Parshah 38 – Korach – Korah B’midbar (Numbers) 16:1-18:32 B’rit Chadashah Passages: Acts 5:1-11; Romans13:1-7; 2 Timothy 2:8-21, 3:1-4:5; 2 John 1-13; Jude 1-25; Revelations 20:1-10 Parshah Korach tells the story of the Great Rebellion. It tells how Korach, Dathan, and Abiram, along with 250 princes of Israel rose up against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Moses tests the men by asking them to bring their fire pans before the Tent of Meeting. HASHEM did not accept the offering of the 250 princes and consumed them in fire. Subsequently, HASHEM opens the earth and swallows the tents of Korach, Dathan, and Abiram. On the following day, the entire congregation of Israel rise up against Moses. Consequently, HASHEM sends a plague through all the Children of Israel. Aaron quickly put incense on his fire pan and ran into the midst of the congregation. Aaron checked the plague before it could consume the whole congregation but not before 14,700 Children of Israel die. The portion concludes by reaffirming the role of Aaron as the high priest and the Levites as the stewards in the Tabernacle. Understanding the prophetical warnings that are in the scriptures can be difficult. This is particularly true with those prophetical warnings concerning the end times. Finding passages that help us understand these warnings is a crucial part of understanding and being prepared for the future. One place where we can find a passage that enlightens our understanding of the anti-Christ is in Korach. The similarities that exist between the rebellion of Korach against God and the rebellion of the anti-messiah against God are amazing. Through Korach we can see how the anti-messiah will manipulate people and pretend to be the true Messiah 3Indeed, this is why I wrote as I did – so that when I came, I would not have to be pained by those who ought to be making me happy; for I had enough confidence in all of you to believe that unless I could be happy, none of you could be happy either. 4I wrote to you with a greatly distressed and anguished heart, and with many tears, not in order to cause you pain, but to get you to realize how very much I love you. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) To understand how Korach committed sins similar to the anti-Christ we must understand how falling away from HASHEM, leads to denial and rebellion. The generation that exists before the return of Yeshua will fall away. This falling away is the direct result of the inability of religious people to discern between the power and the authority of the Ruach HaKodesh and the power and authority of man. In other, words this falling away corresponds with replacing the word of God with the doctrines of man. Yeshua understood and recognized this problem. Therefore, He warned us when He said: 12and the love of many people will grow cold because of increased distance from Torah. (Matthew 24:12) During the end times the love of many individuals will grow cold because they reject the teachings of HASHEM. As a result, people will separate themselves from the Torah and cut themselves off from the transforming power of the Ruach HaKodesh. Ultimately, this separation will lead to the unpardonable sin, which is the falling away. During this time period people consider the work of the Ruach HaKodesh equal to the works of other deceiving spirits. When the work of the Ruach HaKodesh is considered equal to the work of other spirits, people do not recognize when the miracles of HASHEM are occurring. 20Moses and Aaron did so, as HASHEM had commanded. He held the staff aloft and struck the water that was in the river in the presence of Pharaoh and in the presence of his servants, and all the water that was in the River changed to blood. 21The fish-life that was in the River died and the River became foul; Egypt could not drink water from the River, and the blood was throughout the land of Egypt. 22The necromancers of Egypt did the same by means of their incantations; so the heart of Pharaoh was strong and he did not heed them, as HASHEM had spoken. (Exodus 7:20-22) The anti-messiah will use deception similar to the way the Egyptian Magicians used deception. The goal of the anti-messiah is to prove he is equal with HaShem. In fact, his heart will be so hardened he will proclaim himself as God. This attitude that all spiritual doctrines are equivalent is dangerous. The denial of the exclusive power and authority of the Ruach HaKodesh shows that Korach had fallen away. In fact, Korach gathered individuals to challenge the anointing that HASHEM had placed on Moshe. 3They gathered together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, “It is too much for you! For the entire assembly — all of them — are holy and HASHEM is among them; why do you exalt yourselves over the congregation of HASHEM?” (B’midbar 16:3) Korach allowed his jealousy of the anointing of Moshe to cloud his judgment. Therefore, Korach could not see the work and the power of the Ruach HaKodesh occurring in Moshe. Therefore, Korach claimed that Moshe had exulted himself above the rest of the congregation. In essence, Korach was saying that everyone was equal with Moshe in power and anointing. This attitude made Korach guilty of blasphemy of the Ruach HaKodesh. Korach denied the power and authority of the Ruach HaKodesh. Individuals that deny the power and authority of the Ruach HaKodesh this way eventually deny the anointing that HASHEM has given to them. Thus completing the cycle of blasphemy of the Ruach HaKodesh. 9It is not enough for you that the God of Israel has segregated you from the assembly of Israel to draw you near to Himself, to perform the service of the Tabernacle of HASHEM, and to stand before the assembly to minister to them? (B’midbar 16:9) The attitude of Korach made it easy for him to turn against the Ruach HaKodesh. As a result, Korach removed himself completely from the protection of HASHEM and from his anointing. Korach put himself in a position where he could not repent. This is because Korach was denying power and the authority of the Ruach HaKodesh. Falling away is when an individual will not listen to HASHEM, because he or she denies the power and the authority of the Ruach HaKodesh. The falling away of Korach led him to public rebellion. As a result, HASHEM judged him publicly. 29If these die like the death of all men, and the destiny of all men is visited upon them, then it is not HASHEM Who has sent me. 30But if HASHEM will create a phenomenon and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that is theirs, and they will descend alive to the pit — then you shall know that these men have provoked HASHEM!” 31When he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open. 32The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all the people who were with Korah, and the entire wealth. (B’midbar 16:29-30) The beast and the false prophet will also fall into the pit alive. 20But the beast was taken captive, and with it the false prophet who, in its presence, had done the miracles which he had used to deceive those who had received the mark of the beast and those who had worshipped his image. The beast and the false prophet were both thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. (Revelations 19:20) The beast and the false prophet will also lead a public rebellion that denies the power and the authority of the Ruach HaKodesh. Therefore, the beast and the false prophet are also judged publicly. The beast, the false prophet, and the group of Korach are the only recorded occurrences of individuals descending into the pit without first experiencing physical death. Committing blasphemy against the power and the authority of the Ruach HaKodesh destroys the spirit of an individual from within. As a result, the individual falls away with no hope of return. The prophetical warnings that exist in the scriptures can be difficult to understand. When we rely on the Ruach HaKodesh to show us the similarities between past occurrences and future warnings, the prophetic picture becomes more clear. The correlation that exists between the sin of Korach and the sin of the anti-messiah are a good example of this. We must learn to surrender all authority and power to HASHEM, through the study of the Torah and reliance on the Ruach HaKodesh. When we do this, we are not caught in the trap that makes all spirits equal in authority and leads to blasphemy of the Ruach HaKodesh. Korach Haftorah Commentary Sh’muel Rishon (1 Samuel) 11:14-12:22 In the Book of Sh’muel, when the Israelites demand a king, God grants their request, and directs the prophet Sh’muel to find a young man named Saul and anoint him as king (Sh’muel Rishon, chapter 9). The Haftorah for Parashat Korah, which tells the continuation of this story, begins with Sh’muel preparing to travel to the town of Gilgal to perform the official crowning of Saul. At this ceremony, after the Israelites offer sacrifices and celebrate, Sh’muel reminds the tribes that this coronation was their idea, not his: 1Then Sh’muel said to all Israel, “Behold! I have hearkened to your voice, to everything that you have said to me, and I have crowned a king over you. (Sh’muel Rishon 12:1) Sh’muel proceeds to reflect on his own leadership, asking the assembled for their judgment. 2And now, behold! – the king goes before you, but I have become old and gray. As for my sons – here they are with you. And as for me, I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3Here I am; testify about me in the presence of HASHEM and in the presence of His anointed: Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I robbed? Whom have I coerced? From whose hand have I taken redemption money that I should avert my eyes from him? And I shall make restitution to you.” (Sh’muel Rishon 12:2-3) The people assure Sh’muel that he has committed no wrong. Then Sh’muel relates the history of God and the Children of Israel, beginning with Jacob and his family entering Egypt and continuing to his present moment. Sh’muel praises the “victorious acts” of HASHEM (12:7) and bemoans how, when the Israelites forgot HASHEM, Sisera and the Philistines defeat Israel (which we read about in the Haftorah for B’shalach). Sh’muel explains that HASHEM redeemed the Israelites from their enemies after they expressed regret for their idolatrous ways and cried out to Him for help. And yet the Israelites still requested a king to keep them safe — even though God had repeatedly saved them from their enemies. Sh’muel cautions the Israelites that their newly appointed king is neither a substitute nor a replacement for God. He emphasizes that the people must continue to follow God and obey His commandments if they want themselves and their king to be successful. Sh’muel then creates a supernatural event to strengthen his message and credibility. Though it was a time when thunderstorms do not normally occur in the land of Israel, he beseeches God to send thunder and rain, and immediately rain begins to fall. The people are stunned and fearful that they committed a great sin by requesting a king. They cry to Sh’muel to pray for them and keep them well. Sh’muel tells them that all will be fine, so long as they obey God. Connection to Parashat Korach In the Parshah that bears his name, Korah and his associates make a bid to abdicate the power of Moses. The earth subsequently swallows them up. The Haftorah for Korah compares this inappropriate bid for power to the request for an Israelite king. In many societies of the time, kings saw themselves as gods or as replacements for deities, and their power were unrestricted. If the Israelite king were to behave in such a fashion, he would be just as bad as Korah. Throughout the Bible, when Israelite leaders reach out to God for help, God comes to their aid. We see this when Moses is threatened by Korach, and God vanquishes the enemies of Moses. In a similarly supernatural fashion, when Sh’muel needs God to affirm a decision, God sends a thunderstorm. Shabbat Shalom to all
Posted on: Fri, 07 Jun 2013 22:26:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015