of this, Moses and Aaron, as usual, throw themselves prostrate before God at the entrance of the tabernacle. (v.6) (Numbers 14:5, 16:4, 22, 45) God, as always, is quick to appear and give guidance to His faithful servants. (v.8) As with the previous incident with the rock in Horeb, He will bring forth water, but this time Moses is to “…take the rod…”, gather the people in the presence of the rock, and then speak the command instead of striking the rock with the rod. (Exodus 17:6, Deuteronomy 8:15, Nehemiah 9:15, Psalm 78:15-16, Psalm 105:41, Isaiah 43:20, 48:21, 1 Corinthians 10:4) Verse 9 states that Moses takes “…the rod from before the LORD…” which suggests that God was referring to the rod of Aaron that is within the ark of the covenant (Numbers 17:10) instead of Moses’ own staff, another key difference between this miracle and the previous one. As before, Moses does all that God commands him, but this time his anger gets the better of him, and he makes two critical errors. The first is in verse 10: “Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?” (Psalm 106:33) God didn’t tell Moses to say anything to the children of Israel. He was told to speak only to the rock. Furthermore, by using the pronoun “we”, Moses implies that it is him and Aaron that are responsible for this miracle, not the LORD. The second transgression is in verse 11: Moses strikes the rock twice with Aaron’s rod. In spite of Moses’ disobedience, God still provides water for the Israelites, but both Moses and Aaron are rebuked by God afterwards for their sin of unbelief. Though the text does not say so specifically, it can be logically inferred that Aaron’s sin was not standing up to Moses and correcting him when he first spoke in anger to the people. Instead, Aaron once again displays an inability to stand for what’s right and be a godly example to the people. He stands by and remains silent when he knows that Moses is not doing what God commanded them. In this way, Aaron is also culpable in Moses’ sin of faithlessness and rebellion against the LORD. That’s why God uses the phrase “…ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel…”. (v.12) (Leviticus 10:3, Ezekiel 20:41, 36:23, 1 Peter 3:15) This is the root of their sin: their lack of faith. God is not punishing them for Moses speaking angrily to the people, or taking credit for the miracle, or for striking the rock instead of speaking to it. Rather, God is rebuking them for the same sin which cost this current generation the promised land: the sin of unbelief. All the actions by Moses, as well as the inaction by Aaron to correct him, are just symptoms of a much greater problem, that of faithlessness. And by that sin they misrepresented God to the people. This is why Aaron’s punishment is as severe as Moses’, for he stood by silently as Moses failed to be the LORD’s messenger and representative, which is what God had called him to be from the very beginning. (Exodus 3:10) That is no small transgression and, therefore, the punishment is equally severe. Neither Moses nor Aaron will live to see the promised land. (Numbers 27:14, Deuteronomy 1:37, 3:26-27, 34:5) Moses names this place Meribah, the same name used for the location of the previous incident from Exodus 17, even though this site is a different place. (v.13) (Deuteronomy 33:8, Psalm 106:32) This verse also confirms that God was, in the end, sanctified before the Israelites, meaning that by His judgment and punishment of Moses and Aaron for their sin, the name of the LORD was honored and hallowed among the people. God will always have the honor and glory when all is said and done, despite mankind’s sin and disobedience. Verses 14-21: The Edomites are descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. (Genesis 36:8) They, along with the Moabites, settled in the land east of the Sinai Peninsula. (Refer to the map at the top of this post, courtesy of Logos.) Moses sends out messengers to the king of Edom (Genesis 36:31) to request safe passage for Israel through their country. (v.14) (Deuteronomy 2:4) Moses is hoping that there is goodwill on the part of the Edomites because of their distant relation to Israel. He relays to the king a brief history of Israel’s exodus from Egypt (v.15-16), perhaps in the hope that the king and his people will be sympathetic to their situation. He also promises that the Israelites will remain on established roads, leaving the fields and wells of the Edomites untouched and unmolested. (v.17) But the king refuses, threatening Israel with violence if they cross his border. (v.18) (Numbers 24:18, Judges 11:16-17, Psalm 137:7, Ezekiel 25:12-13, Obadiah 1:10) Even after a second plea where Moses promises to reimburse the Edomites for any water that Israel’s livestock might accidentally drink (v.19) (Deuteronomy 2:6, 28), the king still refuses and even calls out his army as a show of force along the border. (v.20) Moses and the Israelites have no choice but to turn away and start the longer route around the lands of Edom and Moab. (v.21) (Deuteronomy 2:8, Judges 11:18) Verses 22-29: The children of Israel journey from Kadesh to Mount Hor (v.22), which is along the coast of Edom (v.23). (Numbers 21:4, 33:37) God announces to Moses that the time has come for Aaron to “…be gathered unto his people…” (v.24), which is the typical phrase in the OT to describe the death of a righteous man. (Genesis 25:8, 17, 35:29, 49:33) He reminds Moses of the reason for this: “…ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.” (Deuteronomy 32:50) Moses is instructed to bring Aaron and Eleazar to the top of the mountain where Moses will remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son. (v.25-26) Moses, Aaron, and Eleazar do as God commands. (v.27-28) (Exodus 29:29-30, Deuteronomy 10:6) After this, Aaron dies. He is 123 years old. (Exodus 7:7) The whole congregation of Israel mourns Aaron for thirty days. (v.29) (Genesis 50:3, 10, Deuteronomy 34:8) The Believer’s Bible Commentary includes a quote from Matthew Henry regarding these final verses of chapter 20: “Aaron, though he dies for his transgression, is not put to death as a malefactor, by a plague, or fire from heaven, but dies with ease and in honour. He is not cut off from his people, as the expression usually is concerning those that die by the hand of divine justice, but he is gathered to his people, as one that died in the arms of divine grace. Moses, whose hands had first clothed Aaron with his priestly garments, now strips him of them; for, in reverence to the priesthood, it was not fit that he should die in them.” Matthew Henry is alluding to the eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ that is described in Hebrews. The act of Moses removing the garments of the high priest from Aaron before his death and then putting them on Eleazar symbolizes what Jesus is today for all believers. He is our eternal High Priest, the final one that makes the animal sacrifices of the OT under the law no longer necessary in our current dispensation of Grace. (Hebrews 9-10) Because of what Christ did on the cross and His resurrection from the dead three days later, He is forevermore the High Priest that is continually making intercession for us at the right hand of God the Father.
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In this chapter, God revisits the topic of uncleanness due to contact with corpses. Because of the punishment for their disobedience in chapter 14, the Israelites would be burying many dead over the next four decades as they waited for all of the first generation to pass away before entering the promised land. Because of this, God graciously allows another way for someone to purify him/herself after coming into contact with a corpse. Leviticus 11 and 15 spell out the required rituals and sacrifices that must be done to cleanse one of uncleanness, but at the rate that the Israelites would be preparing and burying their loved ones over the next forty years those standard cleansing rituals and animals sacrifices would be very time consuming and costly for the people. Therefore, God creates a new addition to the laws of purity here in chapter 19.
Verses 1-10: Once again, the Lord speaks to Moses and Aaron, telling them to speak to the people. (v.1-2) This new commandment, like all the others before it, is directly from the mouth of God. We can also infer from verse 1 that this conversation takes place immediately following the one in the previous chapter since both Moses and Aaron are being addressed. For this new cleansing ritual, the Israelite is to bring a red heifer, perfect in appearance and health (Leviticus 22:20), and which has never been yoked, to Aaron’s son, Eleazar. (v.2) (Deuteronomy 21:3, 1 Samuel 6:7) He is to take the heifer outside the camp to a predesignated spot where the animal is then slain in his witness by the one bringing it. (v.3) (Leviticus 4:12, 21, Hebrews 13:11-12) Note that comparison in Hebrews 13 between this act and the suffering of Christ on the cross outside Jerusalem as the ultimate and final sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Also take note of the many similarities between this sacrifice and cleansing ritual and that of the sin offering described in Leviticus 4. Eleazar will then take some of the blood, return to the tabernacle, and sprinkle the blood seven times before the door. (v.4) (Leviticus 4:6, Hebrews 9:13) Afterwards, he returns to the site of the sacrifice where the animal in her entirety – skin, flesh, blood, and bone – is burned. (v.5) (Exodus 29:14, Leviticus 4:11-12, 9:11) Because there’s no mention of any altar here, we can safely presume that this slaying and burning is done either on a temporary altar constructed for this purpose or on the ground in some form of a fire pit. As the animal is being consumed by the fire, Eleazar will add to the blaze cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet. (v.6) (Exodus 12:22, Leviticus 14:4, 6, 49, 1 Kings 4:33, Psalm 51:7) Afterwards, both he and the one that brought the animal will bathe themselves and wash their clothes, still outside the camp. (v.7-8) (Leviticus 11:25, 15:5, 16:26, 28) Both may return to camp but they will be unclean until sundown. Meanwhile, another “…man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer…”, storing them in a designated place outside the camp. (v.9) “The ashes were mixed with water to be used as water to remove impurity, that is, to symbolically purify from sin. The purification properties of this red bloodlike solution was reconstituted whenever water was added to these ashes and other agents, thus making a ‘ready-made’ mixture suitable for sprinkling purposes in this purification ritual.” (The Moody Bible Commentary) The one who gathers and stores the ashes must then also bathe himself and wash his clothes before returning to camp. (v.10) He, too, is unclean until sundown. The Believer’s Bible Commentary has this to say regarding the red heifer: “The one historical record of the use of the ashes of a heifer is in Numbers 31. Mantle says that: ‘… the ashes were regarded as a concentration of the essential properties of the sin offering, and could be resorted to at all times with comparatively little trouble and no loss of time. One red heifer availed for centuries. Only six are said to have been required during the whole of Jewish history; for the smallest quantity of the ashes availed to impart the cleansing virtue of the pure spring water.’ ” This new addendum to the purity law will remain in effect for all generations, for both the Israelite and the gentile that chooses to abide with them. (v.10) Curiously, there is no reason given in this chapter for why Eleazar is named specifically as the priest performing the sacrifice of the red heifer instead of Aaron. We know from the previous instructions in the law that any priest can perform any of the sacrifices and offerings. The only specific stipulation regarding the high priest is that he is the only one allowed in the holy of holies on the Day of Atonement. None of the other priests may perform that specific cleansing. So it seems especially odd here that God calls out Eleazar by name as the one who is to perform this specific sacrifice and ritual. The most logical explanation is that Eleazar is the oldest son of Aaron because of the deaths of Nadab and Abihu, and therefore he is next in line for the role of high priest after Aaron’s death. We also know from Numbers 33:38-39 that Aaron dies in the fortieth year of Israel’s wandering in the desert. He’s one hundred and twenty three years old, which means at the time of this instruction from the Lord in chapter 20 Aaron is approximately eighty-three. So perhaps Aaron has already begun to train his son for the role of high priest, and God takes this into account when giving this instruction regarding the sacrifice of the red heifer. Or perhaps Eleazar will be the one who is assisting Aaron the most with all these purification rituals due to the many deaths that will be occurring in the next forty years. Whatever the case, the text doesn’t give a reason for naming Eleazar and, ultimately, it doesn’t matter. What matters is the sacrifice and the ritual itself. Verses 11-16: This section of the passage is a reminder and review of the previous laws regarding uncleanness. Anyone that touches a dead body is unclean for seven days. (v.11) (Leviticus 21:1, 11, Numbers 5:2, 6:6, 9:6, 10, 31:19, Lamentations 4:14, Haggai 2:13) He must purify himself on the third day, for if he doesn’t then he’s not considered clean on the seventh day, even if he isolated himself away from the camp. (v.12) The one who doesn’t follow this command will be guilty of defiling the tabernacle and, by extension, the holiness of God. That person shall be cut off from the community. (v.13) (Leviticus 22:3) Anyone that enters a tent where someone has died will be considered unclean and must undergo the prescribed cleansing ritual. (v.14) Any open vessels within the tent are also labeled as unclean. (v.15) (Leviticus 11:32, Numbers 31:20) Anyone that touches a corpse on the battlefield or assists in the burial of a body will be considered unclean. (v.16) (Numbers 31:19) Verses 17-22: The mixture of water and the ashes of the heifer are to be used to purify the tent where the death occurred. (v.17) Anyone who is clean may perform this ritual of sprinkling the water, not just a priest. (v.18) The tent, any contaminated vessels within it, as well as anyone else that was in the tent at the time of death are all to be sprinkled with the water of purification. The water is also to be used to purify the ones who assist in the burial of the corpse. The clean person will then sprinkle the water on the those that are unclean on the third day of their isolation away from camp. (v.19) On the seventh day the unclean will bathe themselves and wash their clothes. (Leviticus 14:9) After sundown they are considered clean and may return to camp. The one who sprinkles the water is to use hyssop to do the actual dipping and sprinkling, for to touch the water itself will cause that person to become unclean until sundown. (v.21) He, too, must wash his clothes. Anything and anyone that is touched by an unclean person immediately becomes defiled and is considered unclean until sundown. (v.22) (Leviticus 15:5) Anyone that refuses to undergo the proper ritual for cleansing “…shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord…”. (v.20) CHAPTER 17:
In the aftermath of Korah’s rebellion, God is going to prove to His chosen people once and for all His appointed man for the role of high priest, the spiritual leader and intercessor of the nation. Chapter 16 focused on Moses and God’s affirmation to the people, once and for all, that Moses is their corporate leader. Now, in chapter 17, God affirms for the nation His appointment of Aaron as the spiritual leader and high priest. Verses 1-5: God instructs Moses to get a rod of almond wood from each leader of the twelve tribes of Israel. In the cultures of the ANE at this time, a rod or staff served several functions: a symbol of authority for a man over his household (Genesis 38:18, Psalm 110:2), a tool for shepherds (Exodus 4:2, Psalm 23:4), a walking stick, and a method of discipline for a father to his children. (Proverbs 22:15) Each tribal leader is to bring their rod to Moses, and each rod will have that man’s name carved on it. (v.2-3) Aaron’s rod and name represent the tribe of Levi. Moses will then place the rods in the tabernacle before the ark of the covenant. (v.4) The word used here in verse 4 is “testimony”, which refers to the ten commandments that are in the ark. (Exodus 25:16) Though the text doesn’t say specifically, it seems logical to conclude that God is allowing Moses himself to enter the holy of holies since that is where the ark of the covenant is located. We know from Leviticus 16 that only the high priest can enter the holy of holies on the annual Day of Atonement, and even then only after he has thoroughly bathed himself and performed all the necessary blood sacrifices and offerings on behalf of himself. So that leaves only two possible explanations for the LORD’s commandment to Moses in verse 4: 1) God makes a special exception in this case, allowing Moses to enter the holy of holies; or 2) God allows Aaron to enter the holy of holies to place the rods before the ark since he is the high priest. In both cases, of course, the ritual bathing as well as the necessary blood sacrifices and offerings would be done first. Since verse 7 clearly states that it’s Moses – and only Moses – who lays the rods before the ark, we can safely conclude that God made a special exception to His law regarding the high priest and the Day of Atonement. We can also logically infer that Moses completed the ritual cleansing and blood sacrifices, the latter performed by Aaron on Moses’ behalf, before entering the tabernacle. God tells Moses that the rod of the man whom He chooses as spiritual leader will blossom. (v.5) This will, once and for all, end the rebellion of the Israelites against Aaron and Moses. (Numbers 16:5, 11) Verses 6-13: The tribal leaders and Aaron obey Moses’ instructions, bringing their rods to him with each man’s name carved into them. (v.6) Moses lays them before the ark of the covenant in the holy of holies. (v.7) The next morning, when he enters the tabernacle, Moses finds only Aaron’s rod to have “…brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.” (v.8) (Ezekiel 17:24, Hebrews 9:4) For dead wood – having no root in any earth and, thus, no water or any other nourishment by which to naturally blossom and bear fruit – to bring forth new life is a miracle that only God can perform! This is a beautiful picture of every sinner that is saved by grace, being renewed to eternal life by the washing of the shed blood of Christ and being risen with Him to glory! (Ephesians 2:1, 4-5, Colossians 3:1) The stems and lamps of the golden lampstand were shaped and formed to resemble almond branches and blossoms (Exodus 25:33-36), so this miracle is closely connected to the tabernacle itself, thus further cementing in the eyes of the people God’s choice of Aaron to serve there as high priest. Moses takes the rods and lays them before the Israelites so that they can see for themselves whom God has chosen. (v.9) God then instructs Moses to keep Aaron’s rod within the ark of the covenant, alongside the jar of manna and the ten commandments. (v.10) He again states that this should silence the rebellious murmurings of the people against Him, “…that they die not.” In other words, the rod will also serve as a memorial and reminder of God’s wrath against the rebellion and disobedience of the Israelites. (Numbers 16:38, Deuteronomy 9:7, 24) Moses does as God commands him. (v.11) Verses 12-13: As usual, though, the children of Israel have no trouble finding the cloud within the silver lining. They are, as always, focused only on themselves, and they utterly ignore the miracle that God has just performed. Rather than rejoice at His love and mercy and return to their tents to go about their day, they complain that they will all perish because they can’t ever come near the tabernacle for fear of God’s wrath! (Numbers 1:51, 53, 18:4, 7) Like Adam and Eve, the Israelites reject all the bounty of God’s provision and what He has given them and allowed them to have and to be, and instead zero in on just His commandments of what they can’t do or should not do. In this case, they’re complaining about his restrictions regarding the tabernacle, and they completely miss the point of this whole demonstration of the budding of Aaron’s rod! “Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?” (v.13) The LORD, infinite in mercy and longsuffering, responds to this complaint in chapter 18. CHAPTER 18: Verses 1-7: This chapter follows the pattern of God reminding His people of His law following a major incident of sin among the congregation of Israel. This passage is God’s direct response to the people’s fear of His wrath as expressed in the last two verses of chapter 17. God speaks directly with Aaron here since he and his sons are in charge of the tabernacle and all of its furnishings. The LORD reminds Aaron that he and his sons are responsible for ensuring the sanctity of the tabernacle. (v.1) (…bear the iniquity of the sanctuary…) (Exodus 28:38, Leviticus 10:17, 22:16) The other men of the tribe of Levi are also designated to assist the priests as described in Numbers 3 and 4, which was the whole point of Korah’s rebellion. God is, once again, making it clear to Aaron, his sons, and the whole nation the roles and responsibilities of the high priest, the priests, and the other men of the tribe of Levi. (v.2-3, 6-7) The purpose of this instruction is so that the holiness of the tabernacle and its furnishings is not violated, thus causing judgment by God upon Aaron, his sons, or the people. (v.3, 5) Notice here that God doesn’t say anything about the priesthood or the service of the tribe of Levi that He didn’t already give to Moses earlier at Mount Sinai. God’s response to the people’s latest complaint is essentially this: “Yes, you’re correct. Anyone that doesn’t adhere to My instructions exactly as I have given them will suffer my wrath and judgment. Now, let’s go over them again.” The seemingly infinite patience of the LORD is once again shown in this passage as He reiterates for Aaron and Moses His commandments regarding the priesthood and the tabernacle. God also reminds Aaron that the priesthood and its service were given to him and his sons as a gift (v.7) (Matthew 10:8, 1 Peter 5:2-3), as are the three clans of the tribe of Levi that assist them in their service (v.6) (Numbers 3:12, 45) This is the same point that Moses had tried to make clear to Korah: that service to God – no matter the type or role – is a gift, a high honor that should never be taken lightly. It’s a sin against the LORD for us to look at another’s role and responsibility with jealousy or resentment. Rather, we should humble ourselves and thank God for what He has given us as we learn to be content with the tasks He’s assigned to us. That is where we will find true happiness and joy. Verses 8-19: Next, God reminds Aaron of the portions of all the sacrifices that are given to him and his sons for their sustenance and provision. (v.8-10) As described earlier in Leviticus, portions of the meat and sin offerings, firstfruits of the harvest, and the firstborn animals are to be given to the priests to support and provide for them and their families. (v.11, 13) (Exodus 22:29, 23:19, Leviticus 2:2-3, 6:16-18, 10:12-13, 23:20, Numbers 5:9-10, Nehemiah 10:35-36) As long as all members of the priest’s household are clean and in right standing with the LORD, they may partake of his sustenance. Everything that is consecrated in Israel also belongs to the priests because it belongs to God. (v.14) But the people are allowed to give the priests five shekels of silver in lieu of the animal if he/she desires to keep it instead. (v.15-16) (Leviticus 27:6) The only exception to this rule, however, is the firstborn of the clean beasts, for those are to be offered as sacrifices unto the Lord. (v.17) They are holy. (Deuteronomy 15:19) Portions of these offerings, too, belong to the priest for his sustenance. (v.18) (Exodus 29:26, Leviticus 7:31) Salt is mentioned again in verse 19. (Leviticus 2:13, 2 Chronicles 13:5, Mark 9:49-50) According to the Moody Bible Commentary, “Salt often suggested inviolability or permanence, thereby indicating an unbreakable covenant. A ‘covenant of salt’ can also be taken as an idiomatic expression expressing loyalty or agreement. The notion is that if a person shares ‘salt’ (in a meal) with someone, that one is a recipient of the host’s hospitality, and the guest was to look after his gracious host’s interests (Ezra 4:14).” In summary, God is reminding Aaron and his sons of their responsibility as priests of the tabernacle, but He’s also reminding them of the many blessings and provisions that come with that role. God was pleased by Aaron’s intercession on behalf of the people in chapter 16, and these blessings are proof of that. Verses 20-24: Next, God reminds Aaron that he and his sons are to have no inheritance of tribal land once the nation finally conquers the promised land. (v.20) (Deuteronomy 10:8-9, 12:12, 14:27, 18:1-2, Joshua 13:14, 33) Instead, the LORD Himself is the inheritance of the priests! (“…I am thine part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.”) (Psalm 16:5, Ezekiel 44:28) There is no higher honor or blessing in this life than to be in full time service to the LORD. That’s what it means to have Him as one’s inheritance. The Levitical priests were entirely dependent on God for their daily sustenance and provisions. To put this in today’s parlance, the priests could not have a second job in addition to their pastoral ministry in the church. That’s why God commands the Israelites to tithe of everything they brought to the priests for sacrifice, which is what He reiterates in verses 21 and 24. He tells Aaron that the tithes of the nation are not only for the priests but also for the whole tribe of Levi, which includes those of the clans that were assigned to assist the priests in their daily service. (Leviticus 27:30, Deuteronomy 14:22, Nehemiah 10:37, 12:44, Malachi 3:8, Hebrews 7:4) God closes his statements to Aaron by repeating the warning He gave in verses 1-5. No one outside the tribe of Levi is to come near the tabernacle itself or touch any of the holy things within it. Only the priests and the three clans of Levi may serve in the tabernacle. (v.21-22) (Leviticus 22:9, Numbers 1:51) Anyone that violates this commandment, whether Israelite or stranger, will bear his/her own iniquity and suffer the wrath and judgment of the LORD accordingly. What God is making clear to Aaron, his sons, and the rest of congregation is that the people were correct in their complaint at the end of chapter 17. They were right to fear God and His wrath for anyone that would disobey His commandments. But fear of punishment is not what should be motivating the Israelites – or us today – to obey God. We should obey because we desire to do what’s right. The Israelites are still missing the entire point of God’s Law. Obedience will bring fellowship with the LORD, but disobedience will break that fellowship. They should be seeking God and obeying His commandments from a desire to have God dwelling among them, not just in order to escape His wrath and punishment. Verses 25-32: God now turns to Moses with further instructions and reminders about tithing. The first is that the Levites and the priests are to tithe of their portion of tithe that they receive from the people. (v.26) (Nehemiah 10:38) That tithe is to be offered up as a heave offering to the LORD, as though it were the firstfruits of their own grain or vineyard harvest. (v.27) Every tithe is to be the best part of their portion from the people (v.29), and only afterwards may the priests and Levites take it as their portion for them and their families to eat. (v.30-31) This is the reward for their service to Him. (Matthew 10:10, Luke 10:7, 1 Corinthians 9:13, 1 Timothy 5:18) Again, God is not saying anything new here. All of these commands regarding tithing were given in Exodus and Leviticus. God is merely restating them for clarity’s sake, and one can almost hear the patient, gentle sigh in His voice here as he speaks to Moses, like a teacher explaining – yet again – to His disciples a basic concept they all should have easily understood in the first lecture. As before, God closes this passage with a warning. Those who do not obey these commandments will bear their own iniquity and suffer judgment accordingly. (v.32) (Leviticus 19:8, 22:2, 15-16, Ezekiel 22:26) Verses 1-3: Korah is one of the Kohathites, the clan of the tribe of Levi that is responsible for handling the most holy things of the tabernacle whenever it’s time to pack up and move camp. (v.1) (Exodus 6:21, Numbers 4:4, 15) Dathan, Abiram, and On are of the tribe of Rueben, which means that this insurrection against Moses and Aaron is not entirely spiritual, but also political. (Numbers 26:9, Deuteronomy 11:6) It’s very likely that these three men are upset because of the tribe of Judah’s preference in the order of the tribal encampments around the tabernacle. (Numbers 2:3) Judah was listed first in God’s instructions to Moses, yet Rueben was Jacob’s eldest son. Judah was his fourth born. However, since the text doesn’t give a specific reason we can only speculate, but, ultimately, their motives don’t really matter. What’s important here is the fact that they rebel against Moses and Aaron, which means, of course, that they rebel against the LORD.
It isn’t just these three men that rise up against Moses. They are joined by two hundred and fifty other men of the nation, “…princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown…”. (v.2) (Numbers 1:16) It’s possible that some of these men are the same ones listed by name in chapter 1 of Numbers, but, again, the text here doesn’t specifically say. It’s more likely that most of these men are of the tribe of Levi, given Korah’s complaint about Aaron and his sons. (v.7) Whatever the case, all that matters in this passage is that this rebellion led by Korah is no minor disagreement. The fact that two hundred and fifty leaders of the nation are also publicly rebelling against Moses and Aaron means that this is a major insurrection that only a direct intervention from the LORD can quell. Korah’s reason for coming against Moses is because he believes Moses is exalting himself falsely above the nation when God said that all of Israel is holy. (v.3) (Exodus 19:6, Numbers 12:2) Not only that, if God is dwelling among the people and leading the people, then what need is there of Moses? (Exodus 29:45) These complaints echo the earlier rebellion of Aaron and Miriam, and one would think that Miriam’s public judgment and punishment by God would have been enough to silence any further uprisings against Moses by the people. Sadly, pride is a stubborn sin, not easily vanquished, and it’s Satan’s best tactic when he tries to disrupt God’s plans. Like Lucifer, Korah was not content with the role that he and his clan had been assigned as work for the tabernacle. He wants to be the high priest instead of Aaron, and Dathan, Abiram, and On believe that they and their tribe should be the political authority of Israel because Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn. All four are falsely accusing Moses and Aaron of appointing themselves to their current positions as leaders of the people. Verses 4-7: As he always does when faced with these situations, Moses falls on his face before the people in a demonstration of humility. He then tells Korah and his followers that “…to morrow the LORD will shew who are His, and who is holy…”. (v.5) (Leviticus 21:6, 12, 2 Timothy 2:19) God will make clear to Korah and the people the ones whom He chooses to be the leaders of Israel. (Ezekiel 40:46, 44:15-16) Moses then instructs Korah and the men with him to craft their own censers, put fire and incense in them, and bring them before the LORD in the morning. (v.6-7) Using the priestly task of burning incense, God will then choose the man whom He says is holy. This is a trial by ordeal, similar to the one described in Numbers 5 regarding the accusation of adultery. In these types of trials, God makes clear who is right and who in the wrong. Moses also throws back at Korah the same words he hurled at him: “…ye take too much upon you...”. (v.7) But where Korah’s is an accusation, Moses’ is a warning: Korah and his company are about to go against Almighty God, and if they are in the wrong, His judgment will be severe. Verses 8-11: It’s unclear if Moses dismisses the whole company except for Korah, or if he merely pulls Korah aside for this conversation. (Verses 12-17 seem to suggest that Dathan and Abiram are not present at all for the confrontation between Moses, Korah, and the two hundred and fifty princes in verses 4-7.) Moses tries one last time to convince Korah not to make a foolish mistake, explaining to him that it’s no small thing that “…the God of Israel…” (v.9) had separated the three clans of the tribe of Levi unto Himself to serve in the tabernacle. (Numbers 3:41, 45, 8:13, Deuteronomy 10:8) Part of that service even includes ministering to the congregation! Yet Korah is not content to serve in the role and capacity that the LORD has assigned him and his brethren. They want the priesthood as well, and Moses tries to make Korah see the severity of this sin. (v.10) Korah is not murmuring against Aaron, but against God Himself! (v.11) (Exodus 16:7-8) Moses’ point here is that, while the entire nation is set apart unto God, Moses and Aaron are God’s appointed leaders. To go against them is to rebel against the LORD, and that is no small thing! Verses 12-17: It seems most likely from the narrative of the passage thus far that Dathan and Abiram make their allegiance to Korah’s rebellion known to Moses, but that these two men are not present at the entrance to the tabernacle when Korah, On, and the two hundred and fifty princes confront Moses. So now Moses summons Dathan and Abiram, but they refuse him, choosing instead to remain in their respective tents. (v.12) Furthermore, they accuse Moses of bringing them “…out of a land that floweth with milk and honey…” so that the nation might perish in the wilderness. (v.13) (Exodus 16:3, Numbers 11:4) They also have the audacity to accuse Moses of being the reason that the nation was turned away from the promised land and sentenced to forty years of wandering in the wilderness! (v.14) The phrase “…wilt thou put out the eyes of these men?” is an idiom suggesting the Moses kept the people in the dark about his true motives, that he made himself leader of the Israelites from the very beginning. As with Korah, the sin of pride is on full display here with these two men, and it causes the same blasphemy that was demonstrated by the nation in chapters 13-14. Dathan and Abiram are claiming that it was Moses that led them all this way, that it was his selfish actions and motivations that caused all the grief of the people, and that he has lied from the beginning about God and the promised land. They deny the hand of God altogether, as well as the nation’s disobedience and rebellion against God as the true cause of their current situation. Furthermore, to describe Egypt – a land of great wickedness and ungodliness – with the same phrase that God uses for the promised land (…a land that floweth with milk and honey…) is another form of gross arrogance and pride, and it all adds up to rebellion against God of the worst kind. This response understandably fills Moses with righteous outrage, and he requests of God that He “…respect not thou their offering…”. (v.15) (Genesis 4:4-5) Verses 16 and 17 seem to indicate that only Dathan and Abiram are not present with Korah, On, and the other men, because Moses now reiterates his instructions regarding the trial by ordeal that will commence the next morning. Everyone – including Moses and Aaron – is to bring his censer filled with sweet incense for the LORD, and He will show which men He respects and chooses. Verses 18-22: The next morning, Moses, Aaron, Korah, On, and the two hundred and fifty princes come together at the door of the tabernacle. But it’s not just them. Verse 18 clearly states “And Korah gathered all the congregation…”, meaning that he had stirred up rebellion among the entire nation against Moses and Aaron. The glory of the LORD appears (Exodus 16:7, 10, Leviticus 9:6, 23, Numbers 14:10), and God tells Moses and Aaron to stand apart from the people so that He might destroy the nation. (…that I may consume them…) (Genesis 19:17, Exodus 32:10, 33:5, Jeremiah 51:6) God’s wrath is once again inflamed against His chosen people because of their sin of rebellion and pride. This is also the first of a few parallels between this account of Korah’s rebellion and that of Abraham, Lot, and God’s judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. Once again, both Moses and Aaron plead with God, falling prostrate on the ground before the glory of the LORD, interceding on behalf of Israel. (v.22) (Numbers 14:5) They acknowledge God’s sovereignty over all life (…God of the spirits of all flesh…), and they beg for His mercy, pleading for Him not to destroy the whole nation for one man’s sin. (Genesis 18:23, 20:4, Numbers 27:16, Job 12:10, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Hebrews 12:9) This echoes Abraham’s intercession on behalf of his nephew, Lot, and any other righteous souls that might have been living among the extreme wickedness of Sodom. Moses’ godly character – especially his humility and patience – are, again, on full display here. This is further evidence of the Lord’s work in his life because Moses could have readily stood aside and allowed God, in all His sovereignty, to destroy the nation of Israel. But, as I’ve pointed out in earlier chapters, Moses is not the same man that we encountered at the burning bush on the backside of the desert. He has matured spiritually, grown into the role of a true leader, a man of God that now pleads passionately for the souls of the people whom the Lord has placed in his care. (Hebrews 13:17) Moses is a supreme example of the modern day pastor, the under shepherd of the flock of the church, who tirelessly goes before the Lord, interceding in prayer for every member of his congregation; even – and especially – when that congregation is disobedient and rebellious. Verses 23-35: God, rich in mercy and longsuffering, tells Moses to warn the people to separate themselves from the company of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, On, and the two hundred and fifty leaders that have sided with Korah. (v.24) Moses immediately obeys, followed by the elders of Israel. (v.25-26) He warns the congregation to get away from the tents of Dathan and Abiram, to not even touch the things belonging to “…these wicked men…” lest they all “…be consumed…”. This is similar to the warning given by the angels to Lot and his family right before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:15, 17), yet another parallel between this story and that one. The people listen to Moses and obey his command, which seems mildly surprising given their recent track record of grumbling and disobedience. (v.27) Dathan and Abiram appear at the doors of their respective tents, surrounded by their wives and children. Here is a powerful lesson about which God had warned the children of Israel when He first gave them the ten commandments. (Exodus 20:5) You who are husbands and fathers are the leaders of your homes. You are the spiritual head unto whom the souls of your wives and children are given to for care and nurture. You are to teach them the ways of the LORD, instructing them in such as well as chastising them when necessary. This is a very high honor and solemn duty, and those who forsake it will bring into judgment not only themselves, but also the souls of the ones who are under their authority and who follow them. This is what God means when He says He will visit “…the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me…” (Exodus 20:5) Dathan and Abiram are held up here as examples of ungodly men who not only condemn themselves to death because of their sin of pride and blasphemy against God, but also condemn the lives of their families because of their own foolish choices. This story offers a perfect contrast of examples of leadership. Moses is the right one, leading by his example of complete surrender to God and acting with humility, patience, and godly perseverance in the face of all kinds of opposition. Dathan and Abiram are the exact opposite, both acting with extreme pride and selfishness, refusing to submit to any kind of authority except their own foolish selves. And for that they – and their families – pay a terrible price. Moses now throws down the gauntlet, speaking with the authority of Almighty God. He first proclaims a defense, refuting the false accusations of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. “Hereby ye shall know the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of my own mind.” (v.28) (Exodus 3:12, Numbers 24:13, John 5:30, 36) In other words, he has not acted of his own will or agenda. Moses has always acted with the guidance, authority, and will of God alone. He then states that If Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and all the other men with them die of natural causes, such as old age, or suffer some other judgment that is common to all men (…if they be visited after the visitation of all men…”), then God is not on Moses’ side. (v.29) (Job 35:15, Isaiah 10:3) But if the Lord does a new form of judgment by causing the earth to open up and swallow the men alive with all their families, tents, and possessions in a sudden instant, then all the people will know that those men sinned against God. (v.30) (Job 31:3, Psalm 55:15, Isaiah 28:21) No sooner are the words out of Moses’ mouth than the earth beneath the tents of Dathan and Abiram abruptly opens (…the ground clave asunder…), creating a massive bottomless pit into which Korah, Dathan, Abiram, On, all their families – except Korah’s – and the other men that are with them are swallowed up alive. (v.31-33) (Numbers 26:10-11, 1 Chronicles 6:22, 37) The ground then closes up as quickly as it had opened, sealing itself as if nothing had happened. This demonstrates the awesome power of God and His absolute control of all that is in this physical realm. The word for “pit” in verse 33 is translated from the Hebrew word “she’ôl”, which means “underworld, grave, or hell”, according to Strong’s concordance. This is the same word used by David in many of his psalms. The meaning here in this passage is that Korah and all the men with him were taken alive into hell, not just a mere physical pit in the earth. God judged and sentenced them for their rebellion and disobedience, and their destination was hell. Yes, that same hell to which all of us are condemned at the moment of conception, when our mortal lives begin. Unless we repent of our sin, recognize our need for a savior, and call upon Jesus Christ to save us, we will end up in that same pit where Korah, Dathan, Abiram, On, and all the other men with them are still alive and tormented today. The congregation is understandably terrified by this spectacle, fleeing even further from the scene. (v.34) Immediately following this, a fire rains from heaven, consuming the two hundred and fifty leaders that held the censers of incense, incinerating them instantly. (v.35) (Leviticus 10:2, Numbers 11:1, 26:10, Psalm 106:18) Verses 36-40: God commands Moses to tell Eleazar to gather up the two hundred and fifty censers from the ashes of the dead men and then scatter abroad the burning coals still left in them. (v.37) The censers themselves are to be hammered into gold plating for the altar, presumably the one within the tabernacle and not the brazen altar in the outer court, though the text doesn’t specify. (v.38) God declares the censers themselves to be hallowed. (Leviticus 27:28) Those men sinned “…against their own souls…” (v.38) by offering up incense when they were not ordained as priests. (Proverbs 20:2, Habakkuk 2:10) Only Aaron and his sons are allowed by God to offer up incense, which the LORD makes plainly clear to the children of Israel by His judgment of fire upon the two hundred and fifty princes. The new covering of the altar will be a reminder to the people of this. (v.40) (Numbers 3:10, 2 Chronicles 26:18) In light of verse 40, it does seem contradictory that God had commanded Moses in verse 17 to bring his own censer to this trial by ordeal. But that was a specific exception, clearly instructed by the LORD Himself, to show to the people that God had appointed Moses as their leader. It was also a direct response to the two hundred and fifty men that had challenged Moses and Aaron, for those men were desiring to be not just the political leaders but to serve in the tabernacle as priests also. God needed to make abundantly clear to the people that He had chosen both Moses and Aaron to serve in their specific, respective roles as the leaders of the nation. Verses 41-50: One would think this ends the ordeal and the chapter, but – incredibly – the congregation grumbles against Moses and Aaron the very next morning, claiming, “…Ye have killed the people of the LORD.” (v.41) (Numbers 14:2, Psalm 106:25) Even after witnessing firsthand the supernatural judgment of God, the Israelites now have the audacity to claim that it was Moses and Aaron who killed the rebels! They all gather at the door of the tabernacle to confront Moses and Aaron, and, once more, God appears in the form of the cloud to interrupt the rebellion. (v.42) (Exodus 40:34) Once more, He tells Moses to get away from the people so that He “…may consume them…”. (v.45) While Moses and Aaron immediately fall prostrate before the LORD, Moses does not verbally plead with God on behalf of the people like before. Instead, he orders Aaron to get a censer, fill it with fire from the altar, then add incense, and then go among the people to make a propitiation for them. (v.46) This is the only way to stay God’s wrath which, once again, takes the form of a plague that begins to spread quickly among the congregation. (Leviticus 10:6, Numbers 11:33, 14:37, 18:5) The word in this verse is “atonement”, which means “propitiation”. The original Hebrew word is “kâphar” which means “to cover, purge, make an atonement, or make reconciliation”, according to the Brown-Driver-Briggs Bible dictionary. The meaning of “atonement” in this context is not the same as when it’s used in Leviticus regarding the animal sacrifices. Only the blood of the innocent can atone for sins, so this passage is not saying that that same atonement is also possible by the priest performing a ritual with incense from the altar, as some Bible scholars have falsely claimed. Rather, what Aaron does with the incense is to make an appeasement of God’s wrath in the form of direct intercession in his role as the high priest on behalf of the people. Incense is an integral ingredient not only in the daily operation of the tabernacle (Exodus 30:7-8) but also in the annual ritual on the Day of Atonement. (Leviticus 16:12-13) Revelation 8:3-4 describes incense as a physical manifestation of the prayers of the saints ascending before God upon His throne. Thus, it is clear in scripture that incense mixed with holy fire from the altar in the tabernacle can act as a propitiation, or atonement, in certain, specific instances of sin in order to appease God and stay His judgment. That is the case here in Numbers 16. That’s also why God slew Nadab and Abihu. (Leviticus 10:1-2) They did not adhere to God’s strict commands regarding the holy fire and the incense, and He punished them accordingly. We can thus conclude that there is something in the combination of that fire and incense that is made from specific ingredients (Exodus 30:34-36) that is able to appease the wrath of God. Verse 48 shows Aaron successfully interceding on behalf of the people, and the plague is withdrawn by God (Numbers 25:8, Psalm 106:30), but not before killing a total of “…fourteen thousand and seven hundred…” Israelites. (v.49) That number, along with all that died in Korah’s rebellion, are the consequence of this latest sin of disobedience of the children of Israel. Verse 1: It’s unclear from the text if the Ethiopian woman mentioned in this verse is Zipporah. The Ethiopians are descendants of Cush, the son of Ham, and they had settled south of Egypt in what is today known as Ethiopia. (Refer to the 1st map below.) Habakkuk 3:7 suggests that the peoples of Midian and Cush are one and the same, and the region that is Ethiopia today is not that great a distance from the west side of the Sinai peninsula where the Midianites lived at the time that Moses fled Egypt to escape his death sentence from Pharaoh. (Refer to the 2nd map below.) However, the wording of this verse suggests that Miriam’s and Aaron’s complaint, though it isn’t the true source of their discontent, is against a recent action by Moses. The logical conclusion here is that Moses either took a second wife in addition to Zipporah, or he remarried after Zipporah’s death. Verse 2: This is the real reason for Miriam’s discontent and rebellion against God and Moses. As noted earlier in Exodus 15:20-21, Miriam is a prophetess, meaning that she assisted Moses in ministering to the people’s spiritual needs. Yet she is not one upon whom God poured out His spirit as described in the previous chapter. Therefore, it’s probable that Miriam is jealous of the seventy elders, and this is the true reason she publicly criticizes Moses and his leadership of the nation. It’s also very possible that the reason Aaron joins in her rebellion is because he, too, was not one of the elders who received the spirit of the Lord. This issue of jealousy has always plagued the people of God. Satan uses this in churches today to sow discord and discontent among the congregation regarding spiritual gifts and talents. Too often, we focus on what others have or are doing in the church that we are envious of, and we fall into the trap of jealousy and gossip that, if not properly dealt with, leads to strife and division within the body of Christ. This was the very issue plaguing the church in Corinth. (1 Corinthians 12) Here in Numbers, God Himself descends to speak directly with Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to address this sin. Verse 3: This verse is often used by critics as proof that Moses could not have written the Pentateuch. They claim that the author would not have been so egotistical as to insert such a comment in this passage about himself. However, it’s perfectly logical to conclude that God could have divinely inspired Moses to make this comment, or Moses could very well have inserted it himself as a defense of himself for the official record against the accusations of his siblings. Not only that, his claim here is borne out in all the writings of the exodus up to this point. His humility and meekness before God and the people is clearly seen in the previous chapters of the Pentateuch ever since his calling by God in Exodus 3. Not only that, God Himself clearly backs up this statement in the next few verses. Verses 4-9: God summons Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to the door of the tabernacle. (v.4) Once again, He appears in the form of the cloud descending upon the tent of meeting. (v.5) (Exodus 19:9, 34:5, Numbers 11:25, 16:19) Though He does not owe anyone an explanation for any of His actions or His ways, God states that He reveals Himself through visions and dreams to certain men of His choosing. (v.6) (Genesis 31:10, 46:2, 1 Samuel 3:15, 1 Kings 3:5, 15, Job 33:15, Ezekiel 1:1, Daniel 8:2, Matthew 1:20, Luke 1:11, Acts 10:11, 17, 22:17-18) God uses the title of “My servant” (v.7) when referring to Moses (Joshua 1:1, Psalm 105:26), and calls him “faithful”. (Hebrews 3:2, 5) With Moses He chooses to speak face to face, with an audible voice, and in the physical manifestation of the cloud. (v.7-8) (Exodus 33:11, Deuteronomy 34:10, Hosea 12:13) He doesn’t speak in riddles or “dark speeches”, which is a term in the KJV that means “sayings” or something similar to proverbs that use a lot of similes and metaphors. (1 Corinthians 13:12) In other words, the Lord speaks plainly to Moses. The essence of God’s question to Miriam and Aaron in verse 8 is this: “You didn’t question Moses’ leadership when I spoke to him in the form of the cloud before; yet now you rebel when I choose to pour out My spirit upon the elders, and I do not include you?” (2 Peter 2:10, Jude 8) He cuts straight to the heart of the matter: their sin of jealousy and envy which, as always, is caused by pride. Verses 10-16: God punishes Miriam’s disobedience with leprosy (v.10), a disease that He uses often in the OT as both a demonstration of His power and a specific form of judgment against the sins of pride and covetousness. (Exodus 4:6, Deuteronomy 24:9, 2 Kings 5:27, 15:5, 2 Chronicles 26:19-20) Aaron immediately begs forgiveness and pleads with Moses to intercede on their behalf. (v.11) The metaphor he uses in verse 12 is that of a stillborn child. (Psalm 88:4) Leprosy was often a death sentence in this time period and, in fact, it still is in some parts of the world today. There are still such places as leper colonies and/or houses in some third world countries. (2 Chronicles 26:21) Moses, in another display of his meekness and humility as a leader and mediator (v.3), doesn’t hesitate to cry out to the Lord on their behalf. (v.13) (Psalm 103:3) God’s answer to Moses in verse 14 is a reference to a common occurrence in the cultures of the ANE whereby a father will publicly rebuke his daughter for a transgression that she has committed publicly. (Deuteronomy 25:9, Job 30:10, Isaiah 50:6) The child suffers shame and humiliation for seven days. Miriam’s rebellion against Moses was a public spectacle and, thus, her punishment is also a public spectacle and humiliation. She must leave the camp to live in isolation for seven days, as prescribed by the law. (v.15) (Leviticus 13:46) The people wait for her to be healed before moving on to the wilderness of Paran. (v.15-16)   |
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