JUNE 24, 2023 Deuteronomy 29:5-6 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet. You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or similar drink, that you may know that I am the Lord your God. Can you imagine wearing the […]
JUNE 23, 2023 Deuteronomy 29:2-4 You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land—the great trials which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great wonders. Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see […]
JUNE 22, 2023 Deuteronomy 28:15 But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. No one likes to discuss unpleasant topics and especially if […]
JUNE 21, 2023 Deuteronomy 28:13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God. When the one who would later be called Israel was first born, he was given the name Jacob (Hebrew is Ya’akov). His name meant “hand […]
JUNE 20, 2023 Deuteronomy 28:7 The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. Not only does obedience to God result in the blessing of provision, as we discussed in the previous devotion, but also protection […]
JUNE 19, 2023 Deuteronomy 28:3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Moses was very specific about the blessings that would overtake the obedient among God’s people. The […]
JUNE 18, 2023 Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Today’s church has developed an environment that loves to celebrate grace however, we mustn’t forget that obedience to God is still expected of us. Noah found grace in the eyes of the […]
JUNE 17, 2023 Deuteronomy 28:1 No it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. Before he died, Moses informed Israel what […]
Korah had a gripe against Moses and Aaron. Like Moses and Aaron, Korah was a Levite. He resented Moses for appointing Aaron and his sons to the priesthood and making the rest of the Levites their servants. He felt that Moses was abusing his position of leadership and indulging in nepotism by favoring his brother Aaron. Korah insisted that all Levites should enjoy the privileges and rewards of the priesthood, and that the entire assembly of Israel was holy enough to serve in the Tabernacle.
Korah's attitude is common among Protestant believers today who feel that they are accountable only to God. Many believers view ecclesiastical authorities with suspicion and distrust and refuse to submit themselves to congregational leaders.
Korah spread his spirit of dissent among his fellow tribesmen. The 250 men of renown who followed Korah were also from the tribe of Levi. However, Korah was also joined by three unlikely nobles: Dathan, Abiram and On of the tribe of Reuben. Why would the Reubenites join Korah and the Levites? What did the Levitical dispute have to do with them?
Korah and the Reubenites were next-door neighbors. Korah was from the Levitical family of Kohath. According to the arrangements for the tribal encampments, the Kohathites and the Reubenites both encamped on the south side of the Tabernacle (Numbers 2:10; 3:29).
The sages explain that this next-door-neighbor relationship led the Reubenites into participation in the insurrection. Korah's initial grievances against Moses and Aaron had nothing to do with the Reubenites, but through frequent conversation and the subtle manipulation of ideas, Korah was able to draw his neighbors into his plan.
A proverb says, “Woe to the wicked, and woe to his neighbor.” This applies to Dathan and Abiram, the neighbors of Korah. Dathan and Abiram were neighbors with a contentious man. That is why they were punished with him and were swept from the world. (Numbers Rabbah17:5)
Contention against leadership is contagious, and contentious people work hard to convince their companions to join their cause. Congregational rebellions often start in small study groups, special project committees, or volunteer crews where a single, discontent laymen can publish his gripe against the leadership and raise sympathizers.
As disciples of Yeshua, we need to be wary not to fall into the trap of sedition. Paul warns us not to even listen to accusations against congregational leaders “except on the basis of two or three witnesses” (1 Timothy 5:19). Peter tells the younger men in congregations to “be subject to your elders” (1 Peter 5:5). The writer of the book of Hebrews says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).
Congregational insurrection usually begins with one or two disenfranchised people who have a grievance (real or imagined) against the leadership. They share their grievance with others who will listen. Be careful about granting a listening ear lest you find yourself doing more than just listening.
Korach – קרח : “Korach” Torah : Numbers 16:1-18:32 Haftarah : 1 Samuel 11:14-12:22 Gospel : John 9-10
JUNE 16, 2023 Deuteronomy 27:8 And you shall write very plainly on the stones all the words of this law. As mentioned in a previous devotion, the words of the Law were to be written on large stones that had been whitewashed with lime, obviously intended to accentuate the letters that formed the words. This was […]
