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Compliments of First Fruits of Zion
reprinted by permission of FFOZ
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Korach – קרח : “Korah”
Torah : Numbers 16:1–18:32
Haftarah : 1 Samuel 11:14–12:22
Gospel : John 9, 10
Korah’s rebellion takes place in the very members of our body. According to Paul, our very flesh is opposed to the Torah. Our fleshly minds are in open rebellion to the commandments of God. (Romans 8:7) Yet in Messiah we have a new identity. We don’t need to submit to our flesh. We need not join Korah and perish in his rebellion. In Messiah the flesh has been crucified with Messiah.
Numbers 16:1–3: Korach and his rebels had begun to question the legitimacy of Moses’ prophetic office. Moses claimed He heard directly from God, but who was to say that it was so? How were they to know he was really sent from God?
They challenged the authority of Moses. To oppose the authority of Moses is to oppose the Torah. In the words of the Jerusalem Talmud, Korach declared, “The Torah was not given by God, Moses is not a prophet, and Aaron is not the high priest.” (j.Sanhedrin 50a)
In one way or another, we believers in Yeshua have often come to the same theological conclusions. It would seem that Korach’s theology has had some influence on our thinking. Throughout our history, it has been common to assume that the Torah is not really God-given. Rather it is considered to be a burdensome maze of laws, rules of men and rules of condemnation, never intended for believers. It is often said, “The Torah is not given by God, at least not to believers in Yeshua.” This was the very counsel of Korach.
Though everyone readily admits that Moses was a prophet, his prophecy is lowly regarded. He is considered a prophet made irrelevant by later prophets who saw with greater revelation. Moses is so diminished in his office of prophet that it is as if he were not a prophet at all. His words are largely disregarded. Korach would approve.
If Korach was alive today, he would have his pockets stuffed with passages plucked from their context in the Apostles (NT) as he endeavored to convince us of his threefold premise: “The Torah was not given by God, Moses is not a prophet, and Aaron is not the high priest.”
But Messiah endorses the Torah of Moses saying, “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Torah until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:18-19) On another occasion, He says that unless we believe Moses, we can not believe in Messiah. He says, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (John 5:46-47)
If we are to be believers in Messiah, we must first acknowledge the authority of the words of Moses. We must not join in Korach’s rebellion.
Shavuah Tov! Have a Good Week!
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First Fruits of Zion, PO Box 620099, Littleton, CO
80162-0099 USA
Telephone 303 933 2119, Toll-free 800 775 4807, Fax 303 933 0997
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