Sunday, December 6, 2020

Numbers 16:41 through Numbers 17:13 comments: after Korah's rebellion a protest by the Israelites is dealt with and the exclusivity of Aaron's priesthood confirmed

 

Numbers 16:41 ¶  But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD. 42  And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. 43  And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation. 44  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 45  Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. 46  And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun. 47  And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. 48  And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49  Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah. 50  And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

 

Now the entire congregation has the unmitigated gall to murmur against Moses and Aaron. Again, God says get out of the way, I’m going to kill them all. But, Moses has Aaron make an atonement for them. Moses’ does not want to see the Israelites, this body of recently freed slaves, to be destroyed as He has pleaded with God before not to wipe them out.

 

Numbers, chapter 17

 

Numbers 17:1 ¶  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2  Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod. 3  And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. 4  And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. 5  And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you. 6  And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. 7  And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.

 

    8 ¶  And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. 9  And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. 10  And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. 11  And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he. 12  And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. 13  Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

 

Now that the exclusivity of the Aaronic priesthood is affirmed among the Levites, those other pretenders from the other tribes are tested and proven by God’s sign to not have that calling from God, that ordaining. Aaron’s priesthood has been confirmed by a miracle.

 

The children of Israel understand that they have been schooled regarding the question about the priesthood, as some commentators note.

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