Korach (קרח)- Bald- Audio Podcast June 24, 2023
Notes
Transcript
Numbers 16:1-18:32
Review
Review
TORAH GPS
We continue to use the Torah as our guide to do our portions:
b’Midbar Sinai, the camp gets organized.
Naso each clan to serve Adonai its own special way.
b’Ha’alot’cha the light, let it shine bright through the night.
Sh’lach l’Cha spies to scout the Land, but beware of fearing giants rather than trusting God. Don’t sink into jealousy like
Korach, either! Baldfaced rebellion brings judgment on all.
A couple of weeks ago we spoke of the Menorah
Designed in Heaven, Manufactured with minimal effort, as they forged it in one piece.
The menorah was manufacture to emanate the heavenly light, as God wants to show us that even when He works behind the scenes, He also works with us to kindle the lights in the body of Messiah.
Messiah is symbolized in the golden Menorah:
Menorah as taught in Gen ch 1:1
The power of repentance - Techuva
Silver trumpets
The rapture
Light- the importance of walking in light
We spoke about the concept of order:
AS THEY ENCAMP, SO SHALL THEY SET FORWARD.
The reference is to the camps
EVERY MAN IN HIS PLACE.
The meaning of al yado (in his place) is, in his corner and place.
In the Torah Portion today, this principle has even greater significance
In Badmidbar, we also need to consider the 12 tribes - not always obvious, but if we pay attention
Following the Second Coming, the Messiah will send his angels all over the world to re-gather every Jew and bring them back into their Land.
Spies
As we compared 13 points in the Tanakh and the ABCs found in the Brit Hadashah /New Testament, we could use not to grief or quench the Holy Spirit.
One of which is:
1- We are agents who have a choice, and need to get involved - picture
The concept of choice exists on two levels.
We spoke about two who were different from everyone else: Joshua and Caleb
Midrash explained
Picture Sarai and Joshua
SARAI = שרי
SARAH = שרה
HOSHEA = הושע
JOSHUA = יהושע
The letter yod (Historically and traditionally the letter of God: the name of God and Israel start with YOD), which had been removed from Sarai’s name” Until she was added to Joshua.
(Midrash Rabbah)
We spoke about:
Keeping the Torah requires the HS and knowing the Torah, which is also knowing the kingdom of God
Holy Spirit who strengthens us
Tassels in the Tallit with blue thread- Law
Introduction
Introduction
Korach
Numbers 16:1-18:32
Traditionally this Torah Portion is about the rebellion of Korach against Moses and Aaron.
It can be divided in 9 sections of which we will explore as many as we can today. This is a 3 session study
We will talk about the content of the portion, develop it, to close with the importance of the portion in the prophetic realm of the end times.
Korah means “little bald-head”
Some relate this to Elisha, as described in
23 Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”
Our Torah portion gets this name from:
1 Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men;
Meaning of Names
Izhar - means anointed; oil, bright one, olive oil
Kohath - assembly; congregation (root = gather together, to collect together) - obedient. Waiting
Levi - adhesion: joined (root = to be joined; to cleave to; to lend to; to borrow) Associate. A companion
Dathan - Belonging to a fountain; belonging to law or fount. Judgment; law. Their law; their decree
Abiram: Father of loftiness; father is the exalted one; the renowned father; father of altitude
Presentation
Presentation
Korach - Bald
Karak - same root - also means ice
Korah (ko’-rah) = Ice; icy; hail. Baldness; bald.
In this Torah portion we find also fire.
So we have fire and ice.
We will take more about that in our closing
Being bald speaks of not having covering - hair symbolizes covering
Not that there was no covering available, but Korach decided to reject that covering
He is not only bald, but it can also mean he was bald because of leprosy.
Remember leprosy is related to leshon hara
When looking for leprosy or metzorah, you asked to look for a place where there may have been a burn - a place of excessive heating or friction.
As you will see in the Torah portion there was a lot of friction
Leprosy can also grow up out of coldness - spiritual coldness and iciness.
You see that in the rebels.
A Summary
Rebellion of Korach, Datan Aviram and the Reuvenites against leadership (rebellion of leadership against leadership)
Lashon Harah against the Land of Israel (last portion Vershalach - evil report). The minority seems to be the one who sees. Often the majority is the one on the wrong path
Tabernacle - Door
Korach’s tents
Fire and firepans- censers -250
Aaron’s Budding Rod
Restatement of Levitical obligations- Bearing of Iniquity
Covenant of Salt: The inheritance of tithes, holies, and service
24 Gifts
Many theories regarding the rebellion
The tithes may have generated the rebellion: there is no person better than I am.
We are all equal.
Why should I give my tithe to this other person, why should I support this person and their work?
- relevant in every generation
Let us read the first eleven verses to speak about the first two parts:
Rebellion and leshon harah
1 Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men;
2 and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown.
3 They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”
4 So when Moses heard it, he fell on his face;
5 and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is His and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him.
6 Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company;
7 put fire in them and put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!”
8 Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi:
9 Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to serve them;
10 and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also?
11 Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord. And what is Aaron that you complain against him?”
The essential argument - we are all equal, all betrothed, all in marriage
The rebellion is not against us. - Moses
We are all qualified, all anointed, no one is above another- granted the Torah is a great equalizer.
In the eyes of God all are equal- what what about among men?
the Torah institutes positions of authority and roles: 5 fold ministries for example
We can see this function of roles and responsibilities through the Torah
People serve in different roles.
Nevertheless if we do not discern the covering given to us: authority and position of someone then we are going to make some mistakes of arrogance.
Three levels of Arrogance and Characteristics:
1- Individual Arrogance: Lower Level
Distorted Information/ thinking
Limitations in abilities
Overestimation of one’s information and abilities
Resistance to new information about one’s limits
2- Comparative Arrogance: Mid-level
In addition to the ones below:
Failure to consider the perspectives of others
Belief or assumption of superiority
3- Antagonistic Arrogance
In addition to the levels below
Denigration of Others
Rebellion is not a good thing
Distortion is the base of that arrogance
But we are contending with a continuation of the bad report against Eretz Israel from the last Torah Portion.
The issue wasn’t fixed when it broke out in the last portion.
It was dealt with. It was punished, but not corrected.
When the problem resides within the generation, problems will continue to arise.
We can see this phenomenon very easily in our generation which comes arguably from lack of covering - which provides order, instruction and correction
Distorted Thinking
Today, consider politics.
Even if you proved someone they are distorted in their thinking, even if you put the evidence in front of them, no matter how sound the argument and thorough evidence, they are going to persist in distorted thinking.
When someone thinks in a distorted manner, they are going to argue in that distortion.
Through habit their thinking becomes distorted over time.
So, what is plainly evident, they cannot see.
If you confront them, they will insist is not an error.
Will resort to coping mechanisms: lying, hiding, laughing, rationalizing, etc.
Not only that, but they will double down.
Adonai can send strong delusion that people can believe it.
Believe lies; their own lies.
We have people who are saved regardless they are chained to old ways of thinking, just like Israel coming out of Egypt.
Their thinking is so distorted that they have reversed the place of Israel and Egypt.
The problem is that the revelation this distortion will continue since it is present in this generation.
They have difficulty changing what they think they see.
Our challenge is to change what we see. If wee all we focus is in the natural realm, we will rebel because respecting what is holy requires spiritual vision, not physical - faith, not logic. Logic is important, but why is this person special? Why is Aaron and his descendants special? Why would the levites and their descendants special? Maybe they are not. They are just human beings. The natural argument.
The divine argument is that they are who they are by divine appointment. We must understand that that does not diminish me personally anyway. It’s how you see things that matter.
The way out - Humility
Arrogance:
Is fault proof
Doesn’t listen
Interrupts
Wants to be right
Doesn’t see differently
Pushes point through
Shows frustration soon
Avoids accountability
Creates a fear culture
Humility:
Admits mistakes
Listens to understand
Gives space
has an open mind
Embraces Differences
Allows ideas to emerge
Demonstrates patience
Takes ownership
Builds learning culture
Back to Torah Portion
Leshon Harah
12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up!
13 Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you should keep acting like a prince over us?
14 Moreover you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”
Dathan and Abiram and the sons of Eliab are called.
They need to appear - Many do not show up for court.
Or take responsibility
Then a warrant is issued.
These people do not recognize the authority of the court.
Where do we get the idea that we should not recognize the authority.
Instead of responding, we rationalize the appearance.
Both Aaron and Moses were imperfect human beings, but had their positions by divine appointment.
But the people did not chose to show up.
12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up!
13 Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you should keep acting like a prince over us?
14 Moreover you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”
Chaism:
A - And Moses sent to call Dathanand Abiram the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up!
B - Is it a small thing that you have brought us up (olah) out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness,
C - that you should keep acting like a prince over us?
You will also Lord over us?
B- Moreover you have not brought us into (Bo) a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards
A - Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”
Main center:
Do you want to be our master?
Who do you think you are Moses? You have not delivered us on anything you say.
How can we respect you?
You have had us sitting here day after day trying to teach us something we can’t even do because we are not in the land and we are not going into the land.
You have not delivered.
At this point they do not see the obstacles they have put in place, or the things they have overcome so far.
They conveniently forgot everything.
They way they came out of darkness, and the good things they have received.
The question really is:
Will they allow Adonai be Lord over them?
Will they be accountable to the Leadership and covering Adonai has given them?
The point is they are confusing human beings with Adonai.
They are confusing Adonai with the ones He appointed.
You are really angry with HIM. When they ask:
Should you keep acting like a prince over us?
The accusation is not really about Moses.
It is against the Holy One.
They do not want His Lordship.
Chiasm
Keyword: hints to resurrection - alah/ olah, aliha/ as a verb -
lo na aleh - we will not come up
The accusation is Moses will not able to resurrect us.
You brought us out of darkness but you will not be able to complete the process.
We will remain in the state of separation because we will die here.
The bookends is a twin accusation: In the future “we will not come up”.
Has to do with the resurrection
Moses is not able to bring us in - You stopped short because we continue to die.
They are not factoring their own behaviour.
What they said is true, but what they saw is different.
If all you have ever had is only what you have seen, then how can you see what you have not seen when you can see only what you have seen?
What we know of the resurrection is what we read in the word, but the only image we have is this life we live right now.
So, when we are saved, or when we discovered the Torah, we were so excited.
But things do not look the way we expected it to look.
We start to wander and fade because we only see death and chaos; not the way we would hope it would look like.
That’s the difficulty of faith.
We have faith in the word, but what we are walking right now is being exercised from past life experiences - the same construct we had from before being saved.
Still based on things we have personally seen and experienced.
So we start walking according to our experience, we find it that it is more trouble than what we had before.
Trouble is still tribulations.
So when we start experiencing tribulation when we walk the Torah, it really is hard to see the advantages of the destination.
Israel becomes more like an ideal, a fairy tale place because it is not what we expected.
What we expect is based in our previous experience.
When we walk in faith, new experiences are correcting our expectation of where we are going.
The rebels are not really confronting Moses with completely in your face lies.
They are simply not seeing what Moses and Aaron see.
So they ask,
Chiasm
Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up (lo na-aleh)-
Where we came from there was more milk and honey.
So, how can you tell us that there is going to be milk and honey in the fields we are going to inherit when all we see is this?
Day after day, after day, after day - nothing but sand, desert, dry places (sounds familiar?)
If you got out of your tent every morning and this is all that you saw, do you have a little sympathy, how you can easily fall into this trap?
There is nothing but death.
Desert picture
When you see the picture you will either see destruction or life
This place violates logic and reason
the greatest opportunity to turn 360 degrees and realize that what your natural eyes see is not there.
Something completely in that place.
if I only had the right eyes to see it.
Look at the DOOR
There are a few verses in the Torah Portion where the DOOR is mentioned
Some see life at the door
Some death
18 So every man took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the tabernacle of meeting with Moses and Aaron.
19 And Korah gathered all the congregation against them at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.
20 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”
22 Then they fell on their faces, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation?”
47 Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people.
48 And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped.
49 Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident.
50 So Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, for the plague had stopped.
The Korahites were called to be Gatekeepers (DOOR Keepers) but missed it because they did not see the same way as Moses and Aaron
19 Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, from his father’s house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, gatekeepers of the tabernacle. Their fathers had been keepers of the entrance to the camp of the Lord.
The word gatekeeper means
Gatekeeper = shamar ha saf = שמרי -
DOORKEEPER (Heb. shô˓ēr; Gk. thurōros). “Doorkeepers for the ark are named (1 Chron. 15:23–24 [NASB, “gatekeeper”]), whose duty was thought to be to guard the door of the Tabernacle, so as to prevent anyone from coming carelessly to the ark.” Persons were appointed to keep the street door of houses, and these were sometimes women (John 18:16–17; Acts 12:13).
Merrill Frederick Unger et al., The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988).
Our eyes are used to seeing the way we were instructed
Our distortions come from our homes -tents
Sometimes we need to change tents
23 So the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’ ”
We learn to see things in our tents
Intimacy starts in the tent
Our covering comes from the Tent
5 “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel!
How lovely are the tents is language of intimacy - to study the word
Do we have the right eyes to see the DOOR?
Were we trained to see the DOOR with God’s eyes or through our own distortions?
Do we see death or life?
How do we see with God’s eyes?
1 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar.
2 He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.
3 And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles.
4 Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist.
5 Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed.
6 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.
7 When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other.
8 Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed.
Your natural eyes cannot see it.
Moses and Aaron had the spiritual eyes to see what this desert will be.
The rebels - no so much.
They came up from Egypt, or Abaddon (hell), passed over the Dead Sea.
It was like a kind of immersion. That is one type of resurrection.
But the rebels say that they are unable to attain the Land, unable to come in (Bo) and cross the Jordan.
Unable perhaps to keep all the rules that will become binding when they cross over.
They were actually in the Land already, inside the tribal assignments.
But you have to cross the Jordan.
Once we cross the land, look at all the things we have to do: tithe, ritual rules, purity rules.
It is already hard here in the tents.
Imagine how hard it will be when we come across the Jordan.
We have to learn all this stuff.
When we see Messiah we see just a normal human being.
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
No beauty that we may desire.
But when the Holy Spirit reveals Him to us, we change the way we see Him.
Let me illustrate this:
Look at the DOOR again
9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”
11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’
12 Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”
14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
Leprosy in Naaman - pride He thinks this emersion is about beauty
Physical attractiveness - Rivers in Damascus are beautiful.
Anger is a symptom of pride: you believe you deserve better than you have received
If the prophet had told you to do something great - this would be attractive: according to his position
He wanted to do something magnificent.
And all they are saying to him is to get washed and clean
He “went down” - speaks of his higher positions - and dipped seven times in the Jordan.
He had to descent in his own estimation. That’s the meaning of Jordan
Jordan (jor’-dan) = Descending; flowing down; (root = to go down; to flow down). Descending rapidly
To understand Messiah, the resurrection you have to decrease so that you can discern the increase.
Down before up.
Humility
When he went from arrogance to humility
His flesh was restored
In our process there are various steps:
Salvation from Egypt - Abbadon - hell - we still have the flesh that is aging - not like the child
Unless Messiah comes we will die - to have our bodies restore
There maybe a waiting period
He did not understand clean- Clean is not a bodily experience (although we need it) but being obediently prepared - knowing how to manage impurities and the flesh to be prepared to take on the flesh of a little child to be ritually clean to live in the garden
Salvation
Tribulation in the flesh
28 But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.
At resurrection -restoration of the flesh - tent
1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,
3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.
4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
The rebels had a misunderstanding of ritual purity - understanding of authority
What comes down from the throne needs to be seen with spiritual eyes, not natural because we will see other beauty in the natural
Yeshua will descend with a shout - so when He descends we can ascend
Before crossing the Jordan you have to renew the covenant. Moses said
11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.
12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’
13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’
14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,
16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.
Because Yeshua is going to come down -descend so that you can ascend.
We must have a child like faith- If He says the desert is a garden, we must believe what He says not what our eyes see:
3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
There has to be a transformation in you.
The way you see changes.
When they saw Aaron’s rod budding they accepted his authority.
Life finally convinced them.
8 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.
9 Then Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord to all the children of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod.
10 And the Lord said to Moses, “Bring Aaron’s rod back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die.”
Joshua and Caleb saw the same thing but brought in a great report
Korach and the rebels found death - Sheol
32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods.
33 So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.
Moses and Aaron were holding on for life.
1 Then the Lord said to Aaron: “You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear the iniquity related to the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity associated with your priesthood.
23 But the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
Bear the iniquity: NASO = lift up
Which they will also have to do in the end times as you will see in the closing section
To bear the iniquity God provided 24 gifts, as He gifted the Levites to the High Priest Aaron and His prophet Moses
24 GIFTS and the Covenant of Salt
8 And the Lord spoke to Aaron: “Here, I Myself have also given you charge of My heave offerings, all the holy gifts of the children of Israel; I have given them as a portion to you and your sons, as an ordinance forever.
18 And their flesh shall be yours, just as the wave breast and the right thigh are yours.
19 “All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever; it is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord with you and your descendants with you.”
This is the restatement of the Levitical obligations given in Leviticus (Vayikra) all about holiness and purity
We will discuss the 24 gifts together with the Covenant of Salt
13 And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.
You will find the 24 gifts in the reading of Numbers chapter 18 1-20
24 Gifts
Presents him with twenty-four gifts [of kehunah]. In Maseches Chulin 133b it is taught:
These [twenty-four are as follows]: Ten in the Sanctuary:
(1) The animal and
(2) the bird sin-offerings;
(3) The certain and
(4) the doubtful guilt-offerings;
(5) The peace-offering sacrifices of the congregation;
(6) The log of oil from the metzora;
(7) The two loaves;
(8) The show breads;
(9) The remainders of the meal-offerings and
(10) the remainders of the omer-offering. Four more in Yerushalayim:
(11) The firstborn;
(12) The first fruits;
(13) The portions set aside from the thanksgiving-offering and the ram of a nazarite, and
(14) The skins of the sacrifices. And ten outside Yerushalayim:
(15) Terumah, heave offering
(16) Terumas Ma'aser, tithe of the tithes
(17) Challah;
(18) The first shearing;
(19) The gifts [from a non-consecrate animal];
(20) The redemption of a firstborn son;
(21) The [redemption of] a firstborn donkey;
(22) A consecrated field;
(23) A consecrated ancestral field, and
(24) The proselyte’s stolen property. All of these gifts are mentioned in this Parshah and elsewhere.
An eternal covenant of Salt
19 “All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever; it is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord with you and your descendants with you.”
SALT = melach
מֶלַח m. salt; the salt sea, i.e. the Dead Sea, the waters of which are very strongly impregnated with salt, and often deposit it in the marshy places along the shores; valley of salt near the Dead Sea: see Robinson’s Palest, ii. pp. 223–226,
There is a connection with King David
483. Covenant of salt
5 Should you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt?
i.e. a league for ever sacred and inviolable, Num. 18:19. This formula arose from the circumstance that salt, as preserving from decay, is a symbol of duration and perpetuity; see Philo, Opp. ii. p. 225.
Hence Arabs are said to eat bread and salt together in making a covenant; at any rate they have the phrase, “there is salt between us,” i.e. a covenant: hence we may understand why the offerings of the Hebrews were to be seasoned with salt, Lev. 2:13; because salt is the symbol of the perpetual covenant between God and Israel, which he thus daily renews and confirms. With other nations, too, salt was a symbol of friendship, and was added to their sacrifices: see Sykes’ Essay on Sacrifices; Rosenm. Schol.
COVENANT OF SALT. A “cut covenant.” *The Biblical term for making a covenant is, to cut a covenant. Hence I.E.’s note that a salt covenant is a variant of a cut covenant. The word melach (salt) is related to the word melechah (salt) *In that both words have the meaning of cut. in A fruitful land turned into salt
34 A fruitful land into barrenness, For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
A salted place is said to be cut off, for nothing grows there. Compare, brimstone, and salt *The verse reads: brimstone, and salt, and a burning, that it is not sown, nor bears, nor any grass grows. (Deut. 29:22).
Closing
Closing
The significance of Korach in the end times
Let us begin with the covenant with David - which is the same covenant given to the Levites in this Torah Portion
5 Should you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt?
David, the same as Joshua and Caleb had a different heart than others
No everyone could have that heart
But God makes a perpetual covenant with the Children of Israel regarding His house.
ד
David’s name starts with the letter Dalet ( ד )
Dalet means door
Let’s look at the DOOR again
Dalet seal is the seal of the Door
1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
He says come up here
Remember Korach and the rebels did not want to come up
To see what is inside the door you must obey and believe
John sees this door open
Yeshua says if I close this door, nobody can open it
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:
8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
Revelation 3:7-8
Key of David - for a door
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
Matthew 25:10
2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
John 10:2
The Korahites were called to be Gatekeepers (DOOR Keepers) but missed it because they did not see the same way as Moses and Aaron
19 Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, from his father’s house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, gatekeepers of the tabernacle. Their fathers had been keepers of the entrance to the camp of the Lord.
DOORKEEPER (Heb. shô˓ēr; Gk. thurōros). “Doorkeepers for the ark are named (1 Chron. 15:23–24 [NASB, “gatekeeper”]), whose duty was thought to be to guard the door of the Tabernacle, so as to prevent anyone from coming carelessly to the ark.” Persons were appointed to keep the street door of houses, and these were sometimes women (John 18:16–17; Acts 12:13).
Merrill Frederick Unger et al., The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988).
John 10:9
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
James 5:9
Rebellion against one another not acceptable
I have authority over this door. There is no other door.
The door is the dalet
Traditional Christian terms- if you want to get into heaven you have to go through me first.
Too simplistic
simple vs simplistic
It does not account for everything Yeshua is
In Christianity He is seen more as a person, than a living word. The written word that has come to life
Even in His parables - rich man and Lazarus in Luke chapter 16 - 19-31
They have everything they need already - is the message.
He is identifying with Moses, Prophets, the Psalms to explain his resurrected self.
This broadens the door - who is guarding the door.
Authority is that He is the word.
If we want to understand Yeshua, we must understand His testimony - in relation to the commandments of God - like two legs.
In Revelation is presented as two things: is it two things or one thing? Yes
Two legs attached to the same body
If you take away one of your legs you do not get very far
Revelation two legs: Testimony of Yeshua and the Commandments of God
Yeshua’s Testimony
2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.
9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.
7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
5 After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Commandments of God
10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
Authority is that He is the word.
Not keeping both legs - trouble walking
If we want to understand Yeshua, we must understand His testimony - in relation to the commandments of God - like two legs.
Not keeping both legs - trouble walking
Yeshua guards the door
Remember what happens to Korach and all the rebels?
27 So they got away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little children.
28 And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will.
29 If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me.
30 But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.”
31 Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them,
32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods.
33 So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.
34 Then all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up also!”
35 And a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.
Numbers 16:
This is the same picture as in the book of Revelation
1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.
5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
As the censers used in Korach’s situation
Moses prays and as he finishes the fire comes down from the Lord and the earth opens up the pit
20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Yeshua also referred to the Salt Covenant
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
If we keep our eyes on His Testimony and His Torah - living word, He will also keep the Everlasting covenant of Salt He made with David - The Dalet is the key
19 “All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever; it is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord with you and your descendants with you.”
20 Then the Lord said to Aaron: “You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.
Shabbat Shalom