We should try to live it out at the heart level and not lawyer God.
This week’s Torah portion is Korah (Numbers 16-18). The story and lessons learned are fascinating. These are lessons I regularly strive to learn from through introspection of my own faith and observation of the wider Body of Messiah. Reflecting on it often reveals where I (and we) fall short in the walk of faith.
In an “overall message” sort of way, I too often see myself standing in a place where I buck authority and try to go my own way. I choose a path that I think is the better path and as the portion would suggest, that doesn’t tend to go so well.
In a view of the wider body of Messiah, I also see the rebellion of Korah alive and well. From the early days of Yeshua’s teachings spreading throughout the world, people have been striving to overturn the authority of Moses. Too many teachers, pastors, priests, and lay leaders speak to the obsolescence of the words of Moses for a Christian believer.
When I think on this Torah portion, I am always reminded of Jude 11 where Jude is warning us of fellow “believers” that follow after the ways of Cain, Balaam and Korah. For anyone that thinks Torah doesn’t apply to Christian Believers, Jude seems to disagree. Jude expected that you would immediately know the downfalls of each of these Biblical characters. Ask an average Christian though and you’ll likely get the deer-in-the-headlights look when they have no idea about Balaam and Korah.
When practicing my introspection and observation of the Body of Messiah, I’m forced to confront the questions of these 3 characters. More so when reading this Torah portion as it is one of the 3 that go hand in hand with Jude 11 which is directly applied by Jude to a Christian believer.
Do Jude’s warnings apply to me? Am I in the midst of Messiah’s community falling prey to these characteristics? Who do I know that I should be guarded with as they are falling prey to these characteristics?
Do I harbor jealousy and anger when I see others succeeding with God more than myself, and thus stepping into the shoes of Cain? Remember, Cain may have had physical blood on His hands, but the words of Yeshua in Matthew 5 easily put spiritual blood on yours and mine.
Do I serve the community in any fashion in an effort to reap profit for myself? Do we give out of love or with an expectation to receive? I’m not just asking giving from our monetary means, but are we serving and sharing of the faith with an eye toward gain? Don’t be so fast to deny this is you. How many times have you said (or thought) the words “what does that have to do with salvation”? Imagine my wife asking me to take out the garbage and I ask her “what does that have to do with our marriage?” Did you accept Jesus just for salvation for eternal death or is it a relationship of love, honor, and obedience? If you answer this critically, you may have to reassess your relationship and expectations.
Those are other portions though. This portion is about Korah. And this story turns out to be quite fascinating when you dissect it into its various parts and when you also overlay it with history.
The Bible has synonymized Moses and the first five books of Scripture. If you rebel against God’s teachings, you rebel against Moses, making this Torah portion particularly apt to the Christian church. A common doctrine in the church, regardless of denominational preference, is that the Torah no longer applies. I witness this regardless of the church or synagogue I attend. We all make excuses in some fashion, but is that the way it should be?
Those five books of Scripture are the only words that God physically spoke as it says, “with Moses I speak mouth to mouth.” The unique thing about those words is that they appear in every book of Scripture. Often overtly, sometimes a passing quote that will not jump out during a cursory reading, and sometimes in the basic meaning of the storyline without a direct quote at all, but blatantly obvious to the student of Torah. It is constant and in every book.
So how do we rebel against Moses? How do we too often step into Korah’s shoes? Yeshua taught continually during His years on earth that we should be living out the heart of Torah. He didn’t want His disciples to abandon Torah, but to take it to the next level! Instead of doing that, we usually read something in Torah and then say, “well that piece doesn’t apply to me.”
Taking someone’s life may not apply to you, but Yeshua told you that anger toward your neighbor is tantamount to murder. It applies. You just need to look for how.
We should try to live it out at the heart level and not lawyer God.
When God speaks of the priesthood wearing very specific clothing when coming to serve in the Temple, He is speaking to the Levitical priesthood who serve in the Temple of God. How do we live that out at a heart level rather than saying “that doesn’t apply to me”?
When a tree is planted in Israel, it takes 5 years to partake of its fruit within the confines of Torah. Can you apply this way of life to yourself? Or is it more convenient to say “it doesn’t apply to me”?
I don’t want to lawyer God, I want to discover the heart of Torah and live it out.
There’s something at the heart level of each of these that we should search out with a passionate pursuit of God. Rather than telling your neighbor or fellow Believer that “Moses has gone too far” for what is applicable to you, following in the shoes of Korah, perhaps you should talk it through and decide how that teaching can be lived out in your life. As Yeshua says in Matthew 5 “…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Another take away from Korah I had this week was the blossoming staff of Aaron. It was Aaron’s staff that blossomed when the other rebellious leaders were gunning for the priesthood. It was Aaron’s staff and the life from something dead that proved he was chosen by God.
There’s this theological thought that is regularly on my mind called Radial Ecclesiology. This idea that the order of authority of Scripture radiates out from Yeshua, to the Levitical priesthood, to the wider Jewish people (speaking all 12 tribes here folks, so don’t play those games 😉 ), to the Gentile Christian Body of Messiah and to the rest of the world as Yeshua restores all things to Himself. I’m sure I’m explaining it poorly, and I’m not the one to truly explain that particular topic. (It’s worth a google!) All that to say, I have a certain view of Scripture that allows the Jewish people to retain their rightful place of authority that was given to them through Torah, supported by Yeshua and yes even taught by Paul within his letters. I don’t in any way support replacement theology regardless of its label or doctrinal belief.
Now, what does that have to do with the Torah portion of Korah?
I like to read Torah with an eye on historical events as that shows how Torah truly applies to us in every generation and throughout all generations. In this case, I am thinking of the Land of Israel when comparing it with the staff of Aaron.
Throughout the last 2,000 years, we have seen people of every background and every belief attempt to usurp the authority of Moses. Through Moses’ writings (and therefore through his authority) we know that the Jewish people own the Land of Israel by divine right given by God. And yet, in every generation since the Romans evicted the Jewish people, groups from any number of backgrounds have attempted to lay claim to Israel and Jerusalem.
Whether we look at the Turks, the Crusaders the Egyptians, the British or whoever else has attempted to rule of the Land of Israel – none of them have been able to make the land grow and flourish. Any number of usurpers have attempted to override the authority of Moses and the gift of God by ruling over that Land, but it never thrived. It was only the Jewish people, those chosen by God, that were able to make the proverbial staff of God bloom. When they took over the Land of Israel it came to life.
We have plenty of historical evidence to back that up if you’re willing to look for it. One set of resources I love is our friend Doug Hershey’s books Israel Rising and Jerusalem Rising. No one, but the chosen of God could make that Land grow. Just like in the portion of Korah, many have approached God and expected Him to bless their presence in the Land. Many have done so in the name of God Himself, but it is only the Jewish people that have successfully returned that land to “flowing with milk and honey.” If you doubt it, look at Gaza. The strip died again once the Jewish people pulled out.
The radial ecclesiology here (to explain my rabbit trail earlier) is from Yeshua we have life from the grave, the Levitical priesthood was confirmed through the blossoming of Aaron’s dead wooden staff. The Jewish people have been confirmed as God’s chosen nation by the blossoming of their dead land.
I could go on with Korah as there is so much in this portion. I love this portion and I mourn during this portion because of all that it reveals. There is just so much here. Please feel free to share your insights with me on the portion as I know there are many.
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