by Ptr. Art Calaguas
Shalom.
The 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon seems to be holding albeit initial exchanges of fire between the IDF and Hezbollah. Lebanon is responsible for ensuring Hezbollah keeps its part of the deal by withdrawing north of the Litani River. While awaiting Hezbollah’s significant moves to implement the ceasefire, the IDF has not yet withdrawn from southern Lebanon.
The fall of Damascus and the Assad regime in Syria in the hands of Sunni Muslim Al-Queda-linked Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) rebel forces is a development that Israel must watch carefully. While the rebels are anti-Hezbollah, anti-Iran and anti-Russia, Syria has a disputed border with Israel in the Golan Heights.
Meanwhile, negotiations for an Israel-Hamas temporary ceasefire with hostage-prisoner exchange seem to be accelerating even as another hostage body has been retrieved by the IDF from Gaza. Sporadic fighting continues in a few areas of Gaza where Hamas units have tried to regroup.
Let us continue to pray for the release of all the remaining 100 Israeli hostages (alive or dead) and for a just end to the wars against the Jewish nation. Let us continue to stand with Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6-9).
A 40-year punishment of death for the rebellious Israelites had just been given by the LORD in Numbers 14 wherein an entire generation listed in the initial census, 20 years and older, would die off in the wilderness. The 10 spies who gave a negative report about the land immediately died by plague before the LORD.
Chapter 15 is a sort of an interlude/breather before another rebellion account is narrated. This chapter deals with supplemental laws and ordinances regarding sacrifices and offerings applicable forever, ultimately in the land promised to them by the LORD, for both native born Israelites and those who sojourn with them. Numbers 15:2 gives this preamble (Hebrew verse read right to left, top down):
דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם כִּ֣י תָבֹ֗אוּ אֶל־אֶ֙רֶץ֙ מֹושְׁבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י נֹתֵ֥ן לָכֶֽם׃
The Christian Standard Bible (CSV) translation follows:
2“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land I am giving you to settle in,
This definitely looks forward to the foreseeable future when the people finally enter Canaan (after their 40-year wandering in the wilderness). Numbers 1:18-19 reiterates this future settlement of the people in the land promised and partaking of the fruits of that land with an offering to the LORD (Hebrew verses read right to left, top down):
דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם בְּבֹֽאֲכֶם֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֛י מֵבִ֥יא אֶתְכֶ֖ם שָֽׁמָּה׃
וְהָיָ֕ה בַּאֲכָלְכֶ֖ם מִלֶּ֣חֶם הָאָ֑רֶץ תָּרִ֥ימוּ תְרוּמָ֖ה לַיהוָֽה׃
The Christian Standard Bible (CSV) translation is given below:
18“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: After you enter the land where I am bringing you,
19you are to offer a contribution to the LORD when you eat from the food of the land.
These verses again anticipates the people inhabiting the land, eating food products from the land and giving offerings to the LORD. It is also emphasized that all the statutes are to be observed by the native Israelites and those who choose to settle with them. For all inhabitants of the land, there would be only one law.
Chapter 15 ends with the instruction to make tassels on their garments as a reminder of the commandments of the LORD and the necessity of obedience. This immediately followed an account about the death penalty for a Sabbath-breaker administered by the entire congregation that makes it plain for all to see the seriousness of the commandments the people were to observe and obey.
The next chapter deals with another, but smaller rebellion. But important nonetheless as it is about the Levites and the Aaronic priesthood. Numbers 16 narrates the rebellion of Korah, of the Kohathite clan of the Levites, together with Dathan, Abiram and On with 250 other chieftains from the tribe of Reuben. Korah was a Levite but since he was not of Aaron’s line, he was not a priest. Recall that in Numbers 2 the arrangement of the Israelite camp, and their marching order was specified. On the south side of the camp and when they marched forward, the Kohathite clans were together with the clans of the tribes of Reuben (and Gad and Simeon).
Apparently, this was a rebellious attempt to usurp the Aaronic priesthood and its special stature, duties and responsibilities among the people and to the LORD. Korah accused Moses and Aaron of exalting themselves and lording it over the Israelites. Moses tried to reason with him and his comrades but to no avail. After all, it is the LORD who gives authority to whoever he sovereignly chooses, and Moses was chosen as his prophet and the people’s leader and Aaron as the high priest. What particularly angered Moses in the open rebellion of Dathan and Abiram in Numbers 16:12-15 were their words in Numbers 16:13-14 (Hebrew verses read right to left, top down):
הַמְעַ֗ט כִּ֤י הֶֽעֱלִיתָ֙נוּ֙ מֵאֶ֨רֶץ זָבַ֤ת חָלָב֙ וּדְבַ֔שׁ לַהֲמִיתֵ֖נוּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר כִּֽי־תִשְׂתָּרֵ֥ר עָלֵ֖ינוּ גַּם־הִשְׂתָּרֵֽר׃
אַ֡ף לֹ֣א אֶל־אֶרֶץ֩ זָבַ֨ת חָלָ֤ב וּדְבַשׁ֙ הֲבִ֣יאֹתָ֔נוּ וַתִּ֨תֶּן־לָ֔נוּ נַחֲלַ֖ת שָׂדֶ֣ה וָכָ֑רֶם הַעֵינֵ֞י הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים הָהֵ֛ם תְּנַקֵּ֖ר לֹ֥א נַעֲלֶֽה׃
The Christian Standard Bible (CSV) translation is given below:
13Is it not enough that you brought us up from a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Do you also have to appoint yourself as ruler over us?
14Furthermore, you didn’t bring us to a land flowing with milk and honey or give us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not come! ”
Dathan and Abiram accused Moses of bringing them out of Egypt, their land of slavery, calling it “a land flowing with milk and honey” in order to cause their deaths in the wilderness and of NOT bringing them into “a land flowing with milk and honey” nor giving the people “an inheritance of fields and vineyards.” This were very serious and false accusations. The LORD knew the extent of the disrespect, disobedience and rebellion not only to Moses, Aaron and the priesthood, but to the LORD himself. As a result, the rebels were supernaturally punished by the LORD. The earth swallowed up Korah, Dathan and Abiram and their households and burned the 250 men attempting to offer unauthorized incense before the tabernacle (מִשְׁכָּן “mishkan”).
Despite this, the rebellion of the people continued the very next day when some assembled before the tent of the meeting (אֹ֥הֶל מֹועֵֽד “ohel moed”) against Moses and Aaron. The LORD then sent a plague which killed many of them and was halted only when Aaron put on the incense and made atonement for the people.
In the next chapter, Numbers 17, the LORD showed that it was Aaron and his line that was exclusively chosen to minister in the tent of the testimony (אֹ֖הֶל הָעֵדֻֽת “ohel eduth”; a.k.a. tabernacle or tent of meeting or sanctuary). Of the twelve staffs deposited inside the tent of meeting, it was only Aaron’s staff for the tribe of Levi that budded, bore blossoms and ripe almonds!
Chapter 18 has the LORD reiterating the duties and Priests and Levites and making it clear that the priesthood of Aaron and his sons is a gift. The Levites and priests have no inheritance in the land promised because the LORD himself is their portion and inheritance. Tithes given by the other tribes are given to the Levites and priests in return for their service in the tent of meeting. But they shall give to the LORD a tithe of the tithe.
Numbers 19 continues with the duties of the priests dealing with matters of purification, specifically with the use of a red heifer and handling of dead bodies.
In the next chapter another complaint sparks the unfortunate Meribah incident that would affect Moses’ leadership and Aaron’s priesthood as they resume their journey to the land promised.
We will continue next time.
God bless us all.