Religious Questions (chap ) Laws about sacrifices (15:1 – 18) Unintentional sins (15: 19 – 31) Sabbath-breaker executed (15:32 – 36) Tassels on garments (15:37-41) Korah’s rebellion (ch. 16) Aaron’s staff buds (ch. 17) Duties of priests and Levities (ch. 18) Laws for purification (ch. 19)

Laws About Sacrifices When you finally get to the promise land (38 years later) Specific instructions related to various types of Sacrifices… – Food offering – Grain offering – Drink offering – Burnt offering – Sin offering

A Word to the Stranger And if a stranger is a sojourning with you, or anyone is living permanently among you, and he wishes to offer a food offering…he shall do as you do. For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the LORD. One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you. (15:14-16)

Laws About Unintentional Sins The WHOLE nation had been punished for its disobedience and 10 spies had “died by plague before the LORD”. God speaks to them now so that they do not fear that the LORD had changed His covenant regarding sin done unwittingly, whether by the whole congregation (15:22 – 26) or an individual (15:27 – 31) Yahweh also deals with “intentional” sin

Israel’s Unintentional Sin Unintentional = without knowledge of the congregation One BULL from the heard for a burnt offering A grain offering and a DRINK offering One male goat for a sin offering Atonement would be made and sins would be forgiven for both the congregation and the stranger.

An Individual’s Unintentional Sin Unintentional = without knowledge of the individual A female goat a year old for a sin offering Priest shall make atonement before the LORD The individual sins would be forgiven This law would be for both the Israelite and the “stranger who sojourns among them”

A HIGH-HANDED Sinner Intentional = purposeful or willful sin High Hand = The person who committed sins in defiance of God, and with intention and malice, removed himself from God’s covenant grace and forgiveness. He/she shall be “cut-off” from among his people. Why? “Despised the Word of the Lord” His/her “iniquity” shall be on him In the NT – “unforgiveable sin” See Mark 3:28-30; 1 John 5:16 – 17; 1 Cor. 5

A Sabbath Breaker Executed A man gathering sticks on the Sabbath Brought before Moses and Aaron YAHWEH’S verdict – the man shall be stoned to death. A warning against willful sinning, a Sabbath breaker was executed. The mode of “execution” had not been specified in Exodus so Moses and Aaron sought the Lord’s counsel See John 8 – The Christ reversal

Tassels on Garments Tassels = fringes fastened with a blue cord on the “corners” of the upper garment. These visuals helped Israel remember the Lord’s commands (v. 39). Even today God gives us visual reminders to call us to “remember” him

Korah’s Rebellion (Num. 16)

Insurrection raised its ugly head against the mediators of the covenant, Moses and Aaron, at an unspecified point during their 38 years of wandering. Here, two groups joined hands to overthrow the divinely established order, each venting its particular complaint Korah was one of the sons of Levi. He assembled a group of 250 chiefs in this rebellion.

Korah’s Rebellion (Num. 16) Their “complaint” was one of jealousy (v.3) Moses went before Yahweh and said to Korah in the Morning God will show “who BELONGS to him, who is HOLY, and who HE will bring near.” (v. 4) Moses gives them “instructions” but warns them “they have gone TOO FAR.”!!! (v. 6-7) The Levities had been given the distinction “to do service in the tabernacle of the LORD.” (v. 9) However they wanted the distinction of the belonging to the “priesthood”. (v. 10)

Dathan and Abiram (Num. 16)

Dathan and Abiram Dathan and Abiram challenged Moses’ leadership (16:12-14) As descendants of Reuben, the firstborn of the tribal ancestors, they resented a Levite’s leadership. Their complaint was “you brought us out of a land of flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also make yourself a prince over us.” (v. 13). Aaron was viewed as this “prince”

Dathan and Abiram They are mad because they won’t see the “land flowing with milk and honey” and they won’t ever receive their promised inheritance They believe that Moses mislead them to kill them in the wilderness. So Moses was “very angry” and asked the Lord to not “respect” their offering Moses throws in a bit of humor and sarcasm by saying I haven’t taken one “donkey”. (16:15)

Censers, Incense, and Fire All 250 Tribal Chiefs put fire in his censer along with incense Stood at the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron. Glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation

Yahweh’s Response First he is going to consume everyone with FIRE – but Moses intercedes on behalf of the congregation. (16:20 – 23) Get away from the DWELLINGS of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (16:23) If they die a natural death, then Moses is wrong, but if the ground swallows them up, they have despised the LORD (16:24-30)

And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah…So they went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly….and fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.

Eleazar and the Bronze Censers

So Eleazr the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered, and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar, to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his country—as the LORD said to him through Moses. Number 16:39 – 40

Israel Reacts with Grumbling The rebellious propaganda had so poisoned the people’s minds that they refused to acknowledge the death of instigators as God’s punishment God’s ready to consume the whole congregation with fire, but Moses intercedes with quick thinking. Ordinarily, Aaron offered incense only on the altar in the Sanctuary, but extraordinary means were required to make atonement for the stricken people.

Israel Reacts with Grumbling Aaron ran into the “midst of the assembly” with his censer, “the plague stopped.” He stood between the dead and the living Those who died from the plague were 14,700 Just as Aaron “stood in the middle” we now have one greater than Aaron in Jesus who is our “intercessor” and “advocate” who stands in our “middle between life and death.”

Aaron’s Staff Buds

God wants to put to an “end” to all the grumbling and complaining regarding Moses and Aaron’s leadership Each tribal leader was to present a STAFF before Moses with their name on it and the Tent of Meeting. The staff that SPROUTED with buds and produced blossoms and bore ripe almonds would be God’s chosen LEADER. The staff would stay near the ARK to be a reminder of God’s chosen path. Aaron’s Staff Buds

Bring The Grumbling to Closure God speaks to Aaron, dealing with the priests and Levities and assigning them a unique position (18:1- 24) God speaks to Moses, who is CHARGED with the supervision of the priests and the Levites and their relationship with one another (18:25 – 32) The “rebellion” left thousands of Israelites dead. So Yahweh speaks to Moses on the proper way to cleanse those who would have come into contact with dead bodies. (chapter 19)