numbers 17-18

One of the {s} + {p} strong paragraph divisions in today’s reading forms a chiastic structure:

Num 17:12-18:7
1A: Num 17:12-13, Whoever comes near must die {s};
1B: Num 18:1, Aaron + sons to bear iniquity of sanctuary + priesthood;
1C: Num 18:2-4, Levites attend to needs of Aaron and sons + tabernacle;
CENTRAL AXIS: Num 18:5, “And you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary and the duties of the altar, that there may be no more wrath of the children of Israel;”
2C: Num 18:6, Levites a gift to Aaron + sons to do the work of the tabernacle;
2B: Num 18:7, Priesthood a gift to Aaron + sons to attend to priesthood + sanctuary;
2A: Num 18:7b, The outsider who comes near shall be put to death {p}.

Now this is interesting. God commands Aaron to attend to his priesthood, so that there may be no more wrath on the children of Israel. Wrath has just been poured out on the children of Israel. Korah and his followers were swallowed alive by the earth, and 250 leaders were consumed by fire from the LORD. 14,000 people of the children of Israel had died of a plague from the LORD. In fact, here is another chiastic structure:

Wrath came upon the children of Israel:
Num 16:1-40, Rebellion of leaders + intercession + wrath;
Num 16:41-50, Rebellion of the congregation + intercession + wrath.

–> CENTRAL AXIS: Num 17:1-11, Aaron’s rod that budded.

Num 17:12-18:7, That no more wrath may come upon the children of Israel.

You know, we have just read some hard chapters. The generation of unbelievers is not going to inherit the promise, and the people who went to war anyway were defeated. The man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath was stoned to death with stones. That was not Israel’s idea or Moses’ idea, that was done at the direction of the LORD.

These events, I think, inspired Korah’s rebellion. He was wanting new leadership. The leaders thought Moses had missed God, because the judgments of wandering in the wilderness for 40 years + the death of the man who broke the Sabbath were hard. Then the death of all these leaders, I think, inspired the rebellion of the whole congregation. They were wanting new leadership. The people thought Moses had missed God, because the judgments of the earth swallowing Korah + the burning of the 250 leaders were hard.

But this chiastic structure reveals to us, that God does not want wrath to come upon the children of Israel. He doesn’t delight in plague or death or destruction. So we see that the whole institution of the tabernacle rites and the priesthood is to prevent wrath from coming on the children of Israel.

In fact, this is the gospel. Here we are finding Messiah. God has raised up an intercessor and a mediator between God and man, to prevent wrath from coming on the children of Israel. But let us not miss the other side of what Scripture is teaching: those who reject God’s intercessor and mediator and leader, who is Messiah Yeshua, will partake of wrath — for rebellion, unbelief, and idolatry will receive wrath for itself, in order to destroy it.

That might be hard, but it is true and right and just – and even mericful and loving, because rebellion against God is allegiance to the first rebel, whose entire existence is devoted to our loss, destruction, and death (Joh 10:10).

<– 15-16 numbers 19-20 –>
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