Page 99 - Pentateuch - Student Textbook

Along with all this complaining by Israel, God gives them instructions about life with him, especially life
with him in the Promised Land. “After you enter the land I am giving you as a home,” are the first words
God speaks after announcing judgment on one whole generation. He instructs them about food
offerings (15:1-21). He continues to teach them about unintentional sins (15:22-30), Sabbath breakers
(15:32-36), and ways to remember his commands through wearing tassels on their clothes (15:37-41).
Priests are taught about their duties (18:1-7). The people are reminded of the required offerings for the
priests and Levites (18:8-32).

With God’s pronouncement of judgment, he also gives them very specific instructions about how to be
clean before him in the middle of so much death (Ch. 19). Nearness to a holy God is not like some
hidden trap. He tells them what to do to come before him. Often in the Pentateuch, “after an account
of Israel’s unbelief, more laws are added within the narrative.” The design is always to push them to
105
recognize the need for his forgiveness. They are very much prisoners under the law, “locked up until the
faith that was to come would be revealed (Gal. 3:23).”

Besides the issue of trust in God, a second major issue is a problem for this generation, the status of
Moses. Some of the leaders among the Priests do not like his position with God. “The whole community
is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the whole
assembly?” (16:3) is their charge.

This touches a core spiritual point. Who can
approach God? Who can come near him (16:5, 8, 10,
16, 17 etc.)? The encampment of Israel around the
tent of meeting is a visual reminder of relative
closeness to God. All along God has given Moses the
privilege of being closer to him than anyone else.
Now a man, Korah, challenges this pattern. He wants
to define and initiate closeness to God. The result is
dramatic. The earth splits apart under Korah and his
followers, swallowing them alive to Sheol (16:31-34).
The nation does not learn the intended lesson and
complains about Moses. “You have killed the Lord’s
people,” (16:41). A plague breaks out among them,
killing an additional 14,700 people before Aaron can
make atonement and stop the plague (16:46-50).

Fig. 66: Korah’s Rebellion etching Delin and Sculp, Here again we pause to reflect. God has the right to
1728 dictate terms to us. Only his appointed messenger
can approach him. We resist as sinful humans,
thinking we can have some say in the matter. Ancient Israel becomes a lesson point for us. Was not God
teaching them something about his promised Messiah? The faithful Moses pointed to the future faithful
Messiah (Hebrews 3). Jesus warned, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me” (John 14:6). Had God not judged Korah, would he not have been blurring
spiritual truth? When we put Jesus in the background, are we not blurring spiritual truth? Is not our
failure as great as that of Korah’s?

105 Ibid., 387.

98