1. Thu: James
  2. Fri: Joel
  3. Sat: Psalms 136-142
Sunday · Week 37
The Books of the Law

Numbers 15-17

Week 37 · about 15 min
  1. Mon: John 11-12
  2. Tue: Jeremiah 25-26
  3. Wed: 1 Chronicles 13-18

More laws for life in the land, Korah’s rebellion, and Aaron’s rod that blooms.

Standing Between the Dead and the Living

And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

Numbers 16:48 (KJV)

Chapter 15 tells Israelites to put tassels on their clothes, “that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments.” Then Korah, a Levite, leads 250 leaders against Moses and Aaron: “ye take too much upon you.” He wanted the priesthood. The ground opens and swallows the rebels. The next day the whole crowd blames Moses: “Ye have killed the people of the LORD.” A plague breaks out. Aaron runs into the middle of the crowd with burning incense, and he stands between the dead and the living until the plague stops. In chapter 17, twelve staffs are left overnight, and Aaron’s sprouts, blossoms, and grows almonds.

Reflect: Who in your life needs someone to stand in the gap and pray for them?

Numbers 15

1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you,

3and will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or as a freewill offering, or in your set feasts, to make a sweet savour unto the LORD, of the herd, or of the flock:

4then shall he that offereth his oblation offer unto the LORD a meal offering of a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of oil:

5and wine for the drink offering, the fourth part of an hin, shalt thou prepare with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.

6Or for a ram, thou shalt prepare for a meal offering two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour mingled with the third part of an hin of oil:

7and for the drink offering thou shalt offer the third part of an hin of wine, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

8And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or for peace offerings unto the LORD:

9then shall he offer with the bullock a meal offering of three tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour mingled with half an hin of oil.

10and thou shalt offer for the drink offering half an hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

11Thus shall it be done for each bullock, or for each ram, or for each of the he-lambs, or of the kids.

12According to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to every one according to their number.

13All that are homeborn shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

14And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whosoever be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; as ye do, so he shall do.

15For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you, a statute for ever throughout your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD.

16One law and one ordinance shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.

17And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

18Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land whither I bring you,

19then it shall be, that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up an heave offering unto the LORD.

20Of the first of your dough ye shall offer up a cake for an heave offering: as ye do the heave offering of the threshing-floor, so shall ye heave it.

21Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the LORD an heave offering throughout your generations.

22And when ye shall err, and not observe all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,

23even all that the LORD hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the LORD gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations;

24then it shall be, if it be done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the LORD, with the meal offering thereof, and the drink offering thereof, according to the ordinance, and one he-goat for a sin offering.

25And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their oblation, an offering made by fire unto the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their error:

26and all the congregation of the children of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; for in respect of all the people it was done unwittingly.

27And if one person sin unwittingly, then he shall offer a she-goat of the first year for a sin offering.

28And the priest shall make atonement for the soul that erreth, when he sinneth unwittingly, before the LORD, to make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven.

29Ye shall have one law for him that doeth aught unwittingly, for him that is homeborn among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.

30But the soul that doeth aught with an high hand, whether he be homeborn or a stranger, the same blasphemeth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

31Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment; that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.

32And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks upon the sabbath day.

33And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.

34And they put him in ward, because it had not been declared what should be done to him.

35And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall surely be put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.

36And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

37And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

38Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of each border a cord of blue:

39and it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye go not about after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:

40that ye may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.

41I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.

Numbers 16

1Now 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:

2and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown:

3and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?

4And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:

5and he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, In the morning the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he shall choose will he cause to come near unto him.

6This do; take you censers, Korah, and all his company;

7and put fire therein, and put incense upon them before the LORD tomorrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.

8And Moses said unto Korah, Hear now, ye sons of Levi:

9seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself; to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them;

10and that he hath brought thee near, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee? and seek ye the priesthood also?

11Therefore thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and Aaron, what is he that ye murmur against him?

12And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: and they said, We will not come up:

13is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but thou must needs make thyself also a prince over us?

14Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.

15And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.

16And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy congregation before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow:

17and take ye every man his censer, and put incense upon them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each his censer.

18And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.

19And Korah assembled all the congregation against them unto the door of the tent of meeting: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.

20And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

21Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.

22And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

23And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

24Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

25And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.

26And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.

27So they gat them up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.

28And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.

29If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.

30But if the LORD make a new thing, and the ground open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down alive into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have despised the LORD.

31And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:

32and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

33So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit: and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the assembly.

34And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up.

35And fire came forth from the LORD, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.

36And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

37Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are holy;

38even the censers of these sinners against their own lives, and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are holy: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

39And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, which they that were burnt had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar:

40to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to burn incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD spake unto him by the hand of Moses.

41But 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.

42And it came to pass, when the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tent of meeting: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.

43And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting.

44And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

45Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

46And Moses said unto Aaron, Take thy censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense thereon, and carry it quickly unto the congregation, and make atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

47And Aaron took as Moses spake, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.

48And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

49Now they that died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides them that died about the matter of Korah.

50And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tent of meeting: and the plague was stayed.

Numbers 17

1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of them rods, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.

3And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses.

4And thou shalt lay them up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.

5And it shall come to pass, that the man whom I shall choose, his rod shall bud: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you.

6And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

7And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tent of the testimony.

8And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and bare ripe almonds.

9And 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.

10And the LORD said unto Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that thou mayest make an end of their murmurings against me, that they die not.

11Thus did Moses: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.

12And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.

13Every one that cometh near, that cometh near unto the tabernacle of the LORD, dieth: shall we perish all of us?

Revised Version (RV). Revised Version (RV), 1885, public domain.