OVERVIEW:
Korah leads a rebellion against Moses and Aaron; the plague of judgment sent by God; duties for the priests; the tithe offering; the sacrifice of the red heifer.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
The complaints that were hurled against Moses, in chapter 12, came from his own brother and sister. The uprising against him in chapter 16 comes from his own cousins, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. The sad thing is that Korah, the ringleader of the rebellion, was able to negatively influence 250 of the leaders of Israel against Moses and Aaron.
Their accusations against Moses and Aaron, the God-ordained authorities in Israel, was that they assumed too much authority, and that there were others, namely THEM(!), who were deserving of an equal voice in the decisions that were made for the nation. They, no doubt, were assured that they were right, and that they were only seeking to champion the “Lord’s cause”, and a cause that was for the “good of the people”. The only problem was, they were wrong; dead wrong! In fact, verse 11 reveals that their actual rebellion wasn’t against the authority of Moses and Aaron, but against the authority of the Lord Himself! In chapter 16 and verse 11, Moses says to Korah, “…both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord”. (16:11) As the Lord recounts this story in Numbers 26:9, He also says that, “they strove against the Lord”.
It is interesting to note in this whole rebellious debacle that Moses and Aaron did not seek to defend themselves. They, rather, let God be their defense. (Psalm 59:9) Moses instructs Korah and his 250 rebels to bring censers (the pots used for burning incense) to the tabernacle so that God could reveal who was right in the dispute. The object lesson was incredible. The ground opened up and swallowed Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and as the 250 princes offered their incense, God breathed out fire and they also went up in smoke!
One would think that the supernatural intervention of God, confirming the authority of Moses and Aaron, would have certainly caused the people to willfully and joyfully submit. Rather, they murmured once again, actually blaming Moses and Aaron for killing Korah and all of his cohorts! Wow! Needless to say, God was not pleased. He instructs Moses and Aaron to back away so He could consume every one of the murmurers. Moses, rather than relish in God’s judgment upon the people, instructs Aaron to offer atonement for them so that the people would be spared. Before Aaron can offer the atonement, however, 14,700 people were killed!!!
Evidently, even the events of chapter 16 weren’t enough to convince the people of Aaron’s authority in the priesthood. In chapter 17, God wants to settle the issue once and for all. God instructs Moses to tell each tribe to present a rod (a dead stick) to be placed in front of the ark in the tabernacle. The rod that blossomed would indicate the one He had chosen for the priesthood. Obviously, Aaron’s rod was the only one that budded. But not only did it bud, in a single day, it also blossomed and bore fruit! The other rods were still as dead as a door nail. While each of the princes took back his lifeless rod, the rod of Aaron was placed in the tabernacle before the ark to be a constant reminder to these rebels, and all of the children of Israel, who the high priest of Israel actually was!
Aaron’s rod, of course, is a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many religious leaders and teachers have arisen throughout the course of time. They all had one thing in common: they died! Today, they are nothing but a “dead stick”, as it were. Only One rose from the dead! He alone is the Source and Giver of life, our great High Priest!
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
In AARON’S BUDDING ROD – Numbers 17:1–8 (1st Corinthians 15:20; Acts 17:3; 26:23)
In AARON AND HIS SONS who were responsible to bear the iniquity of the people in the sanctuary – Numbers 18:1 (Isaiah 53:4–7; Titus 2:14)
In the RED HEIFER, which was to be offered as a cleansing from defilement.
- It was to be without spot or blemish. (Numbers 19:2) (Christ was “without blemish and without spot” – 1st Peter 1:19)
- It was to have never born a yoke. (Numbers 19:2) (A yoke is put on an animal to subdue its wild nature and compel subjection. Christ needed no yoke, but came saying, “Lo, I come to do thy will, O God” – Hebrews 10:7)
- It was to be red. (Numbers 19:2) (A picture of the blood of Christ – Hebrews 9:14; 1st Peter 1:2, 19)
- It was to be slain without (outside) the camp. (Numbers 19:3) (Christ was crucified on Golgotha, a place outside of the city of Jerusalem – John 19:17)
- Its blood was to be sprinkled seven times before the tabernacle. (Numbers 19:4) (Seven is the number of completion and perfection in the Bible. Christ offered one complete and perfect sacrifice for sin – Hebrews 10:12, 14)