1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:04,120 We are in the Book of Numbers, chapter 16. 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:07,920 We're going to read the introduction to an episode, and 3 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:12,800 then we're going to read another episode of what happened to 4 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:17,120 God's people in the wilderness. That's what the book of Numbers 5 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:19,760 is all about. So let's hear now the word of 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:25,600 the Lord #16. Now Cora the son of Ishar, the 7 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:31,260 son of Kohath, the son of Levi, Nathan, and Byram, the sons of 8 00:00:31,460 --> 00:00:37,420 Eliab, and on the sons of palace sons of Ruben, took men, and 9 00:00:37,420 --> 00:00:40,980 they rose up before Moses with a number of the people of Israel, 10 00:00:41,500 --> 00:00:47,980 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well 11 00:00:47,980 --> 00:00:50,900 known men. These assembled themselves 12 00:00:50,900 --> 00:00:54,260 together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, 13 00:00:54,700 --> 00:00:59,500 you have gone too far, for all in the congregation are holy, 14 00:00:59,540 --> 00:01:02,420 every one of them, and the Lord is among them. 15 00:01:03,020 --> 00:01:07,780 Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord? 16 00:01:08,860 --> 00:01:13,060 When Moses heard it, he fell on his face, and he said to Cora, 17 00:01:13,060 --> 00:01:16,820 until all the company in the morning the Lord will show who 18 00:01:16,820 --> 00:01:21,620 he is and who is holy, and will bring him near to him. 19 00:01:22,380 --> 00:01:29,630 The one whom he chooses he will bring near to him and then we 20 00:01:29,910 --> 00:01:34,950 move over to the next chapter to another incident which happened 21 00:01:34,950 --> 00:01:39,550 shortly after this one. The Lord came to Moses saying 22 00:01:39,550 --> 00:01:43,230 speak to the people of Israel and get from them Staffs, one 23 00:01:43,230 --> 00:01:45,790 for each father's house, from all the chiefs according to 24 00:01:45,790 --> 00:01:48,350 their father's houses. 12 Staffs. 25 00:01:48,750 --> 00:01:51,190 Write each man's name on his staff. 26 00:01:51,510 --> 00:01:55,270 Write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi, for there shall be one 27 00:01:55,270 --> 00:01:57,790 staff for the head of each father's house. 28 00:01:58,390 --> 00:02:01,070 Then you shall deposit them in the 10 of meeting before the 29 00:02:01,070 --> 00:02:04,870 testimony where I meet you, and the staff of the man whom I 30 00:02:04,910 --> 00:02:08,750 choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from 31 00:02:08,750 --> 00:02:12,070 me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble 32 00:02:12,070 --> 00:02:15,150 against you. Moses spoke to the people of 33 00:02:15,150 --> 00:02:17,750 Israel, and all their chiefs gave him Staffs, one for each 34 00:02:17,750 --> 00:02:22,010 chief, according to his father's house. 12 Staffs and the staff 35 00:02:22,010 --> 00:02:26,850 of Aaron was among their Staffs, and Moses deposited the Staffs 36 00:02:26,850 --> 00:02:29,010 before the Lord in the tent of the testimony. 37 00:02:30,130 --> 00:02:32,890 On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and 38 00:02:32,890 --> 00:02:36,610 behold, the staff of Aaron and the House of Levi had sprouted 39 00:02:36,610 --> 00:02:40,450 and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe 40 00:02:40,530 --> 00:02:43,170 almonds. Then Moses brought out all the 41 00:02:43,170 --> 00:02:46,650 Staffs from before the Lord to the people of Israel, and they 42 00:02:46,650 --> 00:02:48,370 looked, And each man took his staff. 43 00:02:48,370 --> 00:02:52,020 And the Lord said to Moses, put back the staff of Aaron before 44 00:02:52,020 --> 00:02:56,540 the testimony to be kept, as a sign for the rebels, that you 45 00:02:56,540 --> 00:03:00,900 may make an end to their grumblings against me, lest they 46 00:03:00,900 --> 00:03:04,260 die. Thus did Moses, as the Lord 47 00:03:04,260 --> 00:03:07,860 commanded him, so he did. And the people of Israel said to 48 00:03:07,860 --> 00:03:14,460 Moses, Behold, we perish, We are undone, We are all undone. 49 00:03:15,230 --> 00:03:18,670 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the Tabernacle of 50 00:03:18,670 --> 00:03:23,270 the Lord, shall die. Are we all to perish. 51 00:03:26,350 --> 00:03:30,390 The answer to that question is, yes, the word of the Lord. 52 00:03:31,150 --> 00:03:33,910 You may be seated. You may be seated. 53 00:03:43,730 --> 00:03:46,170 Two different episodes here. And this, of course, is not. 54 00:03:46,210 --> 00:03:48,170 Begin the strain that we're familiar with. 55 00:03:49,450 --> 00:03:53,730 This entire book has been story after story of God's people in 56 00:03:53,730 --> 00:03:56,290 the wilderness under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. 57 00:03:57,490 --> 00:04:02,370 And they are on many occasions and in various ways and reasons, 58 00:04:02,370 --> 00:04:05,890 provoking the Lord. They are testing him. 59 00:04:06,610 --> 00:04:09,410 They are pushing him to the brink. 60 00:04:10,090 --> 00:04:13,500 In fact, he does come to the brink on a couple of occasions. 61 00:04:13,500 --> 00:04:15,340 The Lord says, I tell you what I will do. 62 00:04:15,340 --> 00:04:19,940 I will just wipe out this whole nation and I'll start over with 63 00:04:19,940 --> 00:04:22,580 you. Moses and Moses pleaded for the 64 00:04:22,580 --> 00:04:25,540 people, and as the good the priest that he and Aaron were, 65 00:04:25,980 --> 00:04:29,340 they pled for the people and the Lord had mercy. 66 00:04:29,580 --> 00:04:32,300 They reminded the Lord that the covenant was with Abraham, 67 00:04:32,300 --> 00:04:36,100 Isaac, and Jacob, and he needed to fulfill his covenant in God. 68 00:04:36,100 --> 00:04:38,740 Said, I'm a covenant keeping God, and I'm gracious and I'm 69 00:04:38,740 --> 00:04:42,350 slow to anger. And so as they become, began to 70 00:04:42,350 --> 00:04:46,470 know the Lord, they begin to mediate for the people before 71 00:04:46,470 --> 00:04:48,110 the Lord, and the Lord spared them time. 72 00:04:48,110 --> 00:04:51,270 Again you remember, let me just review a few of them back in 73 00:04:51,270 --> 00:04:53,150 chapter 4, which we didn't look at. 74 00:04:53,470 --> 00:04:58,310 The people had a strong craving, a strong craving. 75 00:04:58,670 --> 00:05:03,790 And the Lord ended up wiping out the people that were complaining 76 00:05:03,790 --> 00:05:07,830 and grumbling and and saying to Moses, we'd rather died in 77 00:05:07,830 --> 00:05:09,470 Egypt. It was better in Egypt than it 78 00:05:09,470 --> 00:05:12,190 is out here in the wilderness. Why did you break bring us to 79 00:05:12,190 --> 00:05:13,990 this land? You told us you were bringing us 80 00:05:13,990 --> 00:05:16,710 to a land of milk and honey. And here we are in the desert 81 00:05:17,230 --> 00:05:19,990 and the Bible says that a great plague came and killed them, 82 00:05:21,070 --> 00:05:23,350 those that were complaining. And to the others the Lord 83 00:05:23,350 --> 00:05:25,110 performed a miracle of salvation. 84 00:05:25,110 --> 00:05:28,870 He sent from the sea a great breeze that brought in a huge 85 00:05:28,870 --> 00:05:33,080 flock of quail, and that quail served as a meat to go along 86 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,560 with the mana and to satiate the people of God. 87 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:39,960 In Chapter 11, there's a story about, and I like the way the 88 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,560 ESV says it, Usually I'm going back and talking about the way I 89 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:45,880 like the King James Version saying something. 90 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:48,480 I like the words that's used here by the translators. 91 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:53,320 The rabble, the rabble. You know, every church has a 92 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,080 rabble. You you just have to pay 93 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,120 attention for a while and find out who they are. 94 00:05:58,770 --> 00:06:03,090 The rabble and he defined of those who dwell on the outlying. 95 00:06:03,770 --> 00:06:05,690 They're the people that are on the edges of the camp. 96 00:06:05,690 --> 00:06:08,570 They're the people that are the furthest away from God's 97 00:06:08,570 --> 00:06:11,730 presence in the Tabernacle. They're the people that are 98 00:06:11,730 --> 00:06:15,090 furthest away from the leadership that surrounds the 99 00:06:15,090 --> 00:06:18,690 Tabernacle, that the the the tribe of Levi and all of his 100 00:06:18,690 --> 00:06:22,930 three sons and Moses and all over there they're further out 101 00:06:23,250 --> 00:06:25,370 from even the their own kin. Folks. 102 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:28,040 What's worse is they're the ones that are the nearest to the 103 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:30,040 pagans. They're the nearest to the 104 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:31,840 world. They're the nearest to the 105 00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:35,200 Canaanites and all of the godless people around and 106 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:39,440 they're under their influence. These are the out outliers. 107 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:44,480 That's the rabble, and it's the rabble that brings up the 108 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,240 complaining against Moses in Chapter 11. 109 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:52,100 In chapter 12, another one we didn't look at, but it's Aaron 110 00:06:52,140 --> 00:06:54,940 and Miriam. Aaron, of course, is Moses 111 00:06:54,940 --> 00:06:58,260 brother, who now is the designated priest for the 112 00:07:00,980 --> 00:07:04,220 nation, as we learned today by God's choosing. 113 00:07:06,100 --> 00:07:12,180 And Moses the leader and the younger sister, along with 114 00:07:12,220 --> 00:07:16,100 Aaron, decide that they have as much going for them spiritually 115 00:07:16,100 --> 00:07:19,180 as Moses does. They had looked at Moses. 116 00:07:19,180 --> 00:07:21,500 I said, you know, I remember when he was nothing but a snot 117 00:07:21,500 --> 00:07:25,180 nosed baby in a in a in a basket, in the bulrushes. 118 00:07:25,860 --> 00:07:29,180 And here he is lording over all these people and leading. 119 00:07:29,180 --> 00:07:33,460 We have as much capacity. In fact, Miriam says, I'm of the 120 00:07:33,460 --> 00:07:38,260 older one and I've got great insight and nurturing capacity. 121 00:07:38,260 --> 00:07:40,580 The Lord speaks to me. The Lord inspires me. 122 00:07:40,700 --> 00:07:44,260 I need a women's ministry and I need to serve all the people, 123 00:07:44,260 --> 00:07:49,440 the men and the women. And Aaron says, well, I'm the 124 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:53,920 one with all the gifts. I'm the one that does the 125 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:56,720 talking. I'm the one that has the gifts 126 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:01,160 up front. So what do why do we hate Moses? 127 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:05,760 And they, they led among themselves a confrontation with 128 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:08,360 Moses. And by the time the Lord got 129 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:15,280 through with them, Miriam had leprosy, and Aaron was a 130 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:21,800 quibbling mass of insecurity. The Lord dealt with them on that 131 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:25,560 occasion. And then on another occasion we 132 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:28,280 saw this last week. They went to spy out the land 133 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,559 and the report came back. And you know, the story went all 134 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,120 over it last week about the Minority Report, the majority 135 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:37,640 report. And they decided then, lack of 136 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:41,419 faith that they would not go up into Canaan and possess it the 137 00:08:41,419 --> 00:08:42,780 way the Lord said he had given it to them. 138 00:08:42,780 --> 00:08:44,660 Because they just didn't think they could win the battles. 139 00:08:44,660 --> 00:08:46,420 They didn't think they could conquest. 140 00:08:46,420 --> 00:08:48,020 They needed a little more experience. 141 00:08:48,460 --> 00:08:52,220 They needed a little more attend a few more church services, a 142 00:08:52,220 --> 00:08:55,940 few more apologetics lectures before they could really go and 143 00:08:55,940 --> 00:08:57,940 do the things that the Lord had called them to do. 144 00:08:57,940 --> 00:09:00,780 And so they they rebelled against the Lord. 145 00:09:01,220 --> 00:09:04,540 And it wasn't so much that they refused to go in. 146 00:09:04,540 --> 00:09:07,060 That was bad enough. But what was even worse? 147 00:09:07,060 --> 00:09:11,120 You remember they said, let us choose a leader who will lead us 148 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:17,440 back to Egypt. That's apostasy, that's 149 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:23,160 deconstruction, that's departing the faith, that's turning back. 150 00:09:24,680 --> 00:09:29,480 A rebellion often is led by people who really care, who want 151 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:33,880 to reform, who like it the way that it is, but they feel like 152 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:36,840 it needs to be better. And a rebellion can be of a good 153 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:40,890 sort or it could be of a meaner sort, but it's still people who 154 00:09:40,890 --> 00:09:43,930 care about that particular leadership and that particular 155 00:09:43,930 --> 00:09:47,450 structure and that organization in the direction and the goals. 156 00:09:47,450 --> 00:09:50,050 And so they they lead this little movement to kind of 157 00:09:50,050 --> 00:09:52,370 rectify some things and reform some things. 158 00:09:52,850 --> 00:09:55,450 And it forms a a rebellion of sorts. 159 00:09:58,050 --> 00:10:00,890 And that's bad enough. But an apostasy is when you turn 160 00:10:00,890 --> 00:10:03,770 your back and walk away and go back. 161 00:10:04,770 --> 00:10:13,010 So God's people are continually provoking him, and then in 14 we 162 00:10:13,010 --> 00:10:17,890 find that the Lord said he was going to after they had had 163 00:10:17,890 --> 00:10:21,250 failed him at Katy Schmarnia and entered the land with the the 164 00:10:21,410 --> 00:10:25,890 spies report in chapter 14. The Lord said you're going to 165 00:10:25,890 --> 00:10:29,730 all die in the wilderness, and He decided. 166 00:10:29,890 --> 00:10:34,170 Then the Lord told Moses to tell the people that they themselves, 167 00:10:34,170 --> 00:10:36,450 those people that were standing on their two feet and doing 168 00:10:36,450 --> 00:10:39,570 everything they were doing then would not be the generation that 169 00:10:39,570 --> 00:10:42,010 would enter the land. There'd be another generation, 170 00:10:42,010 --> 00:10:47,090 which means they had 35 or 6 or 7 or 8, whatever years under 40. 171 00:10:47,090 --> 00:10:52,450 It was left to be led and wandering through the wilderness 172 00:10:53,330 --> 00:10:58,570 before they ever once again came back to the point of entry into 173 00:10:59,490 --> 00:11:04,930 the land of Canaan. And now we come to Chapter 15, 174 00:11:05,930 --> 00:11:09,930 and we have a formal rebellion. Let's just look at a few things 175 00:11:09,930 --> 00:11:12,330 about it. Number one, it was led by a guy 176 00:11:12,330 --> 00:11:15,090 named Cora. He's referred to in the New 177 00:11:15,090 --> 00:11:18,370 Testament as having led a rebellion. 178 00:11:18,530 --> 00:11:22,490 The book of Jude talks about the way of Cain, the rebellion of 179 00:11:22,490 --> 00:11:25,410 Cora. It talks about the error of 180 00:11:25,410 --> 00:11:27,690 Balem. These are three outstanding Old 181 00:11:27,690 --> 00:11:29,930 Testament examples which we won't go into all of them, but 182 00:11:30,170 --> 00:11:34,440 they're they're ways of apostasy, unbelief, turning 183 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:39,680 back, turning aside, opposing God in his gospel, in his 184 00:11:39,680 --> 00:11:42,320 Christ. And so we are warned even in the 185 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:44,680 New Testament not to be like these guys. 186 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:47,760 And this is one of them. Here the rebellion of Coralite 187 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:51,120 was a large rebellion and they these people that are named, are 188 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:54,320 principally the sons of Levi, which means that they're kinsman 189 00:11:54,680 --> 00:11:58,620 to Aaron and Moses, because they're descended from Levi as 190 00:11:58,620 --> 00:12:00,740 well. That's the tribe that the Lord 191 00:12:00,740 --> 00:12:04,100 will designate to be the priestly tribe the tribe and the 192 00:12:04,100 --> 00:12:06,980 Levites the the the people there. 193 00:12:07,180 --> 00:12:13,420 So the tribe of Levi was had they felt more than one capable 194 00:12:13,420 --> 00:12:16,380 leader. And this Cora and notice what he 195 00:12:16,380 --> 00:12:19,460 did. He, He and He was joined by the 196 00:12:19,460 --> 00:12:23,140 way, by the sons of Ruben, who by the way were the tribe that 197 00:12:23,260 --> 00:12:26,720 kept closest to the Levites on that side of the camp. 198 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:28,720 They were, they were their near neighbors. 199 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:31,640 They were also pretty close tribes growing up. 200 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:37,320 You remember the first four sons of Jacob were born to Leah and 201 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:40,880 Simeon was the oldest. And then they went down Simeon, 202 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:45,560 Levi and Judah. Those were the four sons of 203 00:12:45,560 --> 00:12:52,480 Joseph and Leah which formed the 1st 4 patriarchs of the sons of 204 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:56,040 Israel, the sons of Jacob. So they've always been close. 205 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:58,320 Like Judah and Benjamin were always close. 206 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:03,440 Asher and Gad were close. If you study the confederation 207 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:06,240 of tribes over the Old Testament, you'll see how 208 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:08,320 certain ones kind of stood together. 209 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,640 Dan and half tribe of Manassa I'll stop. 210 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:16,080 Mainly I'm stopping because I don't remember the rest of them. 211 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,520 So they they select and notice how it's done. 212 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:26,390 It's from the congregation they choose from the assembly. 213 00:13:26,910 --> 00:13:31,950 Well known men, a little democracy in action. 214 00:13:33,270 --> 00:13:37,710 They took personalities, they took well known leaders of the 215 00:13:37,710 --> 00:13:41,110 clans and the tribes, and they put them together and they 216 00:13:41,110 --> 00:13:45,750 started a rebellion. A pretty good company for Moses 217 00:13:45,750 --> 00:13:53,230 to face a fellow Levite and his cohorts. 218 00:13:54,450 --> 00:14:00,090 Some men from Ruben and probably well known men to to Moses. 219 00:14:00,090 --> 00:14:04,090 And these men were chosen by the people. 220 00:14:04,650 --> 00:14:07,490 And this was the accusation they'd again made against Moses. 221 00:14:07,490 --> 00:14:09,850 Anarity said. You have gone too far. 222 00:14:10,610 --> 00:14:12,330 It was. We've had enough of your 223 00:14:12,330 --> 00:14:15,570 leadership. You have taken us beyond the 224 00:14:15,570 --> 00:14:18,290 point of competency. You have been acting on the 225 00:14:18,290 --> 00:14:20,770 Peter Principle. You've been promoted beyond your 226 00:14:20,770 --> 00:14:27,350 capacity and so they brought these accusations to Moses and 227 00:14:27,750 --> 00:14:31,390 said for all the congregation are holy. 228 00:14:33,630 --> 00:14:37,710 And if you'd have seen Aaron a few months back, leading the 229 00:14:37,710 --> 00:14:40,470 worship service down around the golden calf, you wouldn't have 230 00:14:40,470 --> 00:14:42,510 been impressed with this holiness anymore than you would 231 00:14:42,510 --> 00:14:45,870 have your next door neighbor there in Levite land. 232 00:14:47,830 --> 00:14:49,990 And God had consecrated the people and called him to 233 00:14:49,990 --> 00:14:54,810 holiness. So the people have a status 234 00:14:54,810 --> 00:14:57,450 equal. There's no one more outstanding 235 00:14:57,450 --> 00:15:03,450 than any other in our company. We are we, we have a good policy 236 00:15:03,450 --> 00:15:08,490 of equity in this tribe and we expect it to be implemented in 237 00:15:08,490 --> 00:15:10,650 the government. And so that's what we are 238 00:15:10,650 --> 00:15:13,210 looking for. We're looking for a people who 239 00:15:13,210 --> 00:15:16,850 have been chosen by the people and come out of a congregation 240 00:15:16,850 --> 00:15:21,170 that is holy, every one of them, And the Lord is among them. 241 00:15:21,930 --> 00:15:24,930 In other words, they're just as spiritually qualified as you. 242 00:15:24,930 --> 00:15:28,810 Why then do you exalt yourself above the assembly of the Lord? 243 00:15:29,450 --> 00:15:33,210 And Moses, basically, as he often does, his meekness and his 244 00:15:33,210 --> 00:15:37,450 humility calls him, and often he just instead of being defiant 245 00:15:37,930 --> 00:15:43,170 and lording it over them, he simply falls on his face. 246 00:15:43,170 --> 00:15:48,370 Before the Lord, Moses and the Lord had their own conversations 247 00:15:48,370 --> 00:15:52,110 going through this whole time. It's unbelievable what the Lord 248 00:15:52,110 --> 00:15:55,870 dealt with and how he propped up and held and ministered to Moses 249 00:15:55,870 --> 00:15:59,270 when when Moses went through it in normal enormous amount of 250 00:15:59,510 --> 00:16:01,670 trouble. One of the the chapters that we 251 00:16:01,670 --> 00:16:04,990 haven't looked at is when when he bears this burden he can't 252 00:16:04,990 --> 00:16:10,830 handle by himself. And the Lord gives him support 253 00:16:11,430 --> 00:16:14,430 and they select elders from the people. 254 00:16:15,630 --> 00:16:19,130 But he falls upon his face before the Lord and he says 255 00:16:19,130 --> 00:16:21,290 decor in the company. In the morning the Lord will 256 00:16:21,290 --> 00:16:25,650 show who he is and who is holy and will bring him near to him. 257 00:16:26,810 --> 00:16:29,690 Knows tomorrow we'll let the Lord demonstrate who ought to be 258 00:16:29,690 --> 00:16:32,130 the High priest of Israel because that's really the 259 00:16:32,130 --> 00:16:34,210 crisis. It's a crisis in the priesthood. 260 00:16:35,450 --> 00:16:37,810 It's not just Moses leadership, it's who's the priest. 261 00:16:37,810 --> 00:16:39,850 Notice the spiritual terms that are dealt with. 262 00:16:40,010 --> 00:16:41,850 The Lord is with them. They're holy. 263 00:16:42,460 --> 00:16:45,700 This is the spiritual leadership of the people, not just the the 264 00:16:45,780 --> 00:16:50,100 the governmental leadership or the the leadership that Moses 265 00:16:50,100 --> 00:16:51,580 gave. In so many ways, this was the 266 00:16:51,820 --> 00:16:55,100 spiritual leadership. This was a rebellion against 267 00:16:55,100 --> 00:16:59,740 God's choice of Aaron or or as they thought Moses choice of 268 00:16:59,740 --> 00:17:01,780 Aaron. And what kind of nepotism is it 269 00:17:01,780 --> 00:17:05,220 when you're given an assignment to get your brother to join up 270 00:17:05,220 --> 00:17:07,180 in the company with you at the top of the company? 271 00:17:08,069 --> 00:17:09,790 And this is what they were accused of. 272 00:17:09,829 --> 00:17:13,390 You see, Moses always had trouble back, way back when he 273 00:17:13,390 --> 00:17:16,310 killed the Egyptian. Do you remember when he saw the 274 00:17:16,310 --> 00:17:19,190 Egyptian abusing one of his brothers? 275 00:17:19,190 --> 00:17:21,869 He he killed the Egyptian. And the next day he went back 276 00:17:21,869 --> 00:17:25,349 and one of the Jews said to Moses, who are you to rule over 277 00:17:25,349 --> 00:17:27,950 us? This, this people have from the 278 00:17:27,950 --> 00:17:32,190 very beginning, they've all had their doubts about Moses and his 279 00:17:32,190 --> 00:17:33,110 leadership. This time. 280 00:17:33,110 --> 00:17:37,240 It's Aaron now, amount of time, so I won't tell you the rest of 281 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:38,760 the story. You got a homework assignment. 282 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:45,760 Read the rest of chapter 16 and it's long and it's involved. 283 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:49,000 And you're going to find God judging the people and you're 284 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,960 going to find the the people being pleaded with by the Lord 285 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:55,760 to get away from this group of rebels. 286 00:17:56,040 --> 00:18:02,280 Korah and his cohorts and these 250 chiefs of the clans of 287 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:05,360 Israel get away from twice. The Lord has to warn them 288 00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:08,240 because what he does is he opens up the earth and they're 289 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:13,200 swallowed up hole. They go into shield alive into 290 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:15,760 the heart of the earth. They're buried alive literally. 291 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:19,040 And anybody that was near them slid into the big chasm. 292 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,560 So the Lord had separated the people to get back and this 293 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:25,640 causes the people once again to be humbled and and they're 294 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:28,160 judged. And then they take the the 295 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:32,840 sensors that had been used by these 250 men that were with 296 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:36,080 Cora. And they took those sensors 297 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:38,880 which were made out of precious metals, maybe even gold, and 298 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:42,480 they beat them into a big cover that they used to cover over the 299 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:43,680 altar. It was probably a second 300 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:47,480 covering that went over the whole altar, which had of course 301 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,760 the chair beam, the mercy seat, that over the arc of the 302 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:53,880 covenant, which provided a protection, a hedge against 303 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:58,040 anybody approaching God. These people who tried to come 304 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:01,680 and approach God and to assume the spiritual leadership were 305 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:06,920 dealt with by God. Now oh, and then then the big 306 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:10,360 take those censors and start a fire, and there's a big fire, 307 00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:12,040 and now the fire comes, a plague. 308 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:16,280 And he was only Aaron rushing in with his censor in the middle of 309 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:19,800 it all that stood between the fiery plague and the people that 310 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,760 spared him. I don't know if they put this in 311 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:28,920 the 10 commandments or not. Just a lot of drama in the a lot 312 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:31,960 of good movie making out in the scenes in the Old Testament, 313 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:34,560 I'll tell you that. But let's look just for a moment 314 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:37,320 here at this, this one that happened in 17. 315 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:41,760 This is now a direct crisis of spiritual leadership. 316 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:43,960 They're directly disputing Moses. 317 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:46,520 And the Lord brings the test, tells Moses what to do. 318 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:51,770 Let each tribe, the 12 tribes bring their leader and how their 319 00:19:51,770 --> 00:19:55,570 leader someone representative as one of the plans to put a staff. 320 00:19:56,050 --> 00:20:00,570 And Moses takes the 12 Staffs, the just the regular staff and 321 00:20:00,570 --> 00:20:02,290 puts them before the Lord overnight. 322 00:20:02,330 --> 00:20:06,090 And the next morning when he goes in to the 10 of meeting, 323 00:20:06,090 --> 00:20:10,690 the Staffs were unaffected, all of them except for one, and that 324 00:20:10,690 --> 00:20:14,690 was the staff of Levi. And it was not only had been 325 00:20:14,690 --> 00:20:20,170 changed, but it had been sprouted and and caused to bud. 326 00:20:21,020 --> 00:20:29,180 And to bloom and to bear fruit. And that's highly symbolic of 327 00:20:29,180 --> 00:20:33,540 the touch of the Spirit of God upon something. 328 00:20:34,500 --> 00:20:38,380 And it's likely that the white blossoms of the almond bud, 329 00:20:39,020 --> 00:20:43,340 Lily, white, pure white, were symbols of the purity and the 330 00:20:43,340 --> 00:20:46,800 holiness that God demands. And so the significant thing 331 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:50,480 there, when you see the The thing is this is the is what was 332 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:57,280 said and the people said to Moses, behold, we perish, we are 333 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:01,640 undone. And it says are we all to 334 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:05,600 perish. There was this final horrible 335 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,360 conviction came upon them when they realized the nature of 336 00:21:08,360 --> 00:21:10,200 their rebellion and what they had done. 337 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:13,160 They realized that they had committed virtually an 338 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:18,190 impartinable sin, and they knew they stood in the judgment of 339 00:21:18,190 --> 00:21:20,630 the Lord. Now there was a Hebrews passage 340 00:21:20,630 --> 00:21:22,830 there in your in your bulletin that I didn't read. 341 00:21:22,830 --> 00:21:26,550 And the reason I didn't is because I have selected one just 342 00:21:26,550 --> 00:21:31,710 a few chapters earlier than that one, and by way of application. 343 00:21:32,030 --> 00:21:35,590 And I'm going to read a couple of paragraphs of this particular 344 00:21:36,270 --> 00:21:42,010 Hebrews chapter 3 by way of application, because this, this 345 00:21:42,010 --> 00:21:45,410 particular chapter applies directly to the provocation that 346 00:21:45,410 --> 00:21:48,690 we just read about. Therefore this is the writer of 347 00:21:48,690 --> 00:21:50,730 Hebrews exhorting the Christians here. 348 00:21:50,730 --> 00:21:54,410 Now this word Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a 349 00:21:54,410 --> 00:22:00,530 heavenly calling, consider Jesus the true chosen high Priest, the 350 00:22:00,530 --> 00:22:04,210 Apostle and high Priest of our confession, who was faithful to 351 00:22:04,210 --> 00:22:07,570 him, who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful at all of 352 00:22:07,570 --> 00:22:10,370 God's house. For Jesus has been counted 353 00:22:10,370 --> 00:22:14,170 worthy of more glory than Moses, as much more glory, as the 354 00:22:14,170 --> 00:22:18,330 builder of a house has more honor than the house itself, for 355 00:22:18,330 --> 00:22:21,530 every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is 356 00:22:21,530 --> 00:22:23,810 God. Now Moses was faithful at all 357 00:22:23,810 --> 00:22:27,770 the God's houses, servants to testify to the things that were 358 00:22:27,770 --> 00:22:31,450 to be spoken later. But Christ is faithful over 359 00:22:31,450 --> 00:22:37,340 God's house as a Son, and we are His house, be the church. 360 00:22:37,340 --> 00:22:40,580 We, the Christians, are His house, if indeed we hold fast 361 00:22:40,580 --> 00:22:42,860 our confidence and our boasting and our hope. 362 00:22:42,860 --> 00:22:47,100 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit said today, if you will hear His 363 00:22:47,100 --> 00:22:50,980 voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, 364 00:22:51,300 --> 00:22:54,620 Cora's rebellion, and the others on the day of testing in the 365 00:22:54,620 --> 00:22:58,420 wilderness where your Father's put me to the test and saw my 366 00:22:58,420 --> 00:23:02,020 works for 40 years. Therefore, I was provoked with 367 00:23:02,020 --> 00:23:04,820 that generation. And they said they will always 368 00:23:04,820 --> 00:23:09,880 go astray in their hearts. And they have not known my ways 369 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:13,560 as I swore in my wrath. They shall not enter my rest. 370 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:15,920 Are we all going to die in our sins? 371 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:18,680 Yes. Yes. 372 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:22,400 That's exactly where we're determined to die. 373 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:27,080 That's where our choices of leadership, our choices of life, 374 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:30,160 our choices of living, our choices of serving, that's where 375 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:33,240 they leave us. We're so helpless and depraved 376 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:35,840 in our soul that that is our destiny. 377 00:23:36,530 --> 00:23:43,810 We will not not survive it. You won't survive this life into 378 00:23:43,810 --> 00:23:46,290 the next life without eternal life. 379 00:23:46,890 --> 00:23:49,570 And this life is in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. 380 00:23:49,570 --> 00:23:51,810 And listen so, so now the admonition. 381 00:23:51,810 --> 00:23:53,130 Bear with me just a couple of minutes. 382 00:23:53,410 --> 00:23:58,490 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you and unbelieving 383 00:23:58,490 --> 00:24:02,370 heart leading you to fall away from the living God that's 384 00:24:02,370 --> 00:24:04,910 falling away. That's that apostasy that says 385 00:24:04,910 --> 00:24:08,870 we'll choose a leader and go back, but exhort one another 386 00:24:08,950 --> 00:24:13,390 every day, as long as it's called today, that none of you 387 00:24:13,390 --> 00:24:16,990 may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 388 00:24:18,990 --> 00:24:22,150 For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original 389 00:24:22,150 --> 00:24:28,470 confidence firm to the end. For who were those who heard and 390 00:24:28,470 --> 00:24:31,930 yet rebelled the story we just saw this morning? 391 00:24:32,130 --> 00:24:35,130 Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 392 00:24:35,130 --> 00:24:37,370 And with whom was he provoked for 40 years? 393 00:24:37,610 --> 00:24:40,570 Now, as it was those who had sinned, whose bodies fell in the 394 00:24:40,570 --> 00:24:42,930 wilderness? And to whom did he swear that 395 00:24:42,930 --> 00:24:45,810 they would not enter his rest? But to those who were 396 00:24:45,810 --> 00:24:50,610 disobedient, so we see that they were unable to enter because of 397 00:24:50,610 --> 00:24:54,410 unbelief. Don't let your heart that is 398 00:24:54,410 --> 00:24:57,160 hard. Don't let your heart that's in 399 00:24:57,160 --> 00:24:59,800 rebellion. Don't let your heart that is 400 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:05,400 that is this the very theater and arena of sin and your 401 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:11,800 disobedience cause you to miss. How shall we escape if we 402 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:15,280 neglect so great salvation? The only way to go to an 403 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:19,240 eternity of punishment and perdition is to trample over the 404 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:23,440 blood of Christ. Why will you die, O Israel? 405 00:25:24,190 --> 00:25:27,790 I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord, 406 00:25:27,790 --> 00:25:30,070 Come to Christ, come for salvation. 407 00:25:30,510 --> 00:25:34,110 Hear him, receive him, embrace him, look upon him, believe in 408 00:25:34,110 --> 00:25:39,750 him, trust him, Follow him all the way through death's door 409 00:25:40,270 --> 00:25:43,790 into eternal life. Come and and the day of 410 00:25:43,790 --> 00:25:45,950 salvation is only one day in Scripture. 411 00:25:46,590 --> 00:25:48,670 Today. Today. 412 00:25:48,670 --> 00:25:53,190 Don't let the sun go down tonight unless you know how your 413 00:25:53,190 --> 00:25:57,080 soul is with God. Is it well with your soul?