‘Why did Moses lifted himself up above the children of Israel people before the Lord’ was the chant of mutiny by Core, Dathan, and Abiron who rose up against Moses, and with them two hundred and fifty others of the children of Israel.
And when they had stood up against Moses and Aaron, they said: Let it be enough for you, that all the multitude consisteth of holy ones, and the Lord is among them: Take every man of you your censers, thou Core, and all thy company
They challenged the priesthood too. We are just like Aaron and the priests. We should be priests too and burn incense in our censers.
Moses and Aaron prayed for the rebellions sinners: “O most mighty, the God of the spirits of all flesh, for one man’s sin shall thy wrath rage against all?”
The Three Musketeers did not realize how far their denial, justification, and rationalization had taken them from their path with the Lord.
Moses didn’t lift himself above anyone. God chose and put him in a leadership position.
Aaron didn’t self-proclaim that he and his family were to be priests and their descendants the only priests. God stipulated that and chose Aaron.
What was God’s response to Moses and Aaron?
“Separate yourself from among this congregation, that I may presently destroy them.” Let Aaron also hold his censer and let the seditionists hold theirs too.
Moses gave his opponents the challenge: “By this you shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all things that you see and that I have not forged them of my own head.” And they took it hook, line and sinker!
The earth broke asunder under their feet and, opening her mouth, devoured them with their tents and all their substance. And they went down alive into hell, the ground closing upon them, and they perished from among the people.
And a fire coming out from the Lord, destroyed the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.
That the children of Israel may see them for a sign and a memorial
That no stranger or any one that is not of the seed of Aaron should come near to offer incense to the Lord
Now some of the others chose to rise in mutiny against Moses and Aaron: “You have killed the people of the Lord.” And when there arose a sedition, and the tumult increased, Moses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of the covenant. Perhaps this was the first time in history one took refuge in a church?
God’s answer came this time before Moses and Aaron could pray for the challengers For already wrath is gone out from the Lord, and the plague rageth.
So what does Aaron do? Standing between the dead and the living, he prayed for the people, and the plague ceased. And the number of them that were slain was fourteen thousand and seven hundred men, besides them that had perished in the sedition of Core.
Nearly fifteen thousand men dead for not challenging Moses and Aaron but the Lord Himself.
Good to think of our own motives and those of people who oppose us. The one that is most out of denial, justification, and rationalization; the one that is clear and present and can see the truth in relationship to the Word of God will be the winner!
Those free of self, pride and silly ego are free indeed and very powerful when aligned with God’s Will and God’s Power.
God gave another sign as to who were his chosen priests.
He requested one rod with the name of Aaron shall be for the tribe of Levi, and one rod from each of the twelve tribes of Israel that shall contain all their families.
Whomsoever of these I shall choose, his rod shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, where with they murmur against you.
And there were twelve rods besides the rod of Aaron
And found that the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi, was budded; budded with almonds in fact.
So know the majority of the children of Israel in the twelve tribes were scared and they pleaded to Moses: “Behold we are consumed, we all perish. Are we all to a man to be utterly destroyed?”
Before answer those pleads God made a sweet deal for Aaron and his descendants. Basically he took care of him and insured that his descendants would be taken care of forever. The origin of nepotism? Probably not give the Pharaoh and the wealthy civilization in Egypt. Nepotism forever? Remember this is the Old Testament, the Old Covenant.
And the Lord said to Aaron: Behold I have given thee the charge of my firstfruits. All things sanctified by the children of Israel, I have delivered to thee and thy sons for the priestly office, by everlasting ordinances.
Every offering, and sacrifice, and whatsoever is rendered to me for sin and for trespass, and becometh holy of holies, shall be for thee and thy sons… by a perpetual law.
You shall possess nothing in their land, neither shall you have a portion among them: I am thy portion and inheritance in the midst of the children of Israel.
But only the sons of Levi may serve me in the tabernacle, and bear the sins of the people. It shall be an everlasting ordinance in your generations. They shall not possess any other thing, but be content with the oblation or tithes, which I have separated for their uses and necessities.
And the children of Israel and all the multitude came into the desert of Sin
And Mary (assuming Mary the wife of Aaron) died there and was buried in the same place.
And the people wanting water, came together against Moses and Aaron, and making a sedition
Moses prayed again: “O Lord God, hear the cry of this people, and open to them thy treasure, a fountain of living water, that being satisfied, they may cease to murmur.”
God’s response: “And speak to the rock before them, and it shall yield waters.”
Can we bring forth water out of this rock?
There came forth water in great abundance.
This is the Water of contradiction, where the children of Israel strove with words against the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.
Why didn’t God strike them down for another sedition by the children of Israel?
Why this contradiction?
Perhaps because it was a vital need; water is a basic element of life; it’s consumption is not optional for the body to survive?
Perhaps this was God’s message; his first use of water as a living entity; it in us and He in us and we in Him? In the Old Testament John the Baptist is yet to come.
Perhaps a sort of internal, digestive sort of early baptism?
Another step in purifying the Israelites and partnering with them to free them from sin through the forgiveness of God?
Yet another obstacle to the will of the children of Israel arose out of the desert—Edom the kingdom of the Edomites.
And he heard us, and sent an angel, who hath brought us out of Egypt. Lo, we are now in the city of Cades, which is the uttermost of thy borders, and we beseech these that we may have leave to pass through thy country.
Edom’s response: “Thou shall not pass by me: if thou dost I will come out armed against thee.”
Wherefore Israel turned another way from him (Edom).
Because he was incredulous to my words, at the waters of contradiction. Take Aaron and his son with him and not bring them up into mount Hor.
Aaron was incredulous to the words of God?
I had to reread the passage about the waters of contradiction: Because you have not believed me, to sanctify me before the children of Israel, you shall not bring these people into the land, which I will give them.
I thought Aaron and Moses had prayed together and did as the Lord requested lifting up their hand, and striking the rock twice with the rod. But it seems both prayed but only Moses struck the rock with the rod? Maybe Aaron was skeptical of God’s ability to bring water out of a rock? Maybe he was old and tired and bitter about losing his wife Mary?
God is God and we are not. Better to be continuously open-minded and believing in Him and ourselves as directed and powered by Him than be a skeptic in life.
The power of thought and words manifested in our abilities.
God’s Will: Aaron shall be gathered to his people, and die there.
And all the multitude seeing that Aaron was dead, mourned for him thirty days throughout all their families.
Today’s Bible message to Andy: The Power of Prayer & Being Humbly Aligned with God’s Will!
Day 51: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; The Power of Prayer & Being Humbly Aligned with God’s Will.
Read and inspired by the Old Testament, The Book of Numbers Chapters 16-20
Bible Notes:
This Book is so called, because it begins with a census of the Hebrew nations.
It describes their departure from Mount Sinai, their journey to Moab, and gives various rules for distribution of the Promised Land.
Numbers Chapter 16: Rebellion of Core, Dathan, and Abiron; The Lord threatens punishment; The people forsake Core, Dathan, and Abiron; Punishment of the rebels; The rebels’ censers become a memorial; The people criticize Moses and Aaron; Aaron stays a plague.
Core… and Dathan and Abrion rose up against Moses, and with them two hundred and fifty others of the children of Israel.
And when they had stood up against Moses and Aaron, they said: Let it be enough for you, that all the multitude consisteth of holy ones, and the Lord is among them: Why life you up yourselves above the people of the Lord?
Take every man of you your censers, thou Core, and all thy company
Censers—a container, usually covered, in which incense is burned, especially during religious services; thurible.
You take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi
That you should challenge to yourselves the priesthood also?
We will not come. We will not come.
Let Aaron also hold his censer
Separate yourself from among this congregation, that I may presently destroy them.
O most mighty, the God of the spirits of all flesh, for one man’s sin shall thy wrath rage against all?
Depart from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs lest you be involved in their sins.
By this you shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all things that you see and that I have not forged them of my own head.
The earth broke asunder under their feet and, opening her mouth, devoured them with their tents and all their substance. And they went down alive into hell, the ground closing upon them, and they perished from among the people.
And a fire coming out from the Lord, destroyed the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.
That the children of Israel may see them for a sign and a memorial
That no stranger or any one that is not of the seed of Aaron should come near to offer incense to the Lord
You have killed the people of the Lord. And when there arose a sedition, and the tumult increased, Moses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of the covenant (took refuge in church).
For already wrath is gone out from the Lord, and the plague rageth
And standing between the dead and the living, he prayed for the people, and the plague ceased. And the number of them that were slain was fourteen thousand and seven hundred men, besides them that had perished in the sedition of Core
Sedition—incitement of discontent or rebellion against a government; any action, especially in speech or writing, promoting such discontent or rebellion; Archaic. rebellious disorder.
Numbers Chapter 17: Rods of the people put in the tabernacle; Aaron’s rod blooms; Aaron’s rod as a token.
And the name of Aaron shall be for the tribe of Levi, and one rod shall contain all their families.
Whomsoever of these I shall choose, his rod shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, where with they murmur against you.
And there were twelve rods besides the rod of Aaron
And found that the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi, was budded.
Almonds
And the children of Israel said to Moses: Behold we are consumed, we all perish.
Are we all to a man to be utterly destroyed?
Numbers Chapter 18: Duties of the priests and Levites; Portions for the priests; Portions for the Levites; Offerings of Levites.
And the Lord said to Aaron: Behold I have given thee the charge of my firstfruits. All things sanctified by the children of Israel, I have delivered to thee and thy sons for the priestly office, by everlasting ordinances.
Every offering, and sacrifice, and whatsoever is rendered to me for sin and for trespass, and becometh holy of holies, shall be for thee and thy sons… by a perpetual law.
A sicle hath twenty obols.
You shall possess nothing in their land, neither shall you have a portion among them: I am thy portion and inheritance in the midst of the children of Israel.
But only the sons of Levi may serve me in the tabernacle, and bear the sins of the people. It shall be an everlasting ordinance in your generations. They shall not possess any other thing, but be content with the oblation or tithes, which I have separated for their uses and necessities.
The tenth part of the tenth
Because it is your reward for the ministry, wherewith you serve in the tabernacle of the testimony.
Numbers Chapter 19: Water of expiation; Use of water of expiation.
This is the observance of the victim, which the Lord hath ordained.
And which hath not carried the yoke
And for a water of aspersion
Aspersion—the act of sprinkling, as in baptism; Archaic. a shower or spray.
He that toucheth the corpse of a man and is therefore unclean seven days
And shall perish out of Israel
This is the law of a man that dieth in a tent: All that go into his tent and all the vessels that are there, shall be unclean seven days.
And shall pour living waters upon them into a vessel
Numbers Chapter 20: Death of Mary; The people complain for lack of water; Moses and Aaron pray for water; God gives water out of a rock; Edomites refuse passage to the Israelites; Death of Aaron.
And the children of Israel and all the multitude came into the desert of Sin
And Mary (assuming Mary the wife of Aaron) died there and was buried in the same place.
And the people wanting water, came together against Moses and Aaron, and making a sedition
O Lord God, hear the cry of this people, and open to them thy treasure, a fountain of living water, that being satisfied, they may cease to murmur.
And speak to the rock before them, and it shall yield waters
Can we bring forth water out of this rock?
There came forth water in great abundance.
Because you have not believed me, to sanctify me before the children of Israel, you shall not bring these people into the land, which I will give them.
This is the Water of contradiction, where the children of Israel strove with words against the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.
Contradiction—the act of contradicting; gainsaying or opposition; assertion of the contrary or opposite; denial; a statement or proposition that contradicts or denies another or itself and is logically incongruous; direct opposition between things compared; inconsistency; a contradictory act, fact, etc.
Strove—simple past tense of strive; to exert oneself vigorously; try hard; to contend in opposition, battle, or any conflict; compete; to struggle vigorously, as in opposition or resistance; to rival; vie.
Sanctify—to make holy; set apart as sacred; consecrate; to purify or free from sin; to impart religious sanction to; render legitimate or binding; to entitle to reverence or respect; to make productive of or conducive to spiritual blessing.
And he heard us, and sent an angel, who hath brought us out of Egypt. Lo, we are now in the city of Cades, which is the uttermost of thy borders, and we beseech these that we may have leave to pass through thy country.
But we will go by the common highway
Thou shall not pass by me: if thou dost I will come out armed against thee.
There shall be no difficulty in the price, only let us pass speedily.
Wherefore Israel turned another way from him.
Because he was incredulous to my words, at the waters of contradiction. Take Aaron and his son with him and not bring them up into mount Hor.
Incredulous—not credulous; disinclined or indisposed to believe; skeptical; indicating or showing unbelief.
Aaron shall be gathered to his people, and die there.
And all the multitude seeing that Aaron was dead, mourned for him thirty days throughout all their families.
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