Moses part 35 Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron In our last study, we have seen how God dealt with the rebellion of Korah and the 250 famous men of Israel. These men were chosen by the people themselves to lead them. Num 16:23 (ISV) Then the LORD instructed Moses, Num 16:24 "Tell the community to move away from where Korah, Dathan, and Abiram are living." Num 16:25 So Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. Num 16:26 Then he told the community, "Move away from the camps of these wicked men and don't touch anything that belongs to them. That way you won't be destroyed along with all their sins." Korah, Dathan and Abiram and their families were swallowed up by the earth! Num 16:30 (CEV) But suppose the LORD does something that has never been done before. For example, what if a huge crack appears in the ground, and these men and their families fall into it and are buried alive, together with everything they own? Then you will know they have turned their backs on the LORD!" Num 16:31 33 As soon as Moses said this, the ground under the men opened up and swallowed them alive, together with their families and everything they owned. Then the ground closed back up, and they were gone. According to Moses, this is something that [the Lord] has never done before. This alone will make you think Israel had learned their lesson not to rebel against Moses, Aaron and all the leaders that God chose. Num 16:34 (ERV) The Israelites heard the cries of the men being destroyed. So they all ran in different directions and said, "The earth will swallow us too!" Num 16:35 Then a fire came from the LORD and destroyed the 250 men who were offering the incense. When the Lord comes back to rule the world, He will take the power from the governments voted by the people and give it to His elect, the people He has chosen to rule. The Bible says the elect will rule with a rod of iron, meaning they will not tolerate any rebellion like the ones with which Moses and Aaron are dealing here.
If you saw whole families being swallowed up by the earth and 250 famous people getting burned by fire from heaven, you would think that you would not rebel against Moses and Aaron, right? Think again. Always remember this verse: Rom 9:18 (ERV) So God shows mercy to those he wants to show mercy to and makes stubborn those he wants to make stubborn. We have seen the Lord hardening the heart of Egypt's Pharaoh, so that he won't let Israel go. What makes us think the Lord cannot make Israel stubborn in the same way? In fact, this is exactly what He did. Num 16:41 (KJV) But 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. Num 16:42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. Amazing isn't it? The very next day they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. Do these people have amnesia? They don't, but we know the reason why they rebelled the very next day. The Lord hardened their hearts! Do we believe that, or do we still believe we have free will? Num 16:43 (GNB) Moses and Aaron went and stood in front of the Tent, Num 16:44 and the LORD said to Moses, Num 16:45 "Move back from these people, and I will destroy them on the spot!" The two of them bowed down with their faces to the ground, Num 16:46 and Moses said to Aaron, "Take your fire pan, put live coals from the altar in it, and put some incense on the coals. Then hurry with it to the people and perform the ritual of purification for them. Hurry! The LORD's anger has already broken out and an epidemic has already begun." Num 16:47 Aaron obeyed, took his fire pan and ran into the middle of the assembled people. When he saw that the plague had already begun, he put the incense on the coals and performed the ritual of purification for the people. Num 16:48 This stopped the plague, and he was left standing between the living and the dead. Aaron was left standing between the living and the dead. Here Aaron is a type of Christ who will save all men and teach all men how to live righteously before God. Num 16:49 (GNB) The number of people who died was 14,700, not counting those who died in Korah's rebellion.
Num 16:50 When the plague had stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tent. Apostle Paul emphasized to those he taught that we need to learn the lessons from the story of Moses and Israel. He actually mentioned this event of Israel murmuring against Moses and Aaron in his letter to the Corinthians. 1Co 10:1 (MKJV) And, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. 1Co 10:2 And all were baptized to Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 1Co 10:3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 1Co 10:4 and all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. It was Christ who was following them as a cloud during the day, and a pillar of fire during the night. It was Christ who gave them the commandments, and it was Christ who destroyed them in their rebellion. 1Co 10:5 (KJV) But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Being overthrown in the wilderness is the cause of God not being pleased with Israel, it is not the effect of God getting displeased with them. What does it mean to get overthrown in the wilderness then? Remember that the wilderness or the desert is a symbol of being in Babylon or the false churches of this world. When we are in Babylon, we follow the teachings of their false ministers [Korah and the 250 famous leaders are symbols of these false ministers], and our faith in God is overthrown. When we follow the teachings of men instead of the teachings of God in the Bible, God will not be pleased with us. 1Co 10:6 (Darby) But these things happened as types of us, that we should not be lusters after evil things, as they also lusted. Those words as types of us are very important to understand. Those words tell us that we also rebel against God and His chosen elect as Israel did. Those words tell us that we follow after evil things as Israel also followed after them. 1Co 10:7 (BBE) Then do not go after false gods, as some of them did; as it is said in the holy Writings, After resting and feasting, the people got up to take their pleasure. 1Co 10:8 Again, let us not give way to the desires of the flesh, as some of them did, of whom twenty-three thousand came to their end in one day. 1Co 10:9 And let us not put the Lord to the test, as some of them did, and came to their death by snakes.
Here's the event specifically being referred to by Paul: 1Co 10:10 (KJV) Nor murmur as some of them also murmured and were destroyed by the destroyer. What did Israel say after witnessing the death of Korah and those famous men whom they chose to lead them? You have killed God's people. Really? It was just the previous day when they all witnessed God opening up the earth to swallow Korah, Dathan and Abiram and their families. From their perspective, it was literally yesterday when they saw fire coming FROM the Lord to destroy the leaders they have chosen. And yet, and yet, they say to Moses and Aaron, You have killed God's people. This shows us that when God blinds us, we are so blind we cannot see our own hands in front of our face! When we are spiritually blinded by God, it does not matter what He shows us regarding the false ministers that we follow. We will still follow them and see them as God's people as they continue to twist the words of God to their own destruction. One of the events Paul mentioned above is going after false gods: 1Co 10:7 (BBE) Then do not go after false gods, as some of them did; as it is said in the holy Writings, After resting and feasting, the people got up to take their pleasure. We haven't discussed this event yet, but this happened earlier in Israel's travel through the desert, when Moses went up to mount Sinai to get the tablets of stone where the ten commandments were written. Exo 32:1 (MKJV) And the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, and the people gathered themselves to Aaron. And they said to him, Up! Make us gods who shall go before us. For this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. Exo 32:2 And Aaron said to them, Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me. Is this how we should behave? When other members of the body are not present, can we then do what we want to do? Apostle Paul teaches us that we should obey God, not only in the presence of the other elect, but much more in their absence. Php 2:12 (KJV) Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Do we only obey our parents when they're present? Or do we need to obey them more when they can't see us? Apostle John answers these questions: 3Jn 1:4 (KJV) I have no greater joy than to hear [from others] that my children walk in truth.
Let's continue the story of Israel going after false gods: Exo 32:4 (ISV) He took them from them and, using a tool, fashioned them into a molten calf. The people said, "This, Israel, is your god who brought you out of the land of Egypt." Exo 32:5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of it, and then he proclaimed, "Tomorrow is to be a festival to the LORD." Exo 32:6 They got up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. Then the people sat down to eat and drink, and then they got up to play. Israel wants to worship the Lord in their own way. They set a festival to the Lord. Isn't this what Christians do today? They celebrate Christmas and Easter to be festivals to the Lord? They celebrate the Lord's birthday and their own birthdays even though the Lord Himself never celebrated His birthday. This is what the Lord thinks when we set days to worship Him and follow after other gods: Exo 32:7 (ERV) At the same time, the LORD said to Moses, "Go down from this mountain. Your people, the people you brought out of the land of Egypt, have committed a terrible sin. Exo 32:8 They have very quickly turned away from what I commanded them to do. They made a calf from melted gold for themselves. They are worshiping that calf and making sacrifices to it. The people have said, 'Israel, these are the gods that led you out of Egypt.'" Exo 32:9 The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen these people, and I know that they are very stubborn. They will always turn against me. Exo 32:10 So now let me destroy them in anger. Then I will make a great nation from you." Exo 32:11 But Moses begged the LORD his God, "LORD, don't let your anger destroy your people. You brought them out of Egypt with your great power and strength. Moses is acting as the Lord here, who is our mediator to God. Moses is begging the Lord not to destroy Israel, as the Lord begs God the Father not to destroy us in our sins, but instead have mercy on us. Exo 32:12 (ISV) Why should the Egyptians say, 'He brought them out with an evil intention to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your anger and change your mind about the calamity against your people. Exo 32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants to whom you swore by yourself as you told them, 'I'll increase the number of your
descendants like the stars of the heavens, I'll give your descendants all of this land about which I have spoken, and they are to possess it forever.'" Exo 32:14 (DRB) And the Lord was appeased from doing the evil which he had spoken against his people. Other translations say, the Lord repented of the evil he thought to do. Others say He changed His mind. However, we have seen time and again, that the Lord does what He wants. He doesn't really change His mind. These verses are written for our benefit, so that we would not forget to ask God for His mercy when we do something wrong. Exo 32:15 (ERV) Then Moses went down the mountain. He had the two stone tablets with the agreement on them. The commandments were written on both sides of the stone, front and back. Exo 32:16 God himself made the stones, and God himself wrote the commandments on them. Exo 32:17 Joshua heard the noise from the party in camp. He said to Moses, "It sounds like war down in the camp!" Exo 32:18 Moses answered, "It is not the noise of an army shouting for victory. And it is not the noise of an army crying from defeat. The noise I hear is the sound of music." Exo 32:19 When Moses came near the camp, he saw the golden calf and the people dancing. He became very angry, and he threw the stone tablets on the ground. The stones broke into several pieces at the bottom of the mountain. Those two stone tablets are the contract or agreement between God and His people. The contract is broken. God says He will continue to bless us as long as we continue to obey Him. We are the one who break our promises, not God. Praise Him that He still plans to save all of us, despite the many times we break our contract or agreement with Him. Exo 32:20 (ERV) Then Moses destroyed the calf that the people had made. He melted it in the fire. Then he ground the gold until it became dust and threw it into the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink that water. Exo 32:21 (ESV) And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?" Exo 32:22 And Aaron said, "Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. You know the people, that they are set on evil. How true are those words of Aaron! We have all been given sinful flesh and we are set on evil. Because of this sinful flesh, we are forced to drink of God's wrath to destroy it.
Moses then commanded the sons of Levi to kill those who were eating and drinking (partying) in honor of the false god they have created. Apostle Paul repeats that these stories of Israel's rebellions are for us, they are for our benefit that we should turn from our evil ways. 1Co 10:11 (Darby) Now all these things happened to them as types, and have been written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. For those who think that they are saved once they said the 10-second prayer and confessed that Jesus Christ is their Lord, the apostle Paul follows up with these words: 1Co 10:12 (ESV) Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. The teaching that 'once in grace, always in grace' is a false teaching. As long as we are in this corruptible, sinful flesh, we always need to be vigilant that we don't lose the reward that is promised to His elect. Exo 32:30 (GNB) The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a terrible sin. But now I will again go up the mountain to the LORD; perhaps I can obtain forgiveness for your sin." Exo 32:31 Moses then returned to the LORD and said, "These people have committed a terrible sin. They have made a god out of gold and worshiped it. Exo 32:32 Please forgive their sin; but if you won't, then remove my name from the book in which you have written the names of your people." Exo 32:33 The LORD answered, "It is those who have sinned against me whose names I will remove from my book. Exo 32:34 Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Remember that my angel will guide you, but the time is coming when I will punish these people for their sin." The Lord's answer to Moses is very clear: It is those who have sinned against me whose names I will remove from my book. There are those who teach that the Lord did it all for us in the cross and now all our sins are forgiven, even the ones we haven't committed yet. That is another one of the biggest lies that most Christians believe. We have all sinned, and we have all been removed from God's book of life. It is up to Him whose names He will write back to it. A few of us will be written back in this life, just as only a few of Israel reached the promised land. All people not already in the first resurrection will be written back and accepted after they have suffered in the lake of fire. Next time, Lord willing, we will look at the other rebellions of Israel which Paul mentioned here