Korach - June 12, 2021

Torah Portion:
Korach - June 12, 2021
Torah: Numbers 16:1-18:32
Haftarah: 1 Samuel 11:14-12:22

Portion Summary:
—Korah rebels against the leadership of Moses, and he and his followers are swallowed up by the earth.
—The fire pans for Korah and his rebellious kin are fashioned for reuse on the altar.
—The people are angry about the loss of life, and a plague is brought down on them.
—Moses sends Aaron to make expiation to stop the plague.
—The Priesthood of Aaron is questioned and confirmed by his staff sprouting blossoms.
—The Lord speaks to Aaron about his and his family’s responsibilities and privileges in the Tabernacle.

Devotional by Janet Cothrell:

“Now Korah, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, and sons of Reuben—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—rose up against Moses and took 250 men from Bnei-Yisrael, men of renown who had been appointed to the council. They assembled against Moses and Aaron. They said to them,‘You’ve gone too far! All the community is holy—all of them—and ADONAI is with them! Then why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of ADONAI?’” Numbers 16:1-3 (TLV)

Korah thought that a coup was in order. Enough heavy-hitters in his group of supporters should have made him a shoo-in to head a new regime in the camp. He was wrong. This assembly was ruled by a theocracy, and God had the only vote!

Korah failed in several ways, but the way he resolved conflict was a major blunder. In Matthew 18:15-17, Yeshua diagrams how this should happen. Although He is speaking of a brother who sins, it could also apply to conflicts with leadership as well. When situations like these arise, you are to first go to the person you have the problem with and try to resolve it. If the conflict isn’t resolved, you are to go with one or two witnesses. If Korah had come to Moses and Aaron in this manner, an understanding might have been forged before it became a public debacle. This is a good litmus test for your issue—can you get two others to stand firmly with you in the matter? My mother taught me that if everyone seems wrong, you should seriously examine yourself. You may have underlying motivations that skew your understanding of the matter. Involvement of the whole congregation should be a last resort. Yeshua advocated order and process because we do not know it all.

Do you have a conflict with someone, in leadership or otherwise? If you have a problem, it is your responsibility to start the process, and if there is no resolution, to later look for other advocates to help bring about a reconciliation. It is always best to use Yeshua’s process and be able to change course as necessary before you make it a public issue. If you fail to use the process, the earth won’t swallow you up, but a bad outcome could make you wish it had!

Dear Lord,
Thank You that You have given ways to resolve problems in an orderly way. It is the best way to avoid damage to us and to the congregation at large. I have a problem with _____. Please lead and guide me and give me wisdom as I pursue resolution to this conflict.
In Yeshua’s name, amen.