The Torah reading קֹרַח Korakh (“Korah,” Numbers 16–18) can be quite chilling, especially for those of us who have serious challenges with authority. We also see a display of the adage “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future” coming to fruition right before our eyes. I used to scoff at the idea of knowing who you are by the friends you keep, but it is so true. Your friends inevitably rub off on you, just as Korach’s rebellious and insolent spirit rubbed off on Dathan and Abiram and then trickled down to the entire congregation.

We’ll explore how Moses’ and Aaron’s humble intercession for these rebels teaches us about Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).

Here are some of the  lessons to glean from the tragedy of Korach:

* Guard yourself against envy, jealously and covetousness for position, authority and esteem.

* Praise the Father for what you do have, rather than complaining about or yearning for what you don’t have.

* Be thankful for the blessings and the mercy you have not earned.

* Be careful of what you absorb from the culture around you, because it could be spiritual poison.

* Respect authority, and welcome correction.

* Don’t trash-talk or undermine parents, leaders or others.

* Forgive (let Heaven handle vengeance), and seek reconciliation.

Korach’s bald-faced Lie

Korach is Moshe’ and Aharon’s first cousin. His rebellion starts as an intra-tribal squabble but Korach didn’t want to launch his rebellion alone. Lashon hara is like a wildfire driven by strong winds, spreading quickly, singing those who are closest to the fire first.

The Reubenites were neighbors of Korach’s so they were the first to catch the contagion of envy, jealousy and rebellion.

Numbers 16 is one of the saddest chapters in the Torah. Korach was speaking with such arrogance and yet such ignorance at the same time.

Moshe calls Korach out and asks him a very direct question.

“and that He has brought you near, Korah, and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking for the priesthood also?” (Numbers 16:10 NASB)

Moshe could have also asked Korach “Do you really know what the priesthood is and what it demands? In this we are reminded of the Apostle James blunt warning.

“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” (James 3:1 NASB)

The priests are the servants of the people. They bring the people’s sacrifices and their confessions to God.

One might ask “How did Korach get to this point of acting so irrationally?” They may have been going through the different stages of grief as they were processing the fact that because of their sin, they were not going to enter the Promised Land.

They even slandered God and the promises of Canaan by speaking of Egypt, the land of their servitude, as a “land flowing with milk and honey” (Numbers 16:13).

Let’s turn to the Gospel of John to see ridiculousness of their “nostalgia” over their bondage in Egypt.

Sometimes it seems easier to accept the bondage we know then the uncertain blessings we don’t know.

Why is that Pesach is at the beginning of the agricultural cycles. Pesach is just the beginning of the journey out of the house of bondage. We are on a journey to learn what God wants from us and then to take God’s words and work them out until we produce a bountiful harvest of many different grains and fruits.

The first generation out of Egypt died in the wilderness because they did not have faith.

When we resist and reject authority, we are not walking in the fruits of the spirit. We reap a weak harvest rather than a strong one.

“Each of you take his fire-pan and put incense on it” (Num. 16:17 NASB)

Incense is symbolic of prayers and the act of taking a fire-pan and burn incense ...