38.2 Par'shah Korach

[alon]

This week’s readings:
Name of Par’shah- Korach
Par’shah- Num 16:1 – 18:32
Haftara- 1 Samuel 11:14-12:22
Brit Chadashah- 2 Timothy 2:8-21; Jude 1-25

D’rash: One thing really stood out to me when I read this. That is the covenant of salt:

Numbers 18:8,19 (ESV) Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I have given you charge of the contributions made to me, all the consecrated things of the people of Israel. I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual due. …  All the holy contributions that the people of Israel present to the Lord I give to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord for you and for your offspring with you.”

Covenants themselves are interesting. We tend to think of them as simply agreements. They were that, but they were serious business! And there were many types, and many covenants within each type. Let’s look at some characteristics of major covenants:
1. A clear scriptural declaration a covenant is being made- “It is a covenant of salt”
2. Clear who the covenant is with- “to Aaron, … and to your sons as a perpetual due”
3. Have consistent covenant terminology- “I have given them to you as a portion, as a . perpetual due, forever before the Lord”
4. Are not hidden or obscure- “it is a covenant of salt”

In the salt covenant, two or more individuals exchange salt from each person’s pouch or container to the other’s. Usually the salt was placed on a cloth, each man putting down a pinch. The corners were lifted together and the salt mixed, then each placed a pinch back into his pouch. The idea was that if any man could separate each grain of the salt and give each man back his own pinch, then the covenant could be nullified. Of course this was impossible to do so the covenant stood until the terms were met. In this case the terms are it’s theirs forever.

We see an example of the seriousness of covenants in our haftara. Even asking to be released from one part of a major covenant can have serious consequences:

1 Samuel 12:16-18 (ESV) Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

We live in wheat country, so most know what a heavy rain at harvest time can do. So why punish the Israelites for asking for a king?

Deuteronomy 16:18 (ESV) “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

These judges were also to act as military leaders in times of crises. Time and again HaShem had raised up one of them to lead and deal with Israel’s enemies. This provision was part of the Mosaic (Ex 19) and later Palestinian (Deu 29) Covenants. Israel was in crises here, and instead of trusting God they asked for a king. The people in calling for a king had broken their covenant relationship with their Elohim. They faced this immediate consequence, and later many times they faced more stringent consequences when their kings acted against their God.

Jeremiah 31:31,33b-34 (ESV) “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, … I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, …”

I’m probably in the minority in thinking this is an end time prophecy and not applicable to us today. But Rav S agrees, so I think I’m ok. To write something on one’s heart is a Hebrew idiom for memorizing it. Who here can quote for me Gen 5 in the original Hebrew? No? How about Lev 3? So much for memorizing His . Do we still teach? Do we tell each other to know God? Is all iniquity forgiven? Just what in that passage says this prophecy was given for our time?

Because this is the only verse in the TNK to use the phrase New/Renewed Covenant it is said to be a proof text that it’s for today. And in the Kethuvim shel Shaliachim the passage is quoted in Hebrews 8:8-12. But if you are going to use this to bolster the claim it’s for today, you have to use it all:

Hebrews 8:13 (ESV) In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

We might as well shut down and call it quits! If 8-12 is telling us there is now a new covenant, then 13 is saying the old is obsolete. I say this all can happen only in the end times, after the Millineal reign. But we know  has not passed away:

Matthew 5:18 (YLT) for, verily I say to you, till that the heaven and the earth may pass away, one iota or one tittle may not pass away from the law, till that all may come to pass.

God always renewed the covenant with His people after we’ve broken it. That is a major part of the Good News, the Mishna of Yeshua- He has made a way for all men to be reconciled to Himself. His shed blood is the covenant renewed with all men.

Luke 22:20 (ESV) And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

From Vine’s: covenant- διαθήκη diathēkē: a disposition of property by will or otherwise. The rendering of a Hebrew word meaning a "covenant" or agreement

In the Greek sense it means a "testament," a legal document (like a will). The problem is a legal document may be amended or canceled by earthly authority. However note it's a "rendering of a Hebrew word meaning covenant." That word is "brit." Covenants cannot be rendered null by any earthly authority. This is a good thing, because your salvific security rests on this covenant. The covenant with His people Israel was renewed with His death and resurrection. The covenant renewed is just the old covenant with an eternal guarantee. The TNK saints always had that guarantee in faith, now they had it in fact, as do we.

Dan C

[Elizabeth]

I agree the Prophecy in Jeremiah 31 isn't fulfilled. I think anyone who thinks differently would have to consider if they've bought into a replacement theology somehow based on it being fulfilled in the unity it speaks to between Israel and Judah. The tricky part is figuring out where Gentile believers fall into things prophetically. I think the hard part for us is to realize we'll be killed off. I think the fact that we're often not being spoken to in prophecy is an indication of it being an end time happening.             
    
That's one thing that I find hard for us. I think G-d sometimes does take on a more process approach to fulfilling things than we realize. You can see it in the process of sanctification, and so maybe in Yeshua's Spirit the writing on our hearts is in process. Yet, this is speaking to a much more visible unification between Judah and Israel that's yet to happen, and describes almost the absence of any thought other than because finally that's what's truly and completely chosen. G-d can do away with the sin of choice in that finally people have truly chosen Him. I think then it has to be speaking to the remnant.

It's just kind of hard to accept it in joy that way because it feels like we're being left out. I know that's foolish because it speaks to how difficult it will get before its fulfilled and G-d takes us out of the world in a promise fulfilled. Theres just a bitter truth we are faced with in it; all the suffering and loss we are confronted with in it.

We'll be rejoicing with Yeshua and the heavenly community and that's certainly something not to belittle. It's just hard here and now to come to terms with where we fit in sometimes because we can't understand what it all really means yet individually.  In foolishness, it can seem like we're somehow insignificant and like we're just despensable. I know in truth we all are, and that G-d's sincere perfect  love is most apparent in that He doesn't need us in the way we as people understand need. But people can't understand love a part from need. I think this is one way we Gentile believers are confronted with the truth about who individuals who belong to Him are to Him, and it's humbling at the same time it's uplifting, so it's good.  It's an entirely more pure type of love we can't fully understand yet I think. 

I also think it's just human nature to want to have scripture more directly spoken to you. When I think about it though, I can see where Gentile believers fit in. It just comes with a bitter, painful truth facing every human line that's more immediately apparent. We are despensable, and we face a lot of loss and suffering because of that before all is fulfilled. But because we are despensable is just one more reason to praise G-d.  We can all be killed off one by one and not change anything. That's why G-d can do away with sin, because we all are despensable.  He doesn't need us, so we can be killed and His plan will go on, but not Yeshua. He is an absolute necessity and hasatan already showed us that he cannot kill Him.  That's the bottom line for this life, and that's the truth of life for every one of us.  Our savior is the only one who can't be done away with, and thats what each one of us will show in what ever way we're given to. The truth is the world and hasatsn can't get rid of us. I think that's all of our calling on some level, and where I am able to find my place and joy as one of G-d's people.  Israel is just really good at making that truth known and undeniable, and you can't really call it unfair in any way that way. Thats why we want to see Israel do well, and that's where I personally find love, hope, joy and humility in my place in all of this rather than getting pulled into a somehow less than attitude that's always available for me as a Gentile believer in the G-d of Israel. I just see what He's doing better, and He truly is perfect and blameless in how He's doing it. I'm really glad we have an entire nation He keeps and watches that the world can't swallow up as much as it tries.  He gave us a place on earth and a people to look to for His truth and promises fulfilled.  Praise G-d for His wisdom and how He does things. 

[garrett]

Parshah Korach
Bamidbar 16:1-35

It's been a long time (obviously) since I last read the verses in this Parshah. It's amusing and ironic the way Korah (a Levite) Dathan, Abiram and On had garnished multitudes of followers from all the tribes to have their little "mutiny" against Moses and Aaron - and ultimately against G-d.

How many times have we heard of splintering factions within congregations during our own lives? I believe some come to memory during times when I attended a "church" throughout the years, long ago. Some folks will foolishly disrupt a body of believers at the expense of so many others. Anger, bitterness and rivalries manifest so quickly and people even forfeit longstanding friendships.

It's nice to see a biblical account of this scenario where G-d Himself deals with it, not once but twice (17: 9-13). This is the real account of mutiny being utterly squashed by G-d, who ordained and set into place exactly what He wanted. I jokingly think it would be nice to see G-d take modern examples of this - and deal with it in the same way he did with Moses and the tribes. Clarity can be very refreshing.