Shabbat shalom kol beit Yisra'el and Mishpachah and welcome to the last sabbath of the biblical month as we prepare in a couple of days to step into stream of the autumnal (fall) festivals once again. I had something else in mind to lead into that to what I received.

I received today's word just before I was about to retire last night. I had been given hints all week but hadn't really paid any serious attention to them as I was so wrapped up in illness and other events. After a short period of prayer and confession, the message I am about to share came like a thunderbolt out of heaven:

"If you do not know the holiness of Yahweh you do not know Yahweh."

The passage I am about to read you is very challenging. The story is well-known but it does challenge us to consider who our Elohim (God) truly is. It upsets a lot of people. Many do not come to faith because of it and many leave the faith because of it. And yet many come to faith, or are strengthened in their faith, because of it. The big questions it provokes is, "Who are You, Yahweh?" and "Why are You like this?" Now to people as little as two or three centuries ago, such questions did not trouble your average mind, or at least very few. And if you go back 3,400 or so years ago such would have been regarded as perfectly normal. Indeed, the dispute in this passage it not between man and Ellohim (God) and what Elohim (God) may or may not do, but between man and man.

So if you want to follow with me as we read our text, turn to Numbers 16. I am going to read from a very good paraphrase, the New Living Translation (NLT) so that we get the overall picture and sense of events. As we read through the text, I want you to ask yourself such questions as, "Who is Yahweh?", "Is He the same today?" and if He is the same today, as we're told He is in Hebrews 13:8, "What should my proper response to Him be?"

The scene is Mount Sinai during Israel's challenging but fully deserved wilderness journey:

"One day Korah son of Izhar, a descendant of Kohath son of Levi, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, from the tribe of Reuben. They incited a rebellion against Moses, involving 250 other prominent leaders, all members of the assembly. They went to Moses and Aaron and said, 'You have gone too far! Everyone in Israel has been set apart by Yahweh, and He is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than anyone else among all these people of Yahweh?" (Num.16:1-3, NLT).

When I was in the army I was taught that it is not the officer you salute but his commission or rank. You may love him or hate him, respect him or despise him, but you obey him nonetheless because he has been set over you by a chain of command extending all the way back to the Queen. When you are obeying your Captain or Major or whoever your superior officer is, you're obeying all the officers with a rank higher than them all the way to the very top. Every single one of those officers had faults but that wasn't the point. In fact, sometimes I thought our Major, though very likeable, kind, and fair, was a bit crazy at times. And he could be! He loved throwing thunder-flashes at us during military field exercises which scared the pants off us and potentially could have damaged your eardrum if one went off close enough to you. Picture a man standing up in his jeep laughing, throwing these exploding sticks left, right and centre! Our Captain, on the other hand, I did not like at all. He had been better as a junior officer but after his promition to Captain he started getting obnoxious. Amazing what an extra pip will do sometimes. We stayed clear of him as best we could but we still had to obey him when he gave us an order, and we did. And when our Major ordered me over a cliff on a rope to show the men how it was done, I was protesting loudly inside but I did it anyway. As the Company Sergeant-Major it would have set a bad example and lost me respect if I hadn't anyway, but the larger issue was submission to his orders. I went over the side, rocks falling on my helmet as I clumsily went down the sheer face, scared half to death. You see, I had never done that before. I went over obediently in faith.

The pastoral office is no different. No pastor is perfect and some may be disagreeable but we are commanded to support them in their office nonetheless because of what they do rather than who they are personality-wise. Some of you may remember a story that John Bevere taught about how Yahweh showed him the true order of submission in his series, The Bait of Satan. Yahweh blessed him so much because of that. If you haven't read his book or seen his video presentation, I highly recommend it, as it's without doubt his life's masterpiece for which he is well-known.

Yahweh is most particular about respect toward parents and elders. So serious is He about this that striking a parent warranted the death penalty under the Old Covenant! (Ex.21:15) Unfortunately, respect for authority has nearly all but disappeared from our modern self-entitlement culture in the West, one of the reasons it is in such moral anarchy and why it is about to be so severely judged. There is little to no fear of Yahweh any longer, even amongst professing believers because they don't really believe He is intimately involved in His Creation and the next life is, well, a long way off (supposedly - it isn't). Being immersed as we are in this rebellious culture tends to blunt our moral edge.

Let's continue reading. Notice Moses' first response to the accusation made against him that he was trying to lord it over the children of Israel because of his high calling as navi (prophet) and leader, and notice to who or what he makes his appeal for vindication:

"When Moses heard what they were saying, he threw himself down with his face to the ground. Then he said to Korah and his followers, 'Tomorrow morning Yahweh will show us who belongs to Him and who is qadosh (holy, set-apart). Yahweh will allow those who are chosen to enter His qadosh (holy, set-apart) presence. You, Korah, and all your followers must do this: Take incense burners, and burn incense in them tomorrow before Yahweh. Then we will see whom Yahweh chooses as His qadosh (holy, set-apart) one. You Levites are the ones who have gone too far!'" (vv.4-7, NLT)

The first thing he does is prostrate himself before Yahweh in contrition to receive revelation. He did not respond in fleshy anger because he was offended. His response was not, 'How dare you challenge my authority!' even though he had such authority because what would the result have been? An even more heated exchange possibly leading to violence - to a coup d'état. We're learning not only about who Yahweh is but what an authentic leader is like. A leader is himself one who is led otherwise how can he set an example? Remember also that the ones in rebellion were mostly Levites, those already given a special privilege and responsibility of service.

But it had ceased to be about service for these rebels and had become instead an issue of position, prestige and power which, by their action, they demonstrated they did not deserve, but they were yet blind to that.

"Then Moses spoke again to Korah, 'Now listen, you Levites! Does it seem a small thing to you that the Elohim (God) of Israel has chosen you from among all the people of Israel to be near Him and you serve in Yahweh's Tabernacle and to stand before the people to minister to them? He has given this special ministry only to you and your fellow Levites, but now you are demanding the priesthood as well! The one you are really revolting against is Yahweh! And who is Aaron that you are complaining about him?'" (vv.8-11, NLT)

Moses saw straight through their lie by pointing out a cardinal weakness that fallen human beings have, and it's this: not being satisfied with what we already have. We want more...and more. Greed. I don't know about you but I find greed utterly repulsive. It is repulsive and Yahweh hates it. Do you remember the advice John the Baptist gave some soldiers who came to see him at the Jordan River: "Be content with your wages" (Luke 3:14, NKJV). Soldiers back then were paid pretty badly as they always have done despite putting their lives on the line in service to their country. That's not to say we should not hope for better wages or treatment but what Yahweh does insist is that until such a time as your situation can be or is improved, learn to be content. That's what Paul said too, wasn't it?

"Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content" (Phil.4:11, NKJV).

And though that ought to be common sense really, we are reminded because we tend to forget - because we succumb to greed and discontent, failing to realise that sometimes a lack of something is to discipline us by bringing us into remembrance of the priorities in life. And the greatest priority is contentedness because without it, there is no shalom - no peace, no rest, just stress and strife. And if you don't learn this when you are young, the limitations imposed by old age will certainly teach you this later on in life!

Moses had a problem on his hands and the way he handled it is a critically important object lesson especially for those of you in authority as parents, ministers or bosses at work:

"Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, 'We refuse to come! Isn't it enough that you brought us out of Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us here in this wilderness, and that you now treat us like your subjects? What's more, you haven't brought us into the land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Are you trying to fool us? We will not come'" (vv.12-14, NLT)

How would you have reacted to open defiance like this - "We refuse to come!"? Lose your temper with them? Moses would have been justified for sure but he patiently listens to what his opponents say whilst listening to the response that Yahweh wants him to give them. Moses became rightly angered but he did not direct that anger directly at the rebels but pleaded his innocence before Yahweh as Job did in his situation, you will remember:

"Then Moses became very angry and said to Yahweh, 'Do not accept their offerings! I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, and I have never hurt a single one of them.' And Moses said to Korah, 'Come here tomorrow and present yourself before Yahweh with all your followers. Aaron will also be here. Be sure that each of your 250 followers brings an incense burner with incense on it, so you can present them before Yahweh. Aaron will also present his incense burner'" (vv.15-17, NLT)

There is no point pleading innocence to a rebel though it's a mistake we all regularly make, and Moses doesn't. He pleads to Yahweh for justifation, not to man! That way He does not take the ultimate responsibility for the judgment which must inevitably come to resolve the issue, only Yahweh can, and then everyone will be forced to conclude that truth has been served because justice must necessarily be served supernaturally.

Notice also how Korah is progressively doing more and more of the devil's work by spreading the rebellion to the whole nation and closing firmly the doors to his own repentance:

"So these men came with their incense burners, placed burning coals and incense on them, and stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle with Moses and Aaron. Meanwhile Korah had stirred up the entire community against Moses and Aaron, and they all assembled at the Tabernacle entrance. Then the glorious presence of Yahweh appeared to the whole community, and Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, 'Get away from these people so that I may instantly destroy them!'

"But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground. 'O Elohim (God), the Elohim (God) and source of all chayim (life),' they pleaded. 'Must You be angry with all the people when only one man sins?'

"And Yahweh said to Moses, 'Tell all the people to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.'

"So Moses got up and rushed over to the tents of Dathan and Abiram, followed closely by the Israelite leaders. 'Quick!' he told the people. 'Get away from the tents of these wicked men, and don't touch anything that belongs to them. If you do, you will be destroyed for their sins.' So all the people stood back from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance of their tents with their wives and children and little ones.

"And Moses said, 'By this you will know that Yahweh has sent me to do all the things that I have done - for I have not done them on my own. If these men die a natural death, then Yahweh has not sent me. But if Yahweh performs a miracle and the ground opens up and swallows them and all their belongings, and they go down alive into Sheol (the grave), then you will know that these men have despised Yahweh'" (vv.18-30).

Notice that Moses is not appealing to his divine appointment as the final arbiter but Yahweh Himself so there can be no doubt in the minds of the people who's in charge. Beyond a certain point, the legal authority invested in humans is not enough and the final action must be given to Yahweh.

What followed was truly awful but just and righteous. Had the punishment not been carried out, the nation would have destroyed itself, the righteous being consumed together with the wicked:

"He had hardly finished speaking the words when the ground suddenly split open beneath them. The earth opened up and swallowed the men, along with their households and the followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned. So they went down alive into Sheol (the grave), along with their belongings. The earth closed over them, and they all vanished. All the people of Israel fled as they heard their screams, fearing that the earth would swallow them too. Then fire blazed forth from Yahweh and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense" (vv.31-35, NLT).

Yahweh does not tolerated falsely-claimed authority. To administer that which is qadosh (holy, set-apart), you must yourself be qadosh (holy, set-apart); and you yourself can only be qadosh (holy, set-apart) if Yahweh declares by His Davar (Word) - by His mouth in the Heavenlies as a Creative Act that you are qadosh (holy, set-apart)! And since these rebels had disobeyed their prophetic heads, Moses and Aaron, who received their authority and were made qadosh (holy, set-apart) by Yahweh's own mouth, claiming priesthood authority which they had not been given, they nullified their own authority as ministers, ceased to be qadosh (holy, set-apart), and were subsequently forbidden to serve at all! Indeed - and this is something you must carefully note - the metal incense burners they had been carrying remained qadosh (holy, set-apart) unlike them, the coal, incense and fire they had used or createdbeing defiled by them and therefore was not qadosh (holy, set-apart):

"And Yahweh said to Moses, 'Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the cohen (priest) to pull all the incense burners from the fire, for they are qadosh (holy, set-apart). Also tell him to scatter the burning incense from the burners of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives. He must then hammer the metal of the incense burners into a sheet as a covering for the altar, for these burners have become qadosh (holy, set-apart) because they were used in Yahweh's presence. The altar covering will then serve as a warning to the people of Israel.'

"So Eleazar the cohen (priest) collected the 250 bronze incense burners that had been used by the men who died in the fire, and they were hammered out into a sheet of metal to cover the altar. This would warn the Israelies that no unauthorised man - no one who was not a descendant of Aaron - should ever enter Yahweh's presence to burn incense. If anyone did, the same thing would happen to him as happened to Korah and his followers. Thus, Yahweh's instructions to Moses were carried out" (vv.36-40, NLT).

A piece of metal consecrated to Yahweh for a divinely designated purpose is more qadosh (holy, set-apart) than someone claiming an authority he has not been give. Do you understand that? This has nothing to do with the comparitive value of metal and a human life. The value lies in what Yahweh pronounces over something, and what He speaks determines whether something is qadosh (holy, set-apart) or not, in other words, whether it dwells in His presence or not. Thus inside the Qadosh (Holy. Set-apart) City, the New Jerusalem, everything and everyone is qadosh (holy, set-apart) and everything and every person outside it not. Nothing that is unholy or usanctified, can enter into Elohim's (God's) presence. That's a fundamental emet (truth) that we must factor into every calculation about life, living that we make not to mention the conclusion we arrive at theologically.

What kind of people are disqualified from the Qadosh (Holy, Set-apart) city of New Jerusalem?

"But cowards who turn away from Me, and unbelievers, and the corrupt and murderers, and the immoral, and those who practice witchcraft, and idol worshippers, and all liars - their doom is the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This is the second death" (Rev.21:8, NLT).

"Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit of the Tree of Chayim (Life). Outside the city are (i.e. they continue to exist - they are not annihilated) the dogs (unholy, impure people) - the sorcerers and sexually immoral, the murderers, he idol worshippers, and all who love to live a lie" (Rev.22:14-15, NLT).

We do not value things in quite the same way as the Creator of the Universe because we don't appreciate how infinitely valuable is the Spoken Davar (Word) of El Elyon, the Most High. You see, this Davar (Word) is what brings both metal and living things into being, so is it not rightly viewed as greater? Is not the creating power greater than that which is created? Therefore the metal incense burners were more valuable than those executed rebels, not because living creatures are less valuable that inanimate objects per se but because of what Yahweh pronounces. If you can grasp that then you are on your way to understanding what biblical holiness is, but if you think like the flesh - like the world - the understanding will most certainly elude you. We need to readjust our scale of values, not Yahweh, for if we do not, holiness will elude us for sure. That means placing a value on His Davar (Word) and His divine tavnith (pattern) which perhaps we hitherto have not. Are you willing to do that? That means learning obedience sooner rather than later.

Now you'd have thought after that demonstration of power that that those who had not been swallowed up into the ground or burned to a cinder would have submitted their hearts and shut their mouths, so what follows beggars belief - but no, instead accepting responsibily for their own sins, they try to switch the blame onto the innocent!

"But the very next morning the whole community begain muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, 'You two have killed Yahweh's people!' As the people gathered to protest to Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tabernacle and saw that the cloud had covered it, and the glorious presence of Yahweh appeared.

"Moses and Aaron came and stood at the entrance to the Tabernacle, and Yahweh said to Moses, 'Get away from these people so that I can instantly destroy them!' But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground [to intercede again]" (vv.41-44, NLT).

Unbelievable! How stubborn, stupid, moronic, pathetic, and rebellious can you get! You see, they still have a pagan Egyptian mindset. They still have the devil's heart. They are still thinking like the world, proving that physical miracles per se are never enough to convert a soul. Only when the metaphorical knife is at a carnal man's throat will he finally yield...in most cases, but not all, unless there is sufficient carnage to convince him that he might be next. Then it is the carnal law of self-preservation that kicks in and nothing more. Their response is not spiritual:

"And Moses said to Aaron, 'Quick, take an incense burner and place burning coals on it from the altar. Lay incense on it and carry it quickly among the people to make atonement for them. Yahweh's anger is blazing among them - the plague has already begun.'

"Aaron did as Moses told him and ran out among the people. The plague indeed had already begun, but Aaron burned the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead until the plague was stopped. But 14,700 people died in that plague, in addition to those who had died in the incident involving Korah. Then because the plague had stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tabernacle" (vv.46-50, NLT).

The parallel between Aaron making intercession for the dying people here finds a parallel in Yahweh telling Job to pray for his friends with their bad counsel and even worse theology. Yahweh was angry with Job's friends and only his prayer assuaged His wrath. Again, the intercession of the qadosh (holy, set-apart) for the unqadosh (unholy, unset-apart) is key, for it is the basis of Messiah's atonement for us under the New Covenant.

Can you now understand why this generation of Israelites could never be permitted into the Promised Land (the equivalent of the New Jerusalem) and had to die out completely? Can you understand why they could never partake of the land "flowing with milk and honey" which they had blamed Moses for failing to deliver to them earlier, saying Egypt was just as good, if not better? They were not worthy of it. Remember, this is everyone of Israel who is in rebellion, aside from their children, and Moses with Aaron, Joshua and Caleb of the original first generation. They were unworthy of the salvation that they had been freely given, without merit on their part, other than to get on their feet and follow Moses out of Egypt into the wilderness, thus far. They were unworthy to be witnesses of the tremendous miracles they had experienced. They were unworthy of their numerous deliverances.

So this time 14,700 had to perish and if Moses and Aaron had not interceded they would all have perished! Let that sink in. Ask the deeper questions of what that means translated into a New Covenant context. Why does Yahweh respect that sort of intercession? Because of the holiness - His holiness - which is in the true intercessors! Because He had placed it in them, setting them apart by His Davar (Word), the same Davar (Word) that brought this vast Universe into existence and which sustains to this very day! Is this not the epitome of undeserved loving-kindness, unmerited favour - of grace? That is why our own word is SO IMPORTANT! We are to use ours as Yahweh uses His. That is why we must always keep it, and why we must carefully measure our tongue. That is why we must abide by our covenants for they are qadosh (holy, set-apart) - sacred.

We are not any of us very good at this which is why we must daily make teshuvah - repent of our faithlessness. If we do not forgive others, Yahweh will not forgive us. If we do not repent of our failure to maintain holiness, He will, by the by, withdraw His holiness from us, and then we are in serious trouble. In failing to repent, we demonstrate a lack of trust - of emunah (faith).

The 17th chapter of Numbers is Yahweh's final demonstration of where He has placed His authority and to hammer into those Israelite numbskulls that He will not alter His decrees:

"Then Yahweh said to Moses, 'Take twelve wooden staffs, one from each of Isarel's ancestral tribes, and inscribe each tribal leader's name on his staff. Inscribe Aaron's name on the staff of the tribe of Levi, for there must be one staff for the leader of each ancestral tribe. Put these staffs in the tabernacle in front of the Ark of the Covenant where I meet with you. Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to this murmuring and complaining against you.'

"So Moses gave the instructions to the people of Israel, and each of the twelve tribal leaders including Aaron, brought Moses a staff. Moses put the staffs in Yahweh's presence in the Tabernacle of the Covenant. When he went into the Tabernacle of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron's staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, blossomed, and produced almonds!

"When Moses brought all the staffs out from Yahweh's presence, he showed them to the people. Each man claimed his own staff. And Yahweh said to to Moses: 'Place Aaron's staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant as a warning to rebels. This should put an end to their complaints against Me and prevent any further deaths.' So Moses did as Yahweh commanded him.

"Then the people of Israel said to Moses, 'We are as good as dead! We are ruined! Everyone who even comes close to the Tabernacle of Yahweh dies. We are all doomed!'" (Num.17:1-13, NLT).

Remember in our last Bible study we were discussing Hebrew hyperbole? Well, here's an excellent example of some. And yet there was a prophetic truth in these words too. These first generation yet Egyptianised Israelites were condemned never to enter the Promised Land and to die off out in the wilderness of Sinai, leaving their children, untainted by Egypt, to inherit the land instead of them. They would remain in the same landscape in which they rebelled so often, a landscape reflecting the condition of their own dry spirits. That was their sentence and they knew it. They knew they had failed their testing. (See The Nine Character Tests).

Now I have a word for you aspirant 'Moses-men' out there who think you have been called to lead Messianic Israel to the Israel and are making all sorts of wild and outrageous promises with no evidence whatsoever of the kind of power which must attend the end-time nevi'im (prophets) called to do that job in the Second (Final, Last) Exodus out of the nations of the world. You have about as much power and authority as Korah and those Levite rebels did. Repent, adopt a more humble attitude, and let Yahweh decide your calling, for if you try to walk in a calling you have not been given, like those rebellious Levites, you will fail and your labours will come to nothing. There will be men like Moses in the end-time but they will first have to be purged like Moses, and then called, and bring forth the signs before the people vindicating their anointing.

I want to conclude this message with something Yahweh told me this morning as I woke up. I have been struggling with a lot these last months, not least my health but also a number of theological questions, sensing my own inadequacy and failure to achieve all that I have set out to do. I had been very much immersed in Numbers 16 last night. And as I awoke I heard Yahweh speaking to me very softly and gently, almost in a whisper, and these are the words He spoke to me:

"The thing about Moses was that he was pure (qadosh, holy, set-apart), you know..."

It was so lovingly spoken, so kind, yet uncompromising. What He was telling me, as a gracious father (which was why He added "you know...", indicating his understanding of my predicament) was that the difference between me and Moses was that Moses was pure, qadosh, holy, set-apart. I knew then that there was a great gulf between me and Moses. Now I know that I am jurisdictionally pure when I am in Christ, but there remains the inner sanctification that must be worked out - that gradual inner transformation that comes about as the result of trusting and obeying. That's why Moses needed 40 years in Midian before he was ready for another 40 years in Sinai at the head of a rebellious nation! He was made jurisdictionally right with Yahweh - he was 'justified', to use favourite Protestant jargon, because Yahweh had spoken holiness over and into Him, setting him apart as consecrated and therefore worthy to enter into His presence, and this because of his trusting or emunah (faith). But the moment he took credit for a miracle, in the bringing forth of water out of that rock, something changed in his relationship with Yahweh, didn't it? and he wasn't allowed to cross the River Jordan into the Promised Land as a result. Something to remember lest any get too cocky about their salvation by falling into the 'Once Saved, Always Saved' trap.

Then he showed me a vision which I did not want to see, of all my failures, a whole row of them lined up side by side - works almost brought to completion, which yet could be brought to completion, but which nevertheless were ultimately unfruitful. I was ashamed. Yet I also felt hope, and feel hope now. And I do not want to leave this world having failed to complete them, nor do I intend to, if He will grant me grace and time. So I am hoping that this is a turn-around moment for me personally. I hope you too, if you need them, will have yours too. Therefore let us pursue holiness with all earnestness and emunah (faith) and step-up to our callings, the ones Yahweh has actually given us and not the ones we have imagined or fancied, and see our lives to their successful completion for His glory's sake.