Parasha Korach

by

B’midbar (Numbers) 16:1 – 18:32

Haftarah:  Sh’mu’el Aleph (1st  Sam.) 11:14 – 12:22

Brit Chadasha:  2nd  Tim.  2:8 – 21 and Jude 1 – 25

Parasha Korach
קֹרַח meaning “bald”

  • Parasha Highlights:
  • The rebellion of Korach and his confederates
  • The test of the fire pans
  • The “mouth” of the earth is opened
  • The test of the staffs
  • The anointing of Aaron is reiterated
  • As I said, Korach is defined as “bald.”  I believe there is more to examine with regard to his name.  Korach is spelled with the following letters:
  • 1.)  The letter Quph which represents the “back of the head” and carries a numerical value of 100.  Take a moment and think about this letter.  Korach was a Levite, chosen to serve in the Mishkan, yet he chose to turn his back on it while attempting to subvert The Fathers will.
  • 2.)  The second letter is the Resh which represents “the first, beginning or head” which carries the numerical value of 200.
  • 3.)  The third letter is the Chet which represents “division, separation or privacy” which carries the numerical value of 8.
  • All total 308; 3 + 8 = 11, a number that is associated to Y’sha, the root word for our saviors name, Yeshua.
  • In its ancient form then, Korach would read:  “Korach would be the last of those chosen from the beginning because he caused division within Israel.”  
  • The Book of Legends tells us that the mouth of the earth that swallowed Korach and his confederates was created at twilight before the first Sabbath day, page 16/67.
  • This information, coupled with the meaning of his name, reveals to the reader that YaHaVah knew his character centuries before his birth, even from the beginning.  Korach may have even been “bald,” certainly he was removed from Yahs covering.
  • Is. 14:12 – 15: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of Yah. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you will be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the pit.…
  • Lucifer, is the author of rebellion. Rebelliousness is evil in the sight of Yah.  Korach was walking in rebellion therefore he chose to align himself with the tree of mixing thereby ending up in the bowels of the earth, a pit.
  • Since Korach is rebelling against Moshe (a high priest of the order of Melchizedek) and Aaron (a high priest after the Aaronic priesthood) he and his cohorts represent the anti messiah.  
  • That’s what the narrative of this sidra will show.
  • Num. 16:1 – 3 :  “Now Korach the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; and they rose up before Moshe with some of the children of Israel, 
  • …representatives of the congregation, men of renown. They gathered together against Moshe and Aaron, and said to them, ‘you take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and YaHaVah is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of YaHaVah?”
  • The 250 men plus the four rebels  = 254; 2 + 5 + 4 = 11.  They are all anti messiah.  They have aligned themselves with the serpent seed,  the tree of mixing.
  • Korach and his confederates have created a “division or separation” between themselves and the rest of Israel.  Their actions were an attempt at hijacking the Royal priesthood as well as the Aaronic priesthood; an attempt to subvert the descent of two pure seeds, Yeshua and John the Immerser.   Recall “division or separation” are represented  by the Hebrew letter Chet, the 8th letter of the Aleph Bet.  The very same letter that is representative of His covenant.
  • Num. 16:4 – 5:  “So when Moshe heard it, he fell on his face; and he spoke to Korach and all his company, saying, ‘tomorrow morning YaHaVah will show who is His אֶת־אֲשֶׁר־לֹו ) ) and who is holy, (אֶת־הַקָּדֹושׁ   ) and will cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him.”
  • One Hebrew word used for “against” is על  .  This word would read: “Know the authority.” This is what Korach was rebelling against, the chosen authority.
  • Another word used in Scripture for “against” is אל  .  We see the first mention of אל  with regard to Cain rising up “against” his brother Abel.  Cain had aligned himself with the serpent seed.
  • In Mt. 12:30 Yeshua said “He who is not with Me is ‘against’ Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”
  • Clearly, Yeshua is speaking about “seed.” (See Mt. 13 for the parable of the sower) The seed of rebellion is repeated throughout the Scripture narrative.  The serpent seed, the seed of rebellion originated in Gan Eden, the Garden of Eden, when Chava chose to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil.
  • V 23:   “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”  **Seed equals the Word which requires obedience.
  • 1st  Sam. 12:14-15:  “Now if you fear and worship YaHaVah and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against YaHaVahs’ commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognize YaHaVah as your Elohay.  But if you rebel against YaHaVahs’ commands and refuse to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors.”
  • Choosing not to listen to YaHaVahs’ Word equals rebellion; rebellion equals sin, sin is defined as lawlessness, Torahlessness!
  • 1st  Sam. 15:23:  “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.  Because you have rejected the word of YaHaVah, he has also rejected you (Saul) from being king.”
  • Prov. 28:9:  “The one who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.”
  • Num. 17:10:  “And YaHaVah said to Moshe, ‘bring Aaron’s rod back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die.’”
  • The judgment of Korach and his minions was swift, even immediate.  
  • Num. 16:20 –  33:  “And YaHaVah spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.’ Then they fell on their faces, and said, ‘O Elohay, the Elohay of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation?’  So YaHaVah spoke to Moses, saying, ‘speak to the congregation, saying, get away from the tents of Korach, Dathan, and Abiram.’  Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.
  • And he spoke to the congregation, saying, ‘depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.’  So they got away from around the tents of Korach, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little children.’  And Moses said: ‘by this you shall know that YaHaVah has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will.  If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then YaHaVah has not sent me.  But if YaHaVah creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected YaHaVah.’
  • Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korach, with all their goods.  So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.”
  • Imagine, their entire family went into the pit with them.  A terrifying sight to all that witnessed this judgment.  The Father gave them every opportunity to repent and turn from their wicked ways but like some from today, they refused.
  • Rev. 16:11:  “They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.”
  • The remedy for creations rebellion is the second advent of Yeshua.  
  • Rev. 19:11 – 14:  “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.  And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.  His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns.  He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
  • If we want Him to look at us in the above ways then it’s incumbent upon us to agree to the terms and conditions contained in the Book of the Covenant i.e. Ex. 19:5 – 6: ‘Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant אֶת־בְּרִיתִי ) ) then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
  • If we choose to honor the Rules of the Kingdom then He will see us as righteous beings.

Haftarah

  • Sh’mu’el Aleph (1st Samuel) 11:14 – 12:22
  • The Torah portion refers to Korach and his minions as “wicked” men.  Their ways are contrary to YaHaVah.  Our Haftarah is also speaking to the “wickedness” of the people. 
  • 1st  Sam. 11:14 –  12:1: “Then Samuel said to the people, ‘come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.’’
  • So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before YaHaVah in Gilgal. There they made sacrifices of peace offerings before YaHaVah, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. Now Samuel said to all Israel: ‘Indeed I have heeded your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.’”
  • 12:6:  “Then Samuel said to the people, ‘it is YaHaVah who raised up Moshe and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt. 
  • The great King and leader of Israel is YaHaVah and not any other earthly king.
  • V 17:  “Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to YaHaVah, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of YaHaVah, in asking a king for yourselves.”
  • Isn’t this the same behavior we saw in our portion?  Supporters of Korach wanted him to be the High Priest instead of Aaron, the appointed of YaHaVah.  I’m convinced that when we listen to a man instead of The Fathers voice we are at risk for being diverted from the narrow path.

Brit Chadasha

  • 2nd Tim. 2:8:  “Remember Yeshua the Messiah (appointed by YaHaVah), who was raised from the dead ( like the incense), who was a descendant of David.”
  • Jude 5-10  speaks of Elohim destroying those He brought out of Egypt that did not trust in Him. It also speaks of the angels that did not keep within their original authority and abandoned their proper sphere. They are being kept in darkness, bound with chains for the Great Day of Judgment.
  • In conclusion, the spirit of rebellion, the serpent seed, is alive and well in our day and hour.  We see it everywhere, on the news, the internet in our towns and cities.  Along with rebellion repentance abounds.  We need only to ask and pray for forgiveness while turning our face, the letter Quph, toward Jerusalem, the place where The Father said He would place His name forever.
  • There are only two sides to a fence.  On one side we can choose righteousness.  On the other we could choose rebellion.
  • What will you choose?