God’s Holiness and Christ’s Intercession

Audio Teaching

Notes

Introduction

Opening Texts: 1 Cor. 10:1-14 LSB and Num. 16 LSB

• Don’t read of Israel’s rebellions with a judgmental attitude but with one of learning and wanting to be like Joshua and Caleb.
• Idolatry def.: [T]he sin of the mind against God. And immorality, sins of the flesh, and are traced to lack of acknowledgment of God and gratitude.” – Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. (New Testament Entry), W. E. Vine.
  • Note: Korach lacked gratitude for his position.
  • Rom. 1:22-25 LSB
  • Israel had idols and still worshipped God.
    • Kings and Chronicles tell us that many evil kings did not pull down the Baals and Ashteroth polls. Many kings stopped worshipping God altogether, while others brought idolatry into the Temple.
    • Could showing the Super Bowl in the Sanctuary be our equivalent?

Korah’s Rebellion

Num. 16:1-3

• They rose up against Moses, but verse thirty tells us they actually spurned Yahweh.
• They wouldn’t submit to God’s authority through Moses.
• Everyone was holy but didn’t have the same assignment (Priests, Levites, Israel).

Num. 16:4-32

• Moses fell on his face: Moses interceded on behalf of Israel (14:11-19; 16:4, 22, 45).
• v. 5: “Tomorrow morning” – Moses gave them time to repent.
• v. 9: God had separated them into an assignment, but they wanted a better one.
• vs. 12-14: They refused instruction.
• v. 22: Because of Moses’ intercession, the entire Congregation wasn’t consumed, just the instigators.
• v. 26: “Turn aside now from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing that belongs to them, lest you be swept away in all their sin.” [see 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1].

Num. 16:41-50

• The Congregation blamed Moses for the punishment of the ones who sinned. They refused to believe the men died because of their sin. Israel still did not grasp the holiness of God.
• In ch. 17, Aaron’s rod budded, signifying his call from God and that of his sons.

Jesus (Yeshua): Lord and High Priest (an outline of Hebrews)

• Many in Israel didn’t want to submit to the rule of God through the priesthood; today, many Christians want Jesus as Savior but refuse Him as Lord.
• Heb. 1:1-4 LSB
  • Yeshua is the final Word of God.
  • 2 Pt. 1:16-21 LSB
  • If we are not walking in the light of the Written Word, we don’t need a special word. In that state, desiring a direct or personal word opens us up to the deception of the enemy, who appears as an angel of light.
• In Hebrews chapter two, we are warned against neglecting our salvation.
• In chapters three and four we are warned against unbelief and told to remain in Sabbath rest.
• Yeshua, our great High Priest: Heb. 5:5-14 LSB.
• Warning against falling away: Heb. 6:1-8 LSB
  • Matthew 24:4 “see to it that no one deceives you.”
  • v. 11: “Many false prophets will arise and will deceive many.”
  • v. 24: “For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
  • What do we hear about in the Church today? We have the same anointing as Jesus, that in the last days, there will be great signs, wonders, and healings everywhere, and that stadiums will be filled for the glory of God. Read the Scriptures and see if that lines up.
• In Hebrews chapters seven and eight, we are told of the connection between Melchizedek and Jesus and that Jesus is the High Priest of the New Covenant.
  • What is the New Covenant? Jer. 31:31-33 LSB
• Going forward in Hebrews, we are given the distinctions between the First Covenant and the New Covenant, which is the covenant in the blood of Yeshua. We then see the great hall of faith in chapter eleven, followed by Yeshua being the Author and finisher of our faith and what acceptable worship looks like.

Rebellion and Sins Pattern

Korah’s rebellion is a picture of how each of us rebels. We know what God has said, but we think we know better.

• Gen. 3:6 LSB “Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, so she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.”
  1. Seeing something as good for us that God has said to stay away from.
  2. Seeing with the eyes of the flesh and not looking at the Word. God gave a Word concerning that tree.
  3. Wanting the world’s wisdom and not the wisdom of God. (The Book of Proverbs has much to say on this subject. [A daily chapter of Proverbs will take you through each month]).

Lessons for Today from Korah’s Rebellion

• Korah thought he had the right to distrust God. Jewish history tells us that his wife wanted a better position for him, so she nags him daily until he rebels against Moses (See The Weiss Edition of Light Points, pp. 455-466).
  • Modern-day leaders fall into this same trap, thinking they are more than undershepherds. Men are building platforms in the name of God unto themselves.
  • It has become common among Christians to “let God have it.” This is a fallacy of having an intimate relationship with God. We are told that God has big shoulders and can handle our anger. We must return to the fear of the Lord—God is Holy and just, and we should relate to Him in that way.

A Lesson Concerning The Glory of God

• chasing the glory and “glory clouds.”
• Compare the response of today with Scripture.
  • Isaiah said, “Woe is me for I am a man of unclean lips and dwell among a people of unclean lips.” (Isa. 6).
  • The Apostle John fell down as dead in Revelation.
  • Paul would not speak of what he saw in heaven.
  • Peter pointed away from seeing the Transfiguration and to Scripture.
• Korah questioned the mediation of the priesthood. Today, we have “leaders” selling us on dreams, visions, and words that don’t point us to Christ but their revelation.