The Rebellion of Korah: Part 2

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People. 00:00:02 Speaker 2: I have heard the Israelites complaints against me. Tell them this, All who were counted in the censes twenty years older will die in the desert. I swear that none will enter the Promised Land except Caleb and Joshua. 00:00:20 Speaker 3: How could I possibly relay this message? 00:00:24 Speaker 2: Tell them what I said, Moses, And since Israel has refused to enter the Promised Land, you will have them turn back. You will all go back into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea. Moses, what did the Lord tell you? 00:00:43 Speaker 1: Moses bottom lip began to quiver, and his trembling hands grasped at Joshua's arm. 00:00:50 Speaker 3: The Lord, the Lord has spoken forty years, four. 00:01:01 Speaker 4: Years of what exile. 00:01:06 Speaker 1: As if to punctuate the end of his speech and the finality of his words, the cloud pillar above the tabernacle crackled with fiery energy, and thunder shook the skies. The people shrank back further, unable to take their eyes off the sky above. 00:01:31 Speaker 5: When one man sins, will God destroy them all. Cello, my friends, from here in the Holy Land of Israel, i'm l Extein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews and welcome to the Chosen people. The ground trembles beneath the feet of the Israelites as they gather together, but divided. Korach and his men, bold and unrepentant, stand defiant. Moses face down, pleads, Aaron waits, and in the camp a nation stands on the edge, uncertain of what comes next. Whoill Israel follow? Korrah asked why should Moses lead us? And now God is about to answer. 00:02:17 Speaker 1: Moses felt the Lord's fury as if it were his own. Rolling within the pillar of cloud high above, all of Israel had gathered to witness, and millions of eyes turned upward, all except Moses. He gripped his firepan tightly, glaring at the two hundred and fifty pretenders before him. At their forefront stood Cora, defiant. Dathan and Abiram, however, were absent, likely hiding in their tents and leaving Cora and his followers to face judgment alone. Typical Moses thought all talk, but when the moment a leader rose, they were nowhere to be found. The thunder swelled, growing to a deafening roar. At its peak, Moses heard the Lord's voice booming yet discernible only to him, the chosen intermediary for Israel. 00:03:15 Speaker 2: Moses, take your brother and separate yourselves from the community. What will you do that they will know that I am in all consuming fire. 00:03:28 Speaker 1: Moses's stomach dropped out in fear, his momentary anger forgotten. In a moment of horror and clarity, Moses recalled his bitter words against the people the night before. In his anger, he had asked the Lord to reject these men, despite knowing it would mean their deaths, and now the Lord was declaring his intention to destroy the entire community. Regret flooded Moses's body as he remembered his calling, remembered his duty. Aaron must have read moses distress and discerned the divine fury in the thunder, because he was immediately a Moses's side. Aaron's face was etched in concern. 00:04:12 Speaker 2: I don't like this, Moses. 00:04:14 Speaker 4: What's going to happen? Whatever happens, stay by my side no matter what. 00:04:19 Speaker 1: Moses desperately grasped Aaron's arm, and they both delicately set down their firepands and fell face down before the Lord. At last, Moses, remembering his role as Israel's advocate, shouted above the din. 00:04:34 Speaker 6: My God, the God who yes wrath to all, the God of the spirits of all flesh, and understands all people. When one man sins, will you vent your wrath on the whole community. 00:04:50 Speaker 1: The wind swirled overhead and the thunder clapped in violent rage. Moses felt Aaron stiffen beside him, as if he understood immediately what the Lord intended to do. Aaron lifted his voice to the Lord as well, swelling with compassion for the people. His shouts were nearly muted against the warm wind raging through the canyons. 00:05:11 Speaker 7: Lord, you know the hearts of all men. You know that one man is sin against you, and let others astray. Please spare the rest of the children of Israel. 00:05:24 Speaker 1: A long moment passed, and the two men remained on their faces before the Lord, awaiting their God's decision. 00:05:31 Speaker 2: Tell the people to get away from the dwellings of Cora, Dartham and a Byron. 00:05:38 Speaker 1: The thunder and lightning seemed to retreat within the clouds. Moses peered upward, wondering what was happening. No, the light wasn't receding, it was being redirected, aimed like an arrow Moses and Aaron slowly got up from the ground. 00:05:57 Speaker 8: Joshua quickly, we have no time to waste the elders and spread warning to the camp. 00:06:02 Speaker 4: They need to steer clear from Cora, I honored Moses. 00:06:05 Speaker 1: Thunder clapped again, and this time lightning struck closer to Cora and his followers. Yet Cora remained unflinching, resolved in his rebellion. Moses had to give him credit. Though misguided, Cora was a strong leader, what wasted potential. Joshua acted swiftly, alerting the elders to spread the warning through the camp. Cora and his followers stood with their firepands, eyes shifting suspiciously to Moses and Aaron. When Joshua returned and nodded to Moses, it signaled the warning had spread. Keep away from the tents of Cora, Dathan, and Abirah. Moses, followed by Aaron, strode purposely through the courtyard, ignoring Cora and his men. Their fate were sealed beyond intervention. The rebels made their offering to the Lord and waited hope that he might accept them as Israel's new leaders. Lightning cracked and thunder echoed from the swirling cloud above, Moses shouted to the crowd. 00:07:10 Speaker 4: Everyone back back. The Lord is coming. 00:07:14 Speaker 1: Cora cackled from behind, mocking Moses further even above the war drums of the thunder. 00:07:21 Speaker 3: Enough, old man, your time commanding us is through. 00:07:26 Speaker 4: After today, the people will have a new regime. 00:07:29 Speaker 1: Moses frowned, raising his voice to address the rebels. 00:07:33 Speaker 4: Get away from the tents of these wicked men. 00:07:37 Speaker 8: Don't touch anything that belongs to them, or you'll be swept away because of all their sins. 00:07:43 Speaker 1: The people edged back even further from the tent as dread began to set on the faces of Dathan, Abiram and Corah's families. They eyed the crowd warily and cowered at Moses' words. The inciter's jaws were set. However, they seemed stubbornly determined to maintain their traitorous stance until the bitter end. Cora raised his voice to the crowd. 00:08:08 Speaker 2: Don't listen to this old fool. 00:08:10 Speaker 7: You're safe undermine, Cora, you rebellious fool. 00:08:15 Speaker 1: Moses bellowed to the crowd, his aged and frail voice turned back to life by the strength and conviction of his heart. 00:08:23 Speaker 8: Listen to me, is real This is how you will know that the Lord sent me to do all these things, and that it was not of my own will. 00:08:32 Speaker 4: If these men die naturally, as all people do, and suffer the fate of all, then I will relent and acknowledge that I in the greedy powermonger. These men accuse me of being. It will be a sign to you that the Lord has not sent me. 00:08:51 Speaker 8: But if the Lord brings about something unprecedented, if the Brown opens its mouth and swallows them, if it opens and swallows them, along with all that belongs to them. 00:09:06 Speaker 9: So that they go down alive in the shale, then you will know that these men despise, and you will know that Aaron and I have indeed been appointed to lead you. 00:09:19 Speaker 1: Moses proclamation was coupled with a bolt of lightning striking the earth. Then silence. All was still. 00:09:31 Speaker 7: Is that it. 00:09:33 Speaker 1: Moses looked Cora in the eyes. To Kra's surprise, they were filled with tears. Then the silence broke. The ground began to quake. It was as if the thunder in the ski stove underground to fuel its every movement. A jagged crack began to form around the empty space left around the tents of the traitors. The people of Israel fell backward over themselves to get away. However, the cracks did not expand beyond the boundary left around the tents of Daithan, Aberan and Corah. The crack began to widen and split, revealing the hungry more of Sheol itself beneath the earth's surface. Cora fell and scrambled backward. The members of their households, even the women and the children, tried to run, but to no avail. The greedy ground consumed them all, the usurpers, their families, their possessions, even their desperate cries. Everything Once it all tumbled out of sight into the darkness below. A horrified Israel watched as the ground knit itself back together, leaving only open space and silence where the two households had been. Not a soul stirred in the eerie stillness, until the lightning in the cloud pillar resumed its frenetic crackling, drawing the eyes of Israel back to the tabernacle, where Cora's to two hundred and fifty followers still waited, abandoned by their leader. The thunder that had animated the ground seemed to spring from the earth and back into the skies to join the supernatural cacophony. The lightning leaped out of the cloud pillar and hurled itself toward the ground, fracturing into what was surely two hundred and fifty bolts of lightning. Even from this distance, Moses knew that a holy fire had consumed the remaining rebels. It may have been his imagination, but Moses could have sworn he could see the smoke from their charred bodies wafting upward, intermingling with the incense from their now discarded fire pands. The people of Israel erupted in terror, fearing that the earth may swallow them all as well. Aaron was still reeling from the past day's events when the complaints began again. The Lord had instructed his third son, Eliezza, now the air, to retrieve the fire pans from the remains of Cora's followers to prevent further defilement of the holy space. Elieza had then melted down the fire pans into sheets to cover the altar of burnt, offering a solemn reminder to Israel of the rebellion. The morning sun had only begun to glint off the scuffed, singed plates fixed to the altar, The smoke from the morning's ascension offering still rising when the crowd gathered again at the entrance. The terror of watching the earth swallow people alive had stripped them of reason, blinding them to the warning of the previous day. Aaron's eyes burned from the smoke as he stood at the tabernacle's front, watching his sons and Joshua try to calm the restless. 00:12:48 Speaker 2: Crowd there the murderers. 00:12:52 Speaker 1: Aaron saw Joshua hurry off at that, undoubtedly to retrieve Moses. Aaron sighed, they would need to go and comfort them. They were understandably spooked, and since the uncertainty of being barred from the Promised Land, the tenuous unity of the Israelite people hung by a thread, there wasn't much keeping them together now, but they had to try, for the sake of the next generation. They had to try. As Aaron approached the inflamed crowd gathered against them, Moses appeared from the other direction, and the crowd howled and grumbled all the more. 00:13:30 Speaker 8: You kill the Lord's fabel, you provoked thehavior of the Lord against us. 00:13:36 Speaker 1: Aaron saw Moses flinch, and he wondered if the crowd's frantic words stung Moses with their underlying truth. The sins of Cora and the others were grievous, but the people did not realize how deeply their mistrust wounded him. Before either brother could respond, the glory of the Lord blazed once more above the tabernacle, lightning crackling, and thunder darkening the sky. Aaron spun to face it, his chest tightening with dread as he recalled the same force that had struck down his eldest sons. In their pride, he struggled to push away thoughts of their final moments in the most holy place, Gasping as if the air had been stolen from him. His pulse roared in his ears, barely masking the wails of the terrified crowd behind him. The Lord spoke words that only Moses could hear. For suddenly Moses was at Aaron's side, guiding him to his knees before the tabernacle. Despite the crashing weight on his chest, Aaron felt the familiar urgency rising within him, the urgency to pray, to intercede for the people, even with their countless failures, betrayals, and flagrant disrespect for the Lord. He knew what he had to do. 00:14:53 Speaker 7: East Lord, Please show me what I show me what I can do to atone for the people. Help me guide them so that they turn away from Mercin. There has to be another way. 00:15:08 Speaker 2: Please show me. 00:15:10 Speaker 1: Over the thunder and the commotion of the desperate people behind him, Aaron could have sworn. He felt a sense of satisfaction pressed down on him. He felt his lungs open, his anxiety lifted, and his breathing became easier. He turned to Moses and grasped his arms and searched his eyes. Surely the Lord had given him an answer. There had to be something they could do to make this right. Moses met his gaze and fumbled for speech. As the moaning began behind them. They both turned to see and gaped in horror, along with the rest of Israel. 00:15:50 Speaker 7: It's another plague. 00:15:51 Speaker 9: Look what do we do now? 00:15:54 Speaker 1: Aaron whipped his head to his brother, panic again mounting within him. Moses wore his own eyes away from the flailing crowd behind them, people already crumpling and writhing in response to the rapid diseases attacking their bodies and desperately instructed Aaron. 00:16:11 Speaker 4: Aaron, you must hurry. 00:16:12 Speaker 8: Take your firepan, place fire from the altar inside and add incense. 00:16:16 Speaker 4: Go into the community and make atonement for them. Go quickly. The plague has already begun. The wrath of the Lord goes before us. 00:16:23 Speaker 1: Aaron wasted no time. He sprang to his feet, grabbed his firepan from the holy place, filled it with live coals from the altar of incense, and rushed back into the courtyard. This was no ritual or remedy he had known of, but he trusted in his brother's guidance, and he hoped the Lord would honor it. He ran through the assembly, where those at the entrance of the tabernacle now lay dead, their faces and hands marred by the plague. Ahead, men, women and children, Everyone who had come out of their tents were convulsing, showing the first signs of death. An invisible wave of plague seemed to advance before him, and Aaron raced to stay ahead of it. The incense took effect as he reached the afflicted, their cries silenced and symptoms receding. The smoke from the firepan meant to carry prayers in the holy place now became a healing balm among the people. Driven by Aaron's frantic prayers, Aaron ran until he reached the edge of camp, still haunted by the agonized faces of Israel. He collapsed, panting as the smoke continued to plume out of the firepan. He knew he had stood between the living and the dead, and he had successfully beat back the relentless wave of death. He could only hope it had been enough. Sleep had not found Moses, so he had paced and wandered about for most the night. His eyes were so intently fixed on a wall spot, on one of the walls of his tent, that he jumped at the sound of his own name. Moses relaxed when he realized it was Joshua. 00:18:09 Speaker 2: You told me to call you at dawn. Everyone is ready and assembled, the Lord confirms the High Priest. Today the staffs of the tribes of Erin have been in the most high place of the night. 00:18:19 Speaker 1: Moses nodded, preparing to walk to the tabernacle. After Aaron's miraculous act with the incense halting the plague, the Lord commanded Moses to set a final test to solidify Aaron's appointment in the people's minds. Though Aaron's heroic act had spared hundreds of thousands, fourteen thousand, seven hundred had perished, leaving a sobering reminder of the stakes. Moses was moved by Aaron's compassion and swift obedience. He doubted he could have done better himself. Ready at last, Moses left his tent, with Joshua falling in step behind him. The elders had gathered all of Israel, including the tribal leaders, who waited for Moses to enter the Holy Place and make the assessment. The day before, each leader had submitted a staff with their name on it, including aarons, which Moses had placed in the Most Holy Place. The Lord promised that one staff would sprout as a divine sign. Moses turned to address the expectant crowd. 00:19:28 Speaker 8: We have done as the Lord is instructed. Now we will witness his selection. 00:19:34 Speaker 1: Without further ceremony. Moses entered the Most Holy Place and beheld the twelve staffs, the most outward symbol of authority for each of the twelve tribes of Israel, sitting before the Ark of the Covenant. The very last one, Aaron staff had sprouted, formed buds and produced almans. Moses was careful not to crush any of the delicate little white flowers gracing the staff as he held it in his hand. He carried it out along with the others into the light of day outside the tabernacle. 00:20:13 Speaker 8: Tribal leaders of Israel, come take up your staff. See for yourselves who the Lord has chosen. 00:20:21 Speaker 1: Each of the tribal leaders stepped forward and took up their staff. Aaron approached with relief and serene acceptance written on his face, and took up his staff. The other tribal leaders nodded in similar acceptance to Aaron as they beheld the blossomed staff. He held his staff above his head for all to see, as Moses definitively proclaimed the confirmation of the Lord's selection to all of Israel. 00:20:50 Speaker 8: The Lord has confirmed that Aaron, son of Amram, a descendant of Levi himself, is the High Priest of Israel. Let no one doubt the Lord choice, for he has spoken. 00:21:02 Speaker 4: Through this definitive sign. 00:21:05 Speaker 1: All of Israel watched as Aaron's staff miraculously sprouted and bearing ripe almonds, confirmed his role as High priest. Moses would place the staff inside the Ark of the Covenant, alongside the tablets of the Law, to serve as a reminder for generations to come. The Israelites trembled at this latest display of divine power, this time one of wonder growth and hope, yet or inspiring and humbling. Nonetheless, Moses hoped this moment would instill in them a lasting respect for the sanctity and reverence of the Tabernacle. 00:21:53 Speaker 5: A story is told about a Jewish village where there was one very wealthy man, by far the wealthiest person in the entire town. Instead of using his great resources to benefit the community, the man just threw his money around in search of more power and more honor. Even when he gave charity, it was only with the condition that he would be publicly honored. Soon he controlled all the local institutions, and the rest of the community felt that they had no say. One day, the village rabbi decided to pay the wealthy man a visit. After entering the man's office, the rabbi pointed out the window and asked, what do you see? Man replied, I see the world. The rabbi then took the man to the mirror and asked what do you see? The man replied, I see myself, And that said the Rabbi, is what happens when silver covers glass. Instead of seeing the world, you only see yourself. In this Bible story, we see how wealth can blind people and make them self centered, don't we. If we're not careful, wealth can lead us to believe we're more important or worthy than others, which was certainly true of Korach. Korak led a rebellion against Moses. He objected to the leadership of Moses and to Aaron's position as high priest. The fact that it was Moses who led the children of Israel out of Egypt, and that it was Moses to whom God spoke on Mount Sinai meant nothing to Korah. As punishment for his rebellion, God caused the earth to open up to swallow Korah and his followers and all of their possessions. We read here the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them in their households and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything that they owned. The earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community after saying that all their possessions were swallowed with them. The Bible repeated this by saying with everything they owned. This petitian isn't random, you see. Jewish tradition teaches that Korak was, in fact the wealthiest man in Israel. Even today, the Hebrew expression to describe an affluent person is someone as rich as Korah. But these riches blinded Korah. Kork believed that he, not Moses, should be the leader of Israel, all based on his wealth. Well, let me say wealth is a blessing, but it's also a challenge. The message from this story is that we can't let our material blessings blind us. Instead, let's use what God has given us to improve the lives of others and to bring honor to Him, not to ourselves. Korak's wealth gave him a false sense of security and caused him to think that he was greater than he really was. But Korak's wealth ended up being his greatest enemy. It led to his rebellion and his downfall. Jewish tradition teaches something else about this story, something I find very interesting. It teaches that Korak's sons stood by their father's side and his rebellion, and when the ground opened up, they were swallowed too. But the Jewish sages taught that the sons of Korak repented while they were underground, and then miraculously they were rescued. Psalm forty nine is attributed to the sons of Korah. Written after this miraculous rescue, they wrote these powerful words about wealth. Do not be overawed when others grow rich, for they will take nothing with them when they die. Their splendor will not descend with them. As Korak sons watched their wealthy father ands prominent supporters perish in an instant, they must have wondered where all their money was now. But all the money in the world couldn't even buy back a moment of life, and therefore it's useless. In the end, what they saw is that possessions are meaningless. Only our good deeds will be with us forever. The kindness we perform today have the value that will be with us for eternity. As we come to the end of this story, you'd think that after God's direct intervention and after the earth swallowed Korachhan his followers, that the Chosen people would repent. You'd think that they would acknowledge Moses and Erin as God's appointed leaders, but they didn't. Verse forty one tells us the next day, the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. They said, you have killed the Lord's people, my friends, How can this be? The people had just witnessed God's dramatic punishment of Korah and his followers, and they still continue to grumble against God. The answer to this question is an idea that's deeply embedded in Jewish tradition. Comes before miracles, not after them. Miracles only convince those who are prepared to see them. Even today, people say, if God showed me miracles the way he did in the Bible, then I would believe. But as we see in this story, even in the Bible, people complained after witnessing God's mighty power firsthand, Just like after the splitting of the sea when the Israelites complained about harsh conditions in the desert. Once again, now they're complaining. The faith that we should all try to have is the type of faith that sees miracles in what others might call natural occurrences, good health, the birth of a child, a prayer that was answered. The fact that I'm standing here with you from the Promised Land is one of the greatest miracles of my life, and it's a miracle that definitely strengthens my faith every day. 00:27:53 Speaker 1: You can listen to The Chosen People with the Isle Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey app today. This Prey Dog comproduction is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin, kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear more prey dot com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, please rate and leave a review.