Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, who has made us set apart through His commandments and commanded us to actively study Torah. Please YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your desire. Blessed are You, YHVH, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, YHVH, Giver of the Torah.
This Torah portion is about how rebellion against Mosheh and the Torah of YHVH brings destruction and death -
How much more destruction
shall come upon those who rebel against the Messiah and the Torah he taught?
Listen to how
King David describes the prevailing spiritual condition when the spiritual
pillars of YHVH are pulled down and destroyed:
Psa 11:3 When the foundations are destroyed, What
shall the righteous do?
Literally - When the settled things are
being pulled down, what effect do the righteous still have?
When the ancient truths are being pulled
down we are all in trouble –
Isa 59:14
And right-ruling is driven back, and righteousness stands far off. For truth
has fallen in the street, and right is unable to enter.[a] Footnote: a Amo_5:7.
Isa 59:15
And the truth is lacking, and whoever turns away from evil makes himself a
prey. And יהוה saw, and it displeased Him
that there was no right-ruling.
Isa 59:16
And He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no
intercessor. So His own arm saved for Him, and His righteousness upheld him.
Amo 5:12 For
I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great, afflicting the
righteous and accepting bribes, and turning aside the poor at the gate.
Amo 5:13
Therefore the wise keep silent at that time, for it is an evil time.
Multitudes of people in the world unknowingly
embrace the spirit of Korach.
The spirit of Korach and his followers is
still alive and well in our world. You can kill Korach and his followers but
you cannot kill the spirit of rebellion that inspired him. This spirit has
always had many willing followers, sadly also amongst those who call themselves
believers.
If we are the people of the “second exodus”
– those who could return to the land of Israel in this generation, then maybe
we can assume that spiritual conditions prior to the first exodus will be
similar to spiritual condition of Yisrael during their exodus:
Eze 20:36
“As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Mitsrayim,
so I shall enter into judgment with you,” declares the Master יהוה.
Eze 20:37
“And I shall make you pass under the rod, (correction and discipline) and shall bring you into the bond of the
covenant,
Eze 20:38 and purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me. From the land where they sojourn I bring them out, but they shall not come into the land of Yisra’ěl. And you shall know that I am יהוה.
Aliyah
Rishon 16:1-13
Num 16:1 And Qoraḥ (Korach), son of Yitshar, son of Qehath, son of
Lĕwi, took both Dathan and Aḇiram the sons of Eliyaḇ, and On, son of Peleth,
sons of Re’uḇĕn,
The
Torah reading starts with a verb “vayikach Korach”- ‘Korach took’ what did not
belong to him. “Vayikach comes from the root Hebrew word “lakach” which means
to take. Note it was something taken and not given.
The Hebrew meaning of ‘’Korach’’ is
‘’bald or frosted over’’ – perhaps this speaks to a heart condition unable to
receive instruction and truth from the writings and authority of Moshe – The
Torah. YHVH’s Wisdom is unable to penetrate the mind or the heart of such a
person or people.
The breeding ground
for Korach’s rebellion was due to his jealousy over his younger cousin (Mosheh)
who was appointed leader over him. Moshe was called and gifted by YHVH – Korach
deeply resented this and tried to illegitimately claim this gift and calling
for himself – a self -appointed man not an Elohim- appointed man. Christianity
and Judaism have many such men and women. YHVH has never appointed anyone to
undermine Moshe or the Torah.
Levi had three sons – Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Kohath had four sons –
Amram, Yitzhar, Chevron and Uziel. Amram
was the father of Moshe and Yitzar was the father of Korach. They were
therefore cousins.
Num 16:2 and they rose up before Mosheh with some of
the children of Yisra’ĕl, two hundred
and fifty leaders of the congregation, called ones of the meeting, men of
name.
The
gematria for the Hebrew word “rebellious” Strongs 4805 “meriy” (mem, reish,yud)
equals 250.
“Appointed men of name” These were not just
ordinary men, they were well known and respected men that people looked up to.
Num 16:3 And they assembled against Mosheh and against
Aharon, and said to them, “Enough of you! (rav
lachem) For all the congregation is set-apart, all of them, and יהוה is in their
midst. Why then do you lift up yourselves above the assembly of יהוה?”
The rebellion of Korach was not just some sudden impulse,
it had been coming a long time, thus the words “rav lechem” or in other words
“Moshe we have had enough of you…” Note how this self- appointed leader is
speaking on the behalf of the people. This is a common pattern to this day.
Joh 5:45
“Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father. There is one who
accuses you: Mosheh, in whom you have set your expectation.
Joh 5:46
“For if you believed Mosheh, you would have believed Me, since he wrote
about Me.
Joh 5:47
“But if you do not believe his writings,1 how shall you
believe My words?” Footnote: 1Lk. 9:33, Lk. 16:31, Mal. 4:4-5.
Mosheh was given a position of spiritual authority that no other sinful man has ever been given on earth -
(Please note Yahshua was not a sinful man and in him
rests all authority and power.)
Num 16:4 And when
Mosheh heard, he fell on his face, (he
must have realized how very, very serious this situation was going to become)
Num 16:5 and spoke
to Qoraḥ and all his company,(“kol
adato” - all of his congregation, including future generations) saying,
“Tomorrow morning (in the dawning of a
new day) יהוה shall make known who is His and who is set-apart, and bring him
near to Him. And let Him bring near to Him the one whom He chooses. ( Moshe was implying that only one of the
parties was going to survive – this too
has end time implications – the great tribulation is also going to be about
this issue)
Eze 34:17
‘And as for you, O My flock, thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am
judging between sheep and sheep
Perhaps this issue of whose worship and
service is acceptable to YHVH will be finally determined in the last days. Perhaps
many will repent and change their ways before that great terrible day of YHVH
–see Joel 2
Bemidbar/Num 16:6
“Do this: Take fire holders,
Qoraḥ and all your company,
Is it possible that this verse speaks of the fire of an
end time judgment? This seems to
coincide with the prophecy of Joel (Yoel) 2 – the final outpouring of the Ruach
is given to bring us back to the restoration of Torah. Torah was given on
Shavuot before – Torah may be given one last time on Shavuot in the last days.
The Hebrew word for “fire holder” is Strongs 4288 “machtah” this word
is very closely related to Strongs 4289 “mechitah” which means destruction.
Luk 12:49 “I came to send
fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
Yahshua said: Yochanan/Joh
4:23 “But the hour is coming, and now
is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and
truth, for the Father also does seek such to worship Him.
Num 16:7 and put
fire in them and put incense in them before יהוה tomorrow. And
it shall be that the one whom יהוה chooses is the set-apart one. Enough of
you, sons of Lĕwi!” (rav lachem)
Num 16:8 And
Mosheh said to Qoraḥ, “Hear now, you sons of Lĕwi:
Num 16:9 “Is it
little to you that the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl has separated you from the congregation
of Yisra’ĕl, to bring you near to Himself, to perform the service of the
Dwelling Place of יהוה, and to stand before the congregation to
serve them,
Num 16:10 and that
He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brothers, the sons of
Lĕwi, with you? Yet you seek the priesthood as well?
Num 16:11
“Therefore you and all your company are set against יהוה. And Aharon, what is he that you grumble against him?”
Num 16:12 And
Mosheh sent to call Dathan and Aḇiram the sons of Eliyaḇ, but they said, “We
are not coming up!
Num 16:13 “Is it little that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you would also seize total rule over us?
Aliyah Sheni 16:14-19
Num 16:14 “Also, you have not
brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of
fields and vineyards. Would you bore out the eyes of these men? We are not
coming up!”
Num 16:15 And Mosheh became
very displeased, and said to יהוה, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey
from them, nor have I done harm to any of them.”
Num 16:16 Then
Mosheh said to Qoraḥ, “Tomorrow, you and all your company shall be there
before יהוה, you and they and Aharon.
“tomorrow” Hebrew “machar” can
also mean at a “future time.” The modern praise and worship movement for the
most part is birthed from the Korach spirit by implying ‘their Jesus came to do
away with Torah’.
Num 16:17 “And
take each one his fire holder, and you shall put incense in it. And let each
one bring his fire holder before יהוה, two hundred and fifty fire holders, and
you and Aharon, each one with his fire holder.”
Num 16:18 So each
one took his fire holder, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and stood
at the door of the Tent of Meeting with Mosheh and Aharon.
Num 16:19 And Qoraḥ assembled all the congregation against them at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Then the esteem of יהוה appeared to all the congregation.
Aliyah
Shlishi 16:20-43
Num 16:20 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, and to Aharon, saying,
Num 16:21 “Separate
yourselves from the midst of this congregation, and let Me consume them in a
moment.”
Num 16:22 But they
fell on their faces, and said, “O Ěl, Elohim of the spirits of all flesh! When
one man sins, are You wroth with all the congregation?”
We are
to separate ourselves from those who are determined to undermine the authority
of the Torah.
Num 16:23 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Num 16:24 “Speak
to the congregation, saying, ‘Move away from around the tents of Qoraḥ,
Dathan, and Aḇiram.’ ”
Num
16:25 So Mosheh rose up and went to
Dathan and Aḇiram, and the elders of Yisra’ĕl followed him.
Num
16:26 And he spoke to the congregation,
saying, “Please turn away from the tents of these wrong men! Do not touch
whatever belongs to them, lest you be consumed in all their sins.”
Num 16:27 Then
they moved away from around the tents of Qoraḥ, Dathan, and Aḇiram. And Dathan and Aḇiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with
their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
Dathan in Hebrew means “law”
and Abiram means “strength” combined in the context of this narrative, we
assume that that there was a strength or stubbornness to establish their own
law and resist the law of YHVH.
We see this idea supported by
the use of the word “stood” in vs 27 “natzav” which can also mean to “stand
erect” in defiance.
We must assume that there are
times when people have so hardened their hearts against the Torah of YHVH, and
they refuse to change their minds. There is a danger of this phenomenon in the
so called “grace movements” of our day.
Num 16:28 And
Mosheh said, “By this you know that יהוה has sent me to
do all these works, that they are not from my own heart.
Num 16:29 “If
these die as all men do, or if they are visited as all men are visited, then יהוה has not sent me.
Num 16:30 “But if יהוה creates what is unheard of, and the earth opens its mouth and
swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the
grave, then you shall know that these men have scorned יהוה.”
Num 16:31 And it
came to be, as he ended speaking all these words, that the ground under them
split apart,
Num 16:32 and the
earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the
men with Qoraḥ, with all their goods.
Num 16:33 So they
and all those with them went down alive into the grave, and the earth closed
over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.
Num 16:34 And all
Yisra’ĕl who were round about them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the
earth swallow us up!”
Num 16:35 And a
fire came out from יהוה and consumed the two hundred and fifty men
who were offering incense.
Num 16:36 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Num 16:37 “Say to
Elʽazar, son of Aharon the priest, to pick up the fire holders out of the
blaze, for they are set-apart, and scatter the fire some distance away.
Num 16:38 “The
fire holders of these men who sinned against their own lives, let them be made
into beaten plates as a covering for the altar. Because they brought them
before יהוה, therefore they are set-apart. And let them become a sign to
the children of Yisra’ĕl.”
Num 16:39 And
Elʽazar the priest took the bronze fire holders, which those who were burned up
had brought, and they were beaten out as a covering on the altar –
These
fire holders were set apart, because the original intention was to bring
worship. However we know that it was not in spirit and in truth (Jn4:23).
This
should be a serious warning that worship is one of the set apart activities we
can participate in.
Num 16:40 a
remembrance to the children of Yisra’ĕl that no stranger who is not of the seed
of Aharon, should come near to offer incense before יהוה, and not be
like Qoraḥ and his company – as יהוה had said to him through Mosheh.
Num
16:41 But all the congregation of the
children of Yisra’ĕl grumbled against Mosheh and against Aharon on the next
day, saying, “You, you have killed the people of יהוה.”
Num 16:42 And it
came to be, when the congregation assembled against Mosheh and against Aharon,
that they turned toward the Tent of Meeting. And see, the cloud covered it, and
the esteem of יהוה appeared.
Num 16:43 And Mosheh and Aharon came before the Tent of Meeting.
Aliyah
Reviee 16:44-50
Num 16:44 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying,
Num 16:45 “Arise
from amidst this congregation, and let Me consume them in a moment.” And they
fell on their faces.
Num 16:46 So
Mosheh said to Aharon, “Take the fire holder and put fire in it from the altar,
and lay incense on, and go, hurry to the congregation and make atonement for
them, for wrath has gone out from יהוה, the plague
has begun.”
Num 16:47 And
Aharon took it as Mosheh commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly, and
saw that the plague had begun among the people. And he laid on the incense and
made atonement for the people,
Num 16:48 and
stood between the dead and the living. And the plague was stopped.
Num 16:49 And
those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides
those who died on account of Qoraḥ.
Num 16:50 Then
Aharon returned to Mosheh at the door of the Tent of Meeting, for the plague
had stopped.
We have become partners with Messiah if we retain the
original understanding of the goal of the Torah – Heb 3:14
Sadly Rabbinic halacha supported by the teachings of the
Talmud have also been deeply influenced by the spirit of Korach – see –
http://www.messianicgoodnews.org/rabbinic-authority-and-the-oral-law/
Jer 5:30 “An astounding and horrible matter has
come to be in the land:
Jer 5:31 The prophets have prophesied falsely,[b]
and the priests rule by their own hand, and My people have loved it so.[c]
And what are you going to do at the end of it? Footnotes: bSee Jer_27:14-15.
c Isa_30:10, 2Ti_4:3.
2Th 2:1
As to the coming of our Master יהושע Messiah and our
gathering together to Him, we ask you, brothers,
2Th 2:2 not to become easily unsettled in mind or
troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as if the
day of יהוה has come.
2Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you in any way, because
the falling away is to come first, and the man of lawlessness
(Torahlessness) is to be revealed, the son of destruction, Footnote:
aSee Dan_11:36-39.
2Th 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above all
that is called Elohim or that is worshipped, so that he sits as Elohim in the
Dwelling Place of Elohim, showing himself that he is Elohim.
2Th 2:5 Do you not remember that I told you this
while I was still with you?
2Th 2:6 And now you know what restrains, for him to
be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the secret(mystery
– that which is hidden) of lawlessness is already at
work – only until he who now restrains comes out of the midst. (we
see lawlessness but it is difficult to understand it)
2Th 2:8 And then the lawless one shall be revealed,
whom the Master shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth Isa_11:4
and bring to naught with the manifestation of His coming.
2Th 2:9 The coming of the lawless one is
according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and wonders of
falsehood,
2Th 2:10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness in
those perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth, in order
for them to be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this reason Elohim sends them a
working of delusion, for them to believe the falsehood,[b]
Footnote: bSee also Joh_9:39, Joh_12:40, Act_7:42, Rom_1:24-28.
2Th 2:12 in order that all should be judged who did
not believe the truth, but have delighted in the unrighteousness.
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu,
Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chay-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu.
Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.
(Blessed are you Yahveh, our
Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have
planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the
Torah – Amein