Intentional Sin

Transcript

GRS 2-31
03/26/2006
Intentional Sin
Numbers 15-16
Gil Rugh

We are going to the Book of Numbers in your Bible. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and we are at Chapter 15. In our studies together in the Old Testament we are really doing more of an overview and a survey, just familiarizing our self and looking at some of the main points in the different Chapters as we move along, and so different than some of our other studies where we work in a rather detailed way. Here we are over viewing several Chapters at a time. We are looking at Israel’s history. Israel had their beginning of the nation remember with the call of Abraham in Genesis Chapter 12.

Until that time there was no nation Israel. It is the physical descendants of Abraham and Sarah through Isaac their son and then Isaac’s son Jacob and then the 12 sons of Jacob that God uses to build what we know of as the nation Israel. They have recently come out of 400 years of bondage in the land of Egypt and they went down into Egypt as just a large family of 70 people and they come out of Egypt 400 years later as a great nation of two million plus in number. They have been out of Egypt now from the Exodus a little over a year. They spent over 10 months at Mount Sinai remember and there God gave them what we know of as the Mosaic Law, 613 commandments that governed the nation’s life in all of its aspects.

At the heart of which is their worship of the living God, but those laws also govern all other areas of life as well human relationships and so on because they are a physical nation and so function as such. Having left Mount Sinai they are to journey to the land of Canaan the land that God promised them flowing with milk and honey, the land that would be theirs. When they got to Kadesh-barnea which is south of what we know of as Palestine 12 spies, 12 men one from each of the 12 tribes of Israel were sent to search out the land because remember they haven’t been there. It had been 400 years plus since their ancestors left and went down into Egypt.

So to look over the land tragedy struck in Chapters 13 and 14 because when the spies went into the land 10 of the 12 come back with a negative report. The land is as God said it would be. It was flowing with milk and honey. It was an abundant land produced and so on. No problem, the problem is the people there are warring peoples. They have fortified cities. There are giants in the land. We felt like grasshoppers compared to them. These are just not the kind of people we have any hope of being to do battle with.

And the report of the 10 Joshua and Caleb stand for the Lord. 10 of the 12 said there was no hope for us to take the land. Joshua and Caleb said that wouldn’t be a problem. You are right they are an awesome people but the Lord is on our side. So it wouldn’t be a problem. The whole nation collapses in despair and begins to complain and say oh we wish we had died in Egypt. O there is no hope. Now we are going to be left caught between Egypt and Canaan and we can’t go into Canaan they are two fierce force. We can’t go back to Egypt. We will live in this wilderness. Our children and little ones will die and God says enough is enough.

You are going to die in the wilderness but your children are going to live and you spent 40 days in the land spying it out now you are going to spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness. And everyone over 20 years of age is going to die out here and the children you thought would die I am going to spare and they will go into the land but they will suffer for your disobedience because they are going to have to wander around in this wilderness for 40 years. And you would think this would make a tremendous impact because everyday think of it kids born, they grow up, they are 20 years old. They still have 20 years to wander the wilderness. They are asking their parents what are we doing out here going nowhere.

I mean why are we just wandering around. I think we have been here before. Well, we can’t go into Canaan why? Well, we were disobedient and so God is punishing us for sin and you have to stay out here till we die and every day that testimony is there. You think Israel would have learnt a great lesson. They repent of what they did at the end of Chapter 14 verse 39. Moses spoke these words all the sons of Israel the people mourn greatly. They are not mourning over there. They are mourning over the consequences of their sin. That becomes evident in their subsequent history. They don’t like the consequences so they decide they will do undo which just becomes another active rebellion.

We will go up and take the land now. But they can’t do it in their own strength and God told them he wouldn’t give it to them now. They can’t undo what has declared is their punishment; is their judgment and so when they do attempt to go up and engage the people of the land they are crushingly defeated. Chapter 15 opens up with a great note of promise. Now the Lord spoke to Moses saying speak to the sons of Israel and say to them when you enter the land where you are to live which I am giving you. I mean he just told them about 40 years that they will wander in the wilderness that the generation 20 years up older, 20 years, and older will die in that wilderness. The children will go into the land. God’s promises are secure. You are going in to Canaan and I will bring you there and here are instructions regarding what you are to do in the land of Canaan.

The opening verses the first section of this chapter deals with offerings. The kind of offerings they are to make in the land of Canaan. Remember Israel in fact, if you will, is a theocracy. It is governed by God and at the heart of this is their worship of the living God and that controls and permeates everything in the nation and remember later in their history when they cry out for a king like the other nations, God says they have rejected me from being their king. So in fact this is a nation operating under the rule of God here. Moses is acting as God’s representative, his brother Moses is the spiritual head, leader in the nation.

So here are the sacrifices and the various kinds of sacrifices that would be offered and you want to look at more of the details on the sacrifices you go back to Leviticus and look at the first seven chapters and there God unfold the rules and regulations and the different kinds of sacrifices and so on that are necessary for Israel to maintain a proper relationship with God. You come down to verse 22 and he picks up on an interesting section here where he deals with intentional and unintentional sins in verses 22 down to verse 31. And then you have an illustration in verses 33 and following but verses 22 and following deal with the matter of intentional sin and unintentional sin, and there are separate requirements.

Sins committed by the nation are dealt with in verses 22 to 26 and sins committed by individuals are dealt with in verses 27 to 29. Now the key point through this is there are only sacrifices that will be acceptable for unintentional sin. You just couldn’t decide well I will sin and then I will offer the sacrifice and then I will be forgiven. There was not a provision for intentional sin. You couldn’t just decide to go ahead and sin and then I will go and offer a sacrifice and that will take care of it. There wasn’t the sacrifice provided for that. What is provided for is the unintentional sin.

Now it sounded like we are discriminating between sin, yes we are. And God in mercy does that. Think about all the laws of the Mosaic Law. Jews broke it down into 613 commandments. We think we are doing good if we learn the 10 commandments. That’s just an overview a summary. I would say all right we’ll give you the first 10. Now I am going to offer a million-dollar prize for someone who can list a 100 of the 600. Most of us would flunk the test, all of you but me. Most of us would flunk on the 10 commandments unless we got nudged by our kids who perhaps have learned them more recently.

So you can understand here you have the nation and the first deal is, look at verse 22, when you unwittingly, unintentionally fail and do not observe all these commandments which the Lord has spoken to Moses even all that the Lord has commanded you through Moses from the day when the Lord gave commandments onwards throughout your generation every single command there were consequences for its violation. Then it shall be if it is done unintentionally without the knowledge of the congregation that all the congregation shall offer, and goes on to specify.

But you see the nation could be going on and they have all these things they are responsible for and without them meaning to do so they failed to observe one of the commandments when the nation becomes guilty and you have the day of atonement that will a provision for the nation on that. But then the nation realized you know we failed to observe that particular day. We didn’t follow through in what we were to do over here. What do we do? Well, there is provision here for when the nation has failed to carry out its responsibility and it was unintentionally. It wasn’t o I know this is what we should do as a nation but we are not going to do it. Well, that’s not covered.

It is only when they failed to do because they just overlooked it. That doesn’t excuse it. It still needs a sacrifice but God will accept the sacrifice. He now knows our frame that we are but dust. And he is gracious in that way. So you have instructions of what they are to do and these offering that is to be made in verse 24, then verse 25, then the priest shall make atonement for all the congregations the sons of Israel they will be forgiven for with an air and they have their offering, an offering by fire to the Lord and sin offering before the Lord for their error. So all the congregations the sons of Israel will be forgiven, with the alien who sojourns among them, for it happened to all the people through error. You know that repeated emphasis. This wasn’t done intentionally.

You didn’t intentionally rebel against me. You didn’t intentionally refuse to do what I told you. And again you can understand with the commandments, all the instructions that there might be time when the nation failed to follow through in a particular area then would realize it after it had past. And so here is gracious provision. All this is a reminder you know we need a sacrifice for sins and this is preparing the nation Israel as you are aware for the time when God will send the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

A reminder the penalty for sin is death. You are held accountable for your sins intentional and unintentional before God. But he has graciously made provision. Then you have in verse 27, if one person sins unintentionally. So you have the congregation in verses 22 to 26 and now an individual in the nation fails to do what he should do. You know all the commands for cleanliness and so on that governs the nation. If you are not sure go back and read the book of Leviticus it would give you some flavor of the kind of things involved.

If one person sins unintentionally then he shall offer a one-year female goat for a sin offering. The priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the person who goes astray when he sins unintentionally making atonement that he may be forgiven and this unintentional sin covers the native Israelite and the non-Israelite who has chosen to live among the Jews and be identified with them as we talk about them previously. There has to be sacrifice. And so as an individual I realize that I failed to do what God had told me to do there, not just overt sin but as a failure to do what I should have done and then here is the provision. It is still sin but it is sin that can be atoned for by the proper sacrifice.

Verse 30, but the person who does anything defiantly whether he is a native or an alien that one is blaspheming the Lord. That person shall be cut off from among his people because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken his commandment. That person shall be completely cut off. His guilt will be on him. You see what it is to defiantly sin against God is to blaspheme against him. It is to despise his word so for that you bear your guilt. You can’t have an animal take your place. You have to bear the guilt of that sin and pay the price and what you have now in verse 32 and following is an example of a defiant sin for which a sacrifice cannot be made to take the place because when the sacrifice was made remember it was the custom that the one bringing the sacrifice put his hand on the head of that animal indicating this animal is taking my place. I deserve to die for my sin, and not just a little sin this is a sin for which I deserve to die and God could justly require my life but in mercy and grace he will accept this animal as my sacrifice.

But for defiant and high handed sin, willfully despising the word of the Lord by refusing to obey there is no sacrifice. Remember the book of Hebrews if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment in Hebrews Chapter 10 written to Jews they would understand it clearly the significance of that willful sin and no sacrifice for that sin. In that context that is a rejection of the provision that God has made in his son Jesus Christ. The willful sin in Hebrews 10 is a refusal to recognize that Jesus Christ is the lamb God has provided and turned him in faith as the provision God has made.

Verse 32, now while the sons of Israel were in the wilderness they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day. Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation. They put him in custody because it had not been declared what should be done to him. Then the Lord said to Moses the man shall surely be put to death and all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp. So all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Back in Exodus Chapter 31 verse 15, Chapter 35 verses 2 and 3, it has been instructed in the law that those who defiantly break the law of what you can do and not do on the Sabbath shall be put to death.

So here is an example of someone who sins defiantly which is punishment, execution. He is cut off from his people. They evidently looked to the Lord for sure guidance on this. For the Lord’s direction was that that kind of sin, it is a defiant sin that requires his life. The Lord’s instruction here to Moses is the man shall surely be put to death in verse 35 and all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp because this is just not the action of Moses, it is not just the action of Aaron. This is the agreement of the congregation of Israel with their representatives that we are submissive to God and stand for his holiness and those who stand against that are our enemy.

Parallel to that in our day would be perhaps be church discipline where the congregation stands together in excluding the one who persist in sin against God and to fail to do that would be to mean you stand with the sinner against God. There is no middle ground that we can stand between. I mean people in Israel couldn’t stand here well you know I am against stoning. I mean gathering sticks on the Sabbath day; he didn’t kill anyone did he? Let’s not make this bigger issue than it is. Well where would that leave you? Well, in the middle. No it would leave you identified with the defiant sinner also standing against God.

I mean I cannot oppose God’s word and refuse to submit to God’s word and act like I am somewhere in middle ground. There is no middle ground like Jesus said if you are not with me you are against me. Nobody is sitting on the fence. So the congregation here is responsible to join in this action. Listen you know that’s a terrible way to death. We are concerned about humane ways of execution but stoning was a difficult way to die. You know people picked up stones and threw them at you until you are dead. I mean sometimes put you in a place where they would stop stones on you from a higher place. But let’s face it it’s not like dying with a bullet or being put in an electric chair or being injected. I mean you know you get hit in the arm with the stone; you get hit in the head with the stone. I mean you are stoned until you are dead, and this is a statement to the congregation God is serious about his word. So there is an example for them to learn from.

Verses 38 to 41, these are all tied together as you can see because here are instructions that people would have placed tassels on the edges of their garments and these are to be visual reminders that they must obey the commandments of the Lord. Verse 37, the Lord also spoke to Moses saying speak to the sons of Israel, tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations. They shall put on the tassels of each a cord of blue which shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord shall ask to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes. You will note here your opinion; your ideas don’t count. And so what you are here to have for Israel is a visual reminder that they must obey the commandments of the Lord so that you will remember to do all the commandments and beholden to your God because if you follow after your own heart and your own heart you are playing the harlot. You are becoming a spiritual whore unfaithful to God to whom you belong.

Again the importance of God’s word, the central place the word of God has with the people of God. And it disturbed us greatly that the people of God today deal with the word of God so lightly. We trivialize it. We think nothing of pushing it out. I am not giving it the focal point of not seriously grappling with it, not taking seriously what God says as God’s people. So here is a visual reminder. You know how blessed we are. Most of you brought a Bible with you today. You realize in Israel everybody didn’t have a copy. We have a hard time going back and trying to work through Leviticus or this kind of section in the word of all the instructions on the tabernacle in the last part of Exodus and trying to keep in mind. Remember Israel didn’t have this.

Everybody wasn’t carrying around their own copy but they are responsible before Lord and the priests who are to be the instructors of the people and the people would be constantly reminded of the centrality of the word of God in their life in every area. Verse 41, I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God. That means you submit to me. Remember what Jesus said, we sang about loving the Lord one of the songs, you know Jesus said if you love me you will keep my commandments. I mean there is no idea of some sentimental squishiness that I love the Lord and that some kind of feeling I have. If you love me you will keep my commandments. You will do what I tell you. That means you love me.

Hence after this we come to Chapter 16. Perhaps the greatest act of rebellion in all the 40 years of wilderness wandering for sure it is the greatest challenge to the leadership of Moses and Aaron. A rebellion against God led by a man named Korah. Particularly his name is identified with his son properly so and he joined with 250 of the key leaders in the nation Israel to stand defiantly against God. This is not unintentional sin. This will be classified in verses 30 and 31 as a defiant sin. Those who despise the word of God and they will pay for it with their lives. Thousands of people will die before this is done.

We are not told exactly when this happened. I mean we have 40 years and we are not always given a timeline did this happen the next week after the events of Chapter 15, did this happen a further down. We know it happened in this 40-year period. The timeline is not laid out for us and obviously we don’t have a day by day description of what happens in the wilderness. I mean that would make volumes itself. But here is an event and the Spirit is brought up together in this order and we see the connection clearly.

Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, you see line the Kohath is in. He is of the tribe of Levi. The Levites are responsible for the temple ministry. Now Korah is not in the priestly line. Remember the three sons of Levi. Well the line that Aaron is in is the priestly line, the Aaronic priesthood called the Levitical priesthood because Aaron is a descendant of Levi. But only through one of the sons of Levi that the priestly line come that runs through Aaron. But the rest of the Levites were involved in various aspects of responsibility with the temple ministry.

So here comes a key person in Israel Korah and he is joined with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab and On. We don’t know any more about On that he has mentioned here. These three are the sons of Reuben. So we have three key men from the tribe of Reuben and one key man from the tribe of Levi here at the heart or the center of this rebellion. They foment the rebellion. Now note this they rose up before Moses together with some of the sons of Israel 250 leaders of the congregation chosen men in the assembly, men of renown. Note the emphasis here. To understand this is not one or two cranky people grumbling about Moses.

Now you have got 250 plus men joining together, men of renown, men of importance, men who had been chosen as leaders in the nation and they are joining together. Verse 3, they assembled together against Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone far enough for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, the Lord is in their midst. So why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of Israel.” Two parts to their challenge to Moses and Aaron. Number one they say all the congregation are holy. Number two the Lord is in their midst. He is not only in with you and Aaron he is in the midst of us as his people. Now this is theologically correct. Greatest is those that come from correct theology improperly used. They are correct when they say all the congregation are holy, every one of them.

Turn back to Exodus chapter 19 verse 19, we are at Mount Sinai getting ready for the giving of the law. Look at verse 1, in the third month after the sons of Israel have gone out of the land of Egypt on that very day they came to the wilderness of Sinai. And verse 3, Moses went up to God and so on. Verse 5, now then if you will then obey my voice keep my covenant you will be my own possession among all the peoples for all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of priest and a holy nation. These are the words you shall speak to the sons of Israel. Wait they are kingdom of priests, why should they focus on just Aaron? They are a holy nation. It doesn’t mean that Moses and Aaron are the only holy people here.

So you are my people. Come back to Numbers; look at Numbers 14 verse 14, Moses prays to God interceding for the nation Israel and in the context of his prayer. In verse 14, they will tell to the inhabitants of the land. They have heard that you O Lord are in the midst of this people. So when you come to Numbers chapter 16 Korah and those who joined with him are correct in their theological declaration that the whole nation is holy and God dwells in the midst of the nation. It’s not just that Moses and Aaron are holy and it is not just that God dwells with Moses and Aaron. Problem is what they with that theology is an active rebellion against God.

So we need to be careful of that. We take God’s theology and try to use it against him. I mean that is a terrible thing to do. It is a terrible thing to do and they really end up misapplying what is said here. God has appointed Moses. He has appointed Aaron that nation which was to be ultimately a nation of priest to him is led by a family of priests. That nation which is holy to him and that he dwells in the midst of he has chosen Moses to lead them and be his representative. So they can’t just take part of the word of God, they have to take it all. We have to be obedient to all the word, not just select portions of it.

So the challenge comes. Moses fell on his face and he spoke to Korah in verse 5 and all his company saying tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is his and who is holy and will bring him near to himself even the one whom he will choose. He will bring him near to himself. So here is what you do, take your censers Korah and all your company, put fire in them, lay incense upon them in the presence of the Lord tomorrow and whom the Lord chooses shall be the one who is holy and not denying the holiness of the nation. We are now dealing with this god called Moses. Is the word of God concerning Moses a true word? Is it a truly from God or is it just Moses exalting himself?

You have gone far enough you sons of Levi. Then he challenges them. Moses said to Korah hear now you sons of Levi and a particular word to them because they are part of the priestly family in the sense that they are of the family of the Levites and they are not priests but they are entrusted with the temple service. So he says in verse 9, is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the congregation of Israel to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle the Lord to stand before the congregation and administer them. The Caliphates of which Korah was one were responsible for caring the most sacred objects of the temple but they are jealous of Moses and Aaron. That’s not good enough.

I mean instead of appreciating the honor the Lord had bestowed upon them they are grumbling because of what God has appointed from Moses and Aaron. They want the priesthood themselves. Now they are in a frightful position here. Remember what happened to two of Aaron’s sons when they brought censers with fire in it before the Lord and it wasn’t what God had appointed. Fire came out and consumed them. Well, for 250 men they are going to meet their end the same way. The Lord will speak in a dramatic way.

Look at verse 11, you ought to underline that, therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord. That’s the issue here. But as for Aaron who is he that you grumble against him. I mean would you make an issue Aaron here. I agree Aaron is nothing but Aaron is the man that God has appointed for this responsibility and when you grumble against him you are gathered together against the Lord. So it is not now 250 plus leaders against Aaron, it is 250 leaders against God. You are gathered together against God. And then he summons Dathan and Abiram, verse 12, and they wouldn’t even come. They want to show their disrespect for Moses and that they don’t have to listen to him. So they wouldn’t even appear and know what they say and my, how things change.

Now Egypt has become the land flowing with milk and honey. God’s people just can’t get over the past and how wonderful it was, sad. Verse 3, here with Dathan and Abiram who were joined with Korah in his rebellion, is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to die in this wilderness but would you also lord it over us. Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey nor have you given us an inheritance of the fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up. Put out the eyes of these men was an expression that was used to blind someone, to deceive them.

We might say to someone today can’t you see this, are you blind to this. We are using it metaphorically. I mean don’t allow yourself to be deceived. Don’t be blinded by what they say. We might say well they would say putting out the eyes. In other words, you are saying you tricked us, you got us out of Egypt to follow you. That was a land flowing with milk and honey and you promised us a better land flowing with milk and honey but you didn’t bring us there. We are in this wretched miserable wilderness to die and it’s your fault. And we are not going to let you deceive us anymore.

I mean you talk about spiritually blind to dead people, sad. And we elevate the past and are in the midst of a rebellion. Then Moses became very angry. Remember he is the meekest man on the earth but he could have righteous indignation. Then he said to the Lord do not regard their offering. I haven’t taken a single donkey from them and I haven’t harmed them in anyway. I mean is it Moses’ fault they are wandering in the wilderness? Who rebelled? Not Moses. Not Joshua, not Caleb but the people did. Now they want to blame Moses and they say that Moses, at the end of verse 13, desires to lord it over them.

Well, verses 16 to 19, Moses said to Korah since you are Levites and you want to take a step up, it’s not good enough for you to be elevated by God to be entrusted with the care of the most precious articles associated with the worship of our God in the tabernacle. Now you want the priesthood itself for you. All right we are going to try it. You are going to step forward and act like a priest and we will see what the results. So they are going to offer incense to God in verses 16 to 19.

So verse 18, each took his own censer, put fire on it, laid incense on it, they stood at the doorway to attend a meeting with Moses and Aaron. Thus Korah summoned all the congregation against them at the doorway to attend a meeting. I mean here you have the visible place, the place where God visibly manifest his presence. I mean talk about the audacity of these individuals. And at that point the glory of the Lord manifests itself before all the congregation in verse 19. Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron saying separate yourself among these congregations that I may consume them instantly. And here we have the greatness of the character of Moses in being more concerned with the honor of God. God’s reputation as he declared it in a verse we read before that all the nations know you dwell in the midst of these people.

If you just wipe them up they will think you couldn’t do what you promised. So God says now give Moses another opportunity if you will to declare himself, you and Aaron step away from these people and I will just wipe out the whole nation all two million of them right now. We will just start over. That would be something of course I would have done like Moses did but I would have proudly said do you mind if I have a day or two to think about that because initially it doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me. I mean I don't think there is much future for this nation.

I mean they just keep going from trouble to trouble to trouble. That’s now what Moses does. Look at verse 22, Moses and Aaron they fell on their faces and said o God, God of the Spirits of all flesh when one man sins will you be angry with the entire congregation. In other words, let’s lay the blame at the feet of Korah and those associated with him and the congregation you know they are just like sheep, they are just confused by this, but really it is the sin of Korah and the 250 leaders here that really is at stake. The Lord spoke to Moses saying speak to the congregation then. All right here is an opportunity for the congregation to save itself from the impending destruction. You tell the congregation get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

Now the congregation has a chance to declare itself because anybody who doesn’t will go down and it really is a response to Moses’ prayer because here the congregation now is getting uneasy and so they retreat and verse 26, he spoke, depart from the tents of these wicked men, touch nothing that belong to them or you will be swiped away in their sin. They got back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram came up and stood at the doorway of the tents and they got their whole family with them. Now Korah’s family is not with him here. We take note of that in a moment. Interesting distinction here, Korah seems to be the leader in this rebellion but his sons don’t join him. But the family of the other two leaders among the band of 253 they go and they join in the tents and were standing here agreeing.

Moses said verse 28, by this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these deeds. This is not my doing. Remember that this is not my doing, because very shortly you know what the people are going to accuse Moses of you are the one who destroyed these people, but for right now this is not my doing. If these die to death of all men they suffer the fate of all men, the Lord has not sent me. In other words, if these men just continue to live and die what we would call a natural death, then they were right I am not being sent by the Lord. But if the Lord brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens up its mouth and swallows them up with all that is there and they descend alive into Sheol then you will know that these men have spurned the Lord.

As he finished speaking all these words the ground that was under them split, the earth opened its mouth, swallow them up their households and all the men who belonged to Korah with all their possessions so that they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol. The earth closed over them and they perished from the midst of the assembly. It is quite a striking display of God’s judgment. I mean here they are standing there. Two of the men have their families including their little ones the Bible says. They are all joined there and the earth just opens up and everything falls down into the crevices that opened up. They all fall down in and the earth closes back up. There are no trace of them. They are gone.

It not even like the crevice stays open and you can walk over and look down and say I wonder how far down. They are gone. Dead and buried right on the spot. Sheol here may just well refer to the grave. They went immediately to the grave. They didn’t go the normal way of dying. They went down alive and are buried. The ground closes up and they are done. Well, that takes care of three leaders and the families of two of the three leaders. But the judgment is not done. Verse 34, all Israel who are around them fled at their outcry for they say the earth may swallow us up and they have good reason to fear. You know God did offer that Moses as an option but his intercession was gracious.

Now we know in verse 35, fire also came forth from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who are offering incense. They are not qualified to offer these incense. That’s a priestly function. Same thing that happened to Aaron’s two sons earlier. It happened to them, fire comes out from the Lord and they are burnt up on the spot. That takes care of their rebellion. I mentioned that the sons of Korah do not join him in the rebellion.

Look over in Numbers Chapter 26, interesting the grace of the Lord, Numbers 26 and there is a review here of what has just happened that we read about verse 9, the sons of Eliab are mentioned here and these are Dathan and Abiram who were called by the congregation who contended against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah when they contended against the Lord the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up along with Korah. When that company died, when the fire devoured 250 men so they became a warning, the sons of Korah however did not die. They did not join their father in his rebellion. That speaks well of their character and they continue to have an effective ministry.

We will turn in First Chronicles Chapter 6 beginning with verse 22. You find that the descendants of Korah are carrying on a very significant ministry in the context of the tabernacle ministry and even more remarkable to me that 12 of the Psalms in our Bible are associated with the sons of Korah. So when you read 12 of the Psalms the top psalms of the sons of Korah. Remarkable and ungodly father could have godly children and a godly father can have ungodly children. Turn over to Ezekiel 18, I will tell you the psalms in a minute. Ezekiel 18 and we won’t read it extensively here but the punishments are laid out and what you are basically told is the father won’t die for the sins of the children; the children won’t die for the sins of the father. The statement down in verse 20 that pulls this together, the person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself. The wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. That is evident in the family of Korah.

It is not well my dad has rebelled I am going to have to die with him. No, you don’t have to be a rebel because your father was. Now that doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences for the kids. We are seeing that with the wilderness wandering. We are told that the children of that rebellious generation had to suffer because they had to spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness but they are not bearing the direct punishment for that sin. Their parents are going to die there and they are bearing the direct punishment. Their parents are excluded from going into the land, the children aren’t. But they are still suffering that the children have to go through as a consequence of their parent’s sin.

If I become a drunk and lose my job and come home and create turmoil in my family, I make it difficult for my family. My sin does affect my family. I mean you can’t get away from the consequences but the punishment for sin is meted on those who sin and you can’t transfer your righteousness to someone else and you don’t transfer your wickedness in that sense other than we inherit Adamic sin through our parents of course. But our sinful actions are ours and further more I can’t pass on my righteousness to my kids. All I can do is share with them the truth concerning God and what is revealed.

Okay back to Numbers the psalms that are associated with the sons of Korah if you are interested are Psalms 42 to 49, song 42 to 49, Psalm 84 and 85 and Psalm 87 and 88. If you go to those psalms you will see they are associated with the sons of Korah. So godly men used to write inspired Scripture. That their father is named the rebellion of Korah was a more well-known incident in the Old Testament but he had sons godly enough to be used to write inspired Scripture and a further testimony of the greatness of God’s grace.

Back in Numbers Chapter 16 verses 36 to 40, what they do these censers that were brought and offered they have become holy because of the use they had even though the men were guilty of improperly using them they were censers used for a holy purpose. Now they are sanctified. What God does is command those censers to be gathered up and they be hammered those bronze censers and be made as a covering for the altar and that will be a constant reminder for everyone that there is penalty for sin and only the priest can come as my representative in the order that is established here. You have to have Aaron to come and that bronze that covers the altar now will be a constant reminder.

Verse 40, as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no lay man, no stranger, no one outside the line appointed through Aaron was not a descendant of Aaron can come near to burn incense before the Lord and what do we have now? People think they can just come before God. They are offended if you tell them that o God doesn’t hear your prayers. O no that you can’t come into the presence of God. Why? Because you can only come through Jesus Christ. I mean it is a serious to think you can appoint yourself. I mean there is a high priest to us today, that is Jesus Christ and when we have him as our high priest, when we have turned to him and place our faith in him as the provision God has made then we come with confidence before a throne of grace.

But you understand it is a serious offence against God to try to come before him in any other way except through his son and that’s why The Book of Hebrew says God looks at that as trampling underfoot the blood of his son. Just like his son who died you just trample all over him because you think he is nothing, because you can come your own way. That’s a serious offence against God. God punished the sins of those rejected Aaron as their high priest when God appointed him. That's why in the New Testament in The Book of Hebrews says how much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the blood of the covenant which is the blood of Christ with which you are sanctified and counted as unholy.

I mean we ought to learn from these lessons. This is a serious matter with God. This is not something well they are sincere, well they mean well. Well I think that they have good intention, who cares? We have already read back in Chapter 15 verse 39, you can’t follow your own heart and your own eyes. You have to do it God’s way. And you come according to his appointment and any other attempts are acts of rebellion even the prayers of the wicked are an abomination to God, Psalm 10. Even the prayers of the wicked are an abomination to him. They offend him every time they pray because they are trying to come to him apart from Christ as God honored well look at least they are bringing a censer.

Incidentally, when you get to The Book of Hebrews and we can’t do it now because we are out of time, but the censers filled with incense represent prayers. And here they come with censers but they don’t come according to God’s appointed way. Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the father but by me period. There is one God and one mediator between God and men is the man Christ Jesus. I mean even those who claim to be evangelicals today are getting mushy from this. We think well you know there is maybe more latitude than we sometimes thought. There is no more latitude than there has ever been. There is only one savior. There is only one sacrifice. There is only one high priest. There is only way to God. And everyone else is offending God and rebelling against God, and that is exemplified here.

What happens the next day? The next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron saying you are the ones who caused the death of the people. I mean what can you say? Here Israel stood and behold the awesome judgment of God right before their eyes. They fled for their lives for fear the earth was going to open up and swallow them. One day goes by and they grumble against Moses and Aaron and say you were the cause. I mean did they think that Moses and Aaron were the ones who opened the ground and causes to swallow up those people? Moses and Aaron were the ones that cause fire to come out and consume the 250. What is wrong with people? Sin blinds us to the most obvious.

We say what is wrong, what is wrong, why don’t people say see. I mean how clear could it get. We think boy if the earth opened up in this auditorium and swallowed sinners we say that wouldn’t soon be forgotten. Amazing what a night’s sleep does to your memory. Now they have got it all twisted back. They were right where they were. Moses and Aaron were the problem. Remember you are the ones who brought us out of Egypt. You have deceived the people. Now Moses and Aaron they are the causes we had all those deaths. This came about when the congregation assembled against Moses and Aaron. Now here they are, they are all gathered together now who are deal with these two men.

And now God appears again. The cloud covered the tent of meeting, glory of the Lord appeared. And what does God say to Moses, verse 45, get away from these congregations that I may consume them instantly. You now I knew something about Moses. I mean how many times did this happen and the people want to kill you, they want to get rid of you, they want to be done with you and you keep going and praying for them. We would think oh I just keep putting up with this. I tried and tried and tried and they just don’t treat me right and here take Moses to heart. One of you some time ago, a number of years ago I still have it, put in a prominent place, gave me a rock with a plaque that you had put on it, remember Moses.

Good thing, remember Moses. And what does he immediately do? Moses said to Aaron take your censer bring in fire before the altar lay incense on it then bring it quickly to the congregation, make atonement for them. The wrath of the Lord has gone out. The plague has already begun. God has already begun to destroy the nation. You got out as their intercessor. Read Revelation 25:8, one of the passages where it notes that the golden censer there in heaven filled with incense is the prayers that are ascending before Lord.

So here Moses goes out as the intercessor to stay the plague. Aaron took it as Moses had said and ran in the midst of the assembly. The plague had begun among the people. He put incense on it, made atonement for the people. He took his stand between the dead and the living. The plague was checked but those who died by the plague were 14,700 on top of those who had died with Korah. And the plague was checked.

You know it wasn’t enough that 253 die. Now we have got almost 15,000 more and we are not done as you are aware but we have abject lesson. These things are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages had come. Remember we are living in that compressed time; this is time that is passing away. We ought to learn from these things. The end of the ages has come upon us and we learn. We have a God of grace, a God of mercy, a God of love but you understand he is the same God of the Old Testament. He is going to send people to eternal hell because of their refusal to bow before his son and receive him as their high priest who himself was the sacrifice for their sins. They will spend an eternity in hell without mercy, Revelation 14 says for that sin.

So God is a God of love. He had provided mercy and grace in a full and finished way through his son Jesus Christ but you understand outside of Jesus Christ there is no mercy, there is no grace period. I mean this is just not a matter there is any negotiation. We as God’s people ought not to in any way give anyone any false hope or any idea that anything other than what God says will be acceptable to him. These are serious matters and here we have it laid out as a lesson to learn from.

Let’s pray together. Thank you Lord for your word. Thank you for its clarity. Lord we are dump founded as we confront such clear, defiant acts of rebellion among the peoples that you have graciously called to yourself. Lord we would take these lessons to heart. We thank you for the high priest that you have provided the one who himself was a sacrifice for sins. The one in whom we find true forgiveness and cleansing. Lord, we realize that it is an awesome thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Our God is a consuming fire. These are not matters to be taken lightly. We would be very careful as your people to be serious about your word, to fill our lives with your truth, to walk obediently and submissively. Thank you Lord that by your grace you have saved us, by your grace you keep us, and in Christ we find continual cleansing. May our greatest delight be to demonstrate our love by our obedience. May that be true of us in the days of the week ahead, in Christ’s name, amen.