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The Punishment of Korah and the Stoning of Moses and Aaron (Sandro Botticelli / Sistine Chapel)
God's judgment against the children of Israel in their rebellion to refuse to trust God to fulfill His promise to give the Israelites the land of Canaan resulted in an exile that was to last until the Exodus generation of adults died in the desert. It is ironic that those who saw such great works of Yahweh in the liberation from Egypt and the manifestation of God's glory at Mt. Sinai but failed to trust Him to fulfill His promises would never live to see the Promised Land (notice the word play on the word "see" in Numbers 14:22-23). Only Caleb and Joshua were exempted from the judgment. Those two men, one an Israelite from the tribe of Ephraim and the other a Gentile convert from the tribe of Judah, were destined as covenant brothers to lead the new generation of holy warriors on the conquest of Canaan.
During the next thirty-eight years the Israelites lived a nomadic existence as the Exodus generation died out. The Bible provides very little information about those years. One incident that is recorded is the rebellion instigated by a Kohathite chieftain of Levi. This time the challenge isn't to God's ability to fulfill His promises to Israel; this time the focus of the rebellion is Moses' leadership and to Aaron's priestly authority.
At the first Passover, God claimed for himself the firstborn male of every family. After the golden calf incident, the Levites, the only ones who stood up for the Lord , where set apart for the Lord in place of the firstborn sons of the nation. Among the Levite families, Aaron and his sons were given the priesthood. Now comes a challenge to their authority. It comes from Korah is a Levite who wants to be a priest. Those who back him in his attack are from the tribe of Reuben. Jacob's firstborn son who challenged his authority and lost the status and rights of the firstborn back in Genesis. Their charge is that everyone is holy, because of the Lord in their midst, so they think Moses and Aaron have no right to exalt themselves. They are challenging Moses, but their real challenge is to God and to is prerogative to appoint leaders.
God did not just punish the challengers, He killed them and their families and followers. When the people complained, 14,700 more died of the plague. Only Aaron, the rightful priest, offering incense as only he should, was able to atone and stop the plague. In the same way that the Levites camped around the Ark to form a buffer between the people and God, Aaron's sons would stand between them and God to deliver them from judgment. God's sign that Aaron had God-given priestly authority was unmistakable. Twelve rods representing the twelve tribes were left overnight in the tent of the testimony. The next day, Aaron's rod had not only sprouted and budded; it had blossomed and born ripe almonds. This was kept n the Art of the Covenant as a lasting reminder to all who would rebel against the priestly leadership God had established.
Chapter 16
The Challenge to Moses' Leadership and Aaron's Priestly Authority
Chapters 16-17 contain a single narrative that recounts another Israelite rebellion and its disastrous conclusion. The narrative is divided into seven parts:
Part I: The announcement of the revolt (16:1-3)
Part II: Moses' response to the rebels (16:4-15)
Part III: The test of divinely appointed leadership (16:16-19)
Part IV: Yahweh's judgment (16:20-35)
Part V: The sign of the bronze censers/firepans (17:1-5/16:36-40)
Part VI: The plague judgment and Aaron's intercession (17:6/16:41-15/16:50)
Part VII: The miracle of Aaron's living branch (17:16-26)
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Numbers 16:1-3 Korah the Kohathite and three Reubenite Chieftains Confront Moses and Aaron
Korah, a first cousin of Moses and Aaron, is the first rebel named in the narrative and the instigator of the revolt (16:22). Korah was a member of Moses and Aaron's clan, the Kohathites. He enlisted some prominent Reubenites in his plan to challenge the authority of Moses and Aaron over the Israelites. Dathan and Abiram were brothers who were the second and third born sons of Eliab, a grandson of Reuben (Num 26:8), and On was the son of another Reubenite named Peleth. Perhaps On was not as committed as the other Reubenite chieftains and perhaps withdrew from the revolt. He is not mentioned again in the narrative. These two groups of dissident Kohathites and Reubenites in turn enlisted two hundred and fifty other chieftains from the tribes of Israel to join a rebellion that challenged the leadership of the Old Covenant Church. The two groups had different agendas but they joined forces, hoping to overpower the Israelites who supported the hierarchy ordained by God to lead His covenant people.
Question: In what three ways are the two hundred and fifty men who joined them in the revolt described to emphasize their status within the community?
Answer: (1) they were leaders of the community, (2) prominent at the solemn feasts, and (3) men of repute.
Question: On which side of the Tabernacle did the Kohathites and Reubenites encamp? See Num 2:10; 3:29 and the handout on the order of the encampment. Why might the placement of their camps have some bearing on their alliance?
Answer: They both encamped on the south side of the Tabernacle where the Reubenite leaders were in charge of that quadrant. The close proximity of the Kohathites and Reubenites may have led to opportunities to share their grievances, to commiserate on their mutual loss of power and prestige, and eventually to plan a revolt against the order and hierarchy of the sacred assembly as God had ordained it.
Kohath and his Reubenite allies are described as "proud/arrogant" men who challenged Moses (16:1).
Question: Who was named the leader of the Kohath clan in Numbers 3:30? Why might the naming of this man as leader of the Kohathites have offended Korah's pride? See the genealogy in Exodus 6:16-24 and the clan hierarchy in Num 3:27-31.
Answer: Moses and Aaron were the sons of Amram, the firstborn son of Kohath. Korah was the firstborn son of Kohath's second son, Izhar. However, in the order of hierarchy within the Levites, it was Elizaphan/Elzaphan, son of Uzziel, Kohath's youngest son, who was named the leader of the clan of Kohath (Num 3:30). That Kohath was passed over for a leadership position that he felt was rightfully his may have hurt his pride and fermented his discontent.
Question: What possible grievance might some of the Reubenite chieftains have had against Moses' leadership? See Gen 29:32; 49:3-4.
Answer: Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob/Israel and yet Moses put the tribe of Judah and their leaders, men descended from Jacob/Israel's fourth son, in the position of prominence above the Reubenites. The Judahites were encamped in the prominent position on the east and their lead the march.
Korah supports his charge against the leadership of Moses and Aaron with two specifics points.
Moses and Aaron are accused of unlawfully exercising authority over the community. While it is true that the whole community of the Israelites were called to be a holy people and that Yahweh lived among them that did not mean all the people individually were equal in status to Moses and Aaron.
The Reubenites could not serve in the Sanctuary because they were not hereditary descendants of Levi, but if these men felt a special calling to serve God was there another way they could dedicate their lives to His service? They could have offered themselves to Yahweh as lifetime Nazirites (consecrated men) or temporary Nazirites. Like Korah and his followers, they weren't interested in service; they were interested in power.
Numbers 16:4-7 Moses Proposes Leaving the Decision to Yahweh
Moses either threw himself to the ground in shock that the Israelites would dare to incite another revolt after Yahweh's previous judgments or he was imploring God to give him wisdom in dealing with the situation. It is interesting that Moses' response to the crisis was far more decisive than in past revolts.
Question: What did Moses propose? See Ex 29:38-42; Num 28:4-8.
Answer: Moses proposed a test during the burning of incense in the daily liturgical worship service of the morning Tamid to determine the will of God.
Question: What was Yahweh's command concerning the burning of the sacred incense on the Altar of Incense in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle? See Ex 30:1-10.
Answer: Only Aaron was to burn the incense on the incense altar twice a day.
The Hebrew word for "censers" is mahtot, a flat pan used for removing ashes or live coals from a fire. The same word in found in the description for removing embers from the altar of sacrifice in Numbers 17:11. The fire pans the rebels were told to use in the test of leadership were probably the fire pans that every family in their camp fires and in transported live embers on the march in order to be able to start their hearth fires again as soon as the order was given to make camp.
Question: The rebels should have realized that the suggestion to determining the will of God by burning incense in the liturgical service was an ominous sign in itself; why? See Lev 10:12; Num 3:4.
Answer: It was for the unauthorized use of incense in the afternoon Tamid worship service that Aaron's two elder sons were struck dead by God.
Question: What ominous statement did Moses make, addressing all the Levites (verse 3), which suggests he completely understood the motivation for Korah's complaint?
Answer: He threw Korah's accusations against him back on the Levites, telling them that they were taking too much on themselves-meaning they desired power and authority in the cult that was not part of the prerogatives of the lesser ministers. He understood that their desire was to have equal status with the chief priests.
Numbers 16:8-11 Moses' Warning to the Rebellious Levites
Moses confronted Korah and his followers: first by addressing the specific charge made by Korah and second the motive behind Korah's challenge.
Moses accused them of being ungrateful for and dissatisfied with the liturgical duties God had granted to them above their brother Israelites. Moses discerned that Korah did not want to abolish the priesthood; instead, Moses accused Korah and those allied with him of wanting the privileges of the priesthood for themselves.
The revolt really isn't about Aaron's priestly prerogatives. Aaron didn't appoint himself as high priest; the revolt is a rejection of Yahweh's divine will for Israel since it was Yahweh who appointed Aaron and his sons to the priesthood.
Numbers 16:12-15 The Reubenite Rebels Refuse Moses' Summons
Next, Moses addressed the leaders of the second group of dissidents-the Reubenite chieftains.
Question: What happened when Moses summoned them to a meeting and what was the implication of their response?
Answer: They refused to answer Moses' summons, signifying a rejection of Moses as God's appointed covenant mediator and representative of the people.
Question: What accusations did they make against Moses and what conclusion can be drawn from the accusations?
Answer:
- Moses brought them out of a fruitful land to kill them in the desert.
- Moses made himself the absolute ruler over the people.
- Moses did not take the people to a fruitful land for their heritage.
- Moses has lied to the people by misrepresenting their situation in the wilderness.
Once again these men and their followers are rejecting God's plan that it is Israel's destiny to possess the Promised Land of Canaan.
For the first time, after all the other rebellions, Scripture records that Moses became enraged by their accusations. He asked the Lord not to accept their grain tribute offerings (minhah) that were probably going to be offered by each chieftain to Yahweh as a voluntary loyalty tribute at the morning Tamid service prior to the incense test offering. The minhah for Yahweh was designated in Leviticus 2:1-16 as a voluntary offering that fulfilled three purposes:
- It identified the covenant member's commitment to Yahweh as sovereign Lord.
- It strengthened Yahweh's covenant bond with the individual.
- It was a visual public sign of the individual's place within the covenant community.
It makes perfect sense that these men who expected to be elevated to the status of priestly rulers within the community would offer Yahweh minhah in the liturgical service. Remember their desire wasn't to serve; their desire was to rule-the same accusation that was made against Moses.
Question: How did Moses defend himself against their accusations that he made himself the ruler over them?
Answer: He defended himself by declaring that he had never taken advantage of the people by demanding a personal tribute from them as ruler, nor had he exalted himself over them.
Numbers 16:16-24 The Test and Yahweh's Warning
That morning Korah was joined by two hundred of fifty of his followers at the entrance to the Sanctuary, all expecting to take their place as priests of the covenant. Anticipating being vindicated, an optimistic Korah called an assembly of the entire congregation to witness the test. Considering the fact that the entire Exodus generation over twenty years of age was already under a death sentence for the rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea, it is shocking that the people responded to Korah's invitation to gather to confront Moses and Aaron.
As in Numbers 14:10, the glory of Yahweh appeared and warned Moses and Aaron to get out of the way so He could destroy the rebellious people. This time Moses and Aaron fell on their faces not only to get out of the way, but to petition Yahweh not to destroy the entire community.
In their petition, Moses and Aaron offer the plea: 'O God, God of the spirits that gave life to every living thing, will you be angry with the whole community because one man has sinned?' ... This title for God is only found in this passage and in Numbers 27:16.
Question: How does this phrase identify Yahweh? The plural "spirits" refers to the spirits of every living thing-human beings, plants and animals.
Answer: The phrase recognizes God as the Creator of all life and also as having sovereignty over the life and death of every living thing in creation.
Question: Who is the "one man" who sinned?
Answer: Korah.
As in Numbers 14:17-20, this was an appeal to God's grace and mercy.
Numbers 16:25-35 God's Divine Judgment on the Rebels
The leaders of the Reubenite side of the revolt would not come to Moses so Moses, accompanied by the elders (most likely the seventy elders ordained in Chapter 11:16-30), went to them. Moses spoke prophetically of their destruction-almost immediately the words he spoke were fulfilled when Korah's supporters and the Reubenite rebels in camp were swallowed up by the earth and "went down alive to Sheol". At about the same time, the two hundred and fifty men attempting to offer incense in the liturgical service at the Sanctuary were consumed by fire, just as Aaron's two priestly sons had been consumed by fire for improperly offering the incense. The holy fire probably came from Yahweh's presence in the Holy of Holies.
Question: What issue did the incense test settle?
Answer: Anyone who attempts to undermine or usurp God's divinely appointed leaders will suffer divine judgment.
Bible scholars have speculated on how the people within the camp were destroyed-if it was an earthquake or some other phenomenon. Author Bruce Feiler, in his book Walking the Bible, reported hearing about the strange phenomenon of the earth suddenly collapsing along geologic faults in the desert south of the Negeb (Walking the Bible, page 321), a natural phenomenon God could have used at this precise time in judgment on the rebels.
Question: What happened to Korah's children of the new generation?
Answer: Korah's children were judged innocent of their father's sin and did not perish (Num 26:10). Their descendants became cantors of the Levitical Temple choir and others became trusted Temple gatekeepers.
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Chapter 15: The Sabbath Year and Measures to Protect the Poor
Israelite declaration of obedience to the tithe for the poor: ... in the presence of Yahweh your God, you must say: "I have cleared my house of what was consecrated. Yes, I have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan and the widow, in accordance with all the commandments you have imposed on me, neither going beyond your commandments nor neglecting them ..."
Deuteronomy 26:13
Then fixing his eyes on his disciples he said: How blessed are you who are poor: the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are hungry now: you shall have your fill. Blessed are you who are weeping now: you shall laugh.
Jesus in Luke 6:20-21
Deuteronomy 15:1-6
The Sabbath Year of Redemption
Instructions for observing a Sabbatical year are also given in Leviticus 25:1-7 where landowners were commanded to let the land "rest" in the seventh year by planting no seeds and organizing no harvesting of crops. This passage is God's plan for social justice, national solvency and economic prosperity. The remission of all debts for covenant members every seventh year provided for the preservation of a balanced distribution of wealth and resources across the Israelite community and is of special benefit for the poor (see Ex 22:24-26; Lev 25:36-37; Dt 23:20-21 and 24:6, 10-13, and 17). It was not in the creditors' interest, therefore to allow someone to amass a huge debt that he couldn't pay off earlier than the seventh year.
Question: What are the conditions of God's plan?
Answer:
- Israel's part:
- Personal debts of fellow Israelites must not extend beyond seven years.
- At the end of seven years, if the debt has not been repaid, it is absolved.
- There must be no poor covenant members.
- God's part:
- Continued blessings of prosperity in the land
- The Israelites will be the creditors to many nations
- The Israelites will not be in debt to any foreign power
The law of the Sabbatical Year was first ordained in the Holiness Code in Leviticus 25:1-7 and again in 25:8 in association with the 50th year of the seventh Sabbatical Year, which was called the Jubilee Year.
| The Liberation of the Sabbath and Jubilee years | |
| The Sabbath Year Liberation | The Jubilee Liberation |
| (every seventh year is a Sabbath Year) Ex 23:10-13; Lev 25:1-7; 18-22; Dt 15:1-11 | (the year after every seventh Sabbath year is a Jubilee Year) Lev 25:8-17, 28-55; Dt 15:1-11 |
| For six years fields will be sown but in the seventh year the fields and vineyards will not be sown (Ex 25:3-4). | The year after the seventh Sabbatical Year, in the fiftieth year beginning on the tenth of Tishri (Feast of Atonement) the land will continue to rest for a second year (Lev 25:8). |
| The fields are to lie fallow, no seed is to be sown, no vineyards pruned for a year and there will be no organized harvest; it is a year of rest for the land (Lev 25:4-5). | The fields are to lie fallow, no seed will be sown, no vineyard pruned and there will be no organized harvest for a second year (Lev 25:11, 21-22). |
| Any crops that grow naturally will be food for the Israelites and their animals (Lev 25:6-7). | Any crops that grow naturally will be food for the Israelites and their animals (Lev 25:12). |
| The poor and wild animals will be permitted to eat from the fields; extend mercy to the poor (Lev 25:7; Dt 15:7-11). | The poor and wild animals will be permitted to eat from the fields; extend mercy to the poor (Dt 15:7-11). |
| At the end of the seventh year all Israelite debts remitted (Dt 15:1-2, 12-18). | At the end of the seventh seven year, in the beginning of the year of Jubilee, all Israelite debts remitted (Dt 15:1-2). |
| The land will rest in the seventh year but in the eighth year grain may be sown (Lev 25:21-22). | For two years the land will rest and in the third year crops can be sown and harvested (Lev 25:22). |
| There is to be redemption of the land; the land must be returned to the original Israelite owner/tribe. The land belongs to God and can never be sold (Lev 25:10-13, 23-34). | |
| Trumpets are to be blown throughout the land and the fiftieth year will be proclaimed a year of liberation (Lev 25:9-10). | |
| All Israelite slaves and their children will be freed (Lev 25:35-46); an Israelite can only be enslaved for a seven year period outside of a Jubilee year (Ex 21:2; Dt 15:12-18).* | |
| God will provide for Israel in the year the land lies fallow by giving the land abundant harvests in the sixth year, the produce of which will last for three years into the eighth (Lev 25:18-22a). | God will provide for Israel in the years the land lies fallow by giving the land abundant harvests in the sixth year, the produce of which will last for three years into the eighth year and even the ninth (Lev 25:18-22). |
| Michal Hunt, Copyright © 2011 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved. | |
*The liberation of Israelites slaves, who were in effect indentured servants, only applied in a Sabbath year if the bondage began seven years earlier; an Israelite was never to be keep in servitude beyond six years and all Israelites were freed from bondage in a Jubilee year (Ex 21:1-11; Lev 25:46b). This regulation did not apply to Gentile slaves.
Question: Did the Israelites faithfully keep the Sabbath year of Redemption in the Promised Land? See 2 Chr 36:19-21.
Answer: No, they did not keep the Sabbath year requirement. As a result of their failure, in 587/6 BC Yahweh allowed Judah to be conquered by the Babylonians and sent them into exile in Babylon for the seventy Sabbath years of "rest" the people owed Yahweh's land.
Deuteronomy 15:7-11 The Obligation to the Poor
Question: How did God command that the poor be taken care of in a non third-year tithing period? See Lev 19:9-10; 25:4-7; 23:32; Dt 24:19-22.
Answer: Every landowner was forbidden to reap the edges of his fields or to pick up the gleanings of the harvest. He also had to leave the fallen fruit on the ground and could not strip the fruit vines bare. These must be left for the poor to gather. Also in every Sabbatical year, the poor had free access to all fields where the crops naturally grew from the year before.
Question: What heroine in salvation history fed herself and her mother-in-law by taking advantage of God's provision for the poor? See Rt 2:2-7; 4:13-17; Mt 1:4-16.
Answer: Ruth, the great-grandmother of King David and ancestress of Jesus of Nazareth.
Deuteronomy 15:11 Of course, there will never cease to be poor people in the country [land], and that is why I am giving you this command: Always be open handed with your brother, and with anyone in your country who is in need and poor.'
The continued existence of the poor is a sad condition of humanity. The fact that the poor will always be present, does not excuse the responsibilities of others to relieve their burden, but rather increases the responsibility of those who are blessed with plenty.
Question: The Law of the Sinai Covenant provided in numerous ways for the care of the poor. Name some of those laws. See Ex 23:10-11; Lev 19:11-13; 25:13-22; Dt 14:28-29; 15:1-18; 24:14-21.
Answer:
- The Sabbatical and Jubilee years of forgiveness of debts and return of ancestral lands.
- Prohibition of loans at interest.
- The obligation to the third year tithe.
- The daily payment of the day-laborer.
- The right to glean from the fields and vines.
- Giving the freed Israelite slave the means of starting a new life.
- Command not to exploit the poor
See CCC 2449.
In John 12:8, Jesus refers to this verse and connects it to Himself: The poor you will always have with you, but you do not always have me. In quoting the passage from Deuteronomy 15:11, Jesus invites us to recognize His love for the poor and His connection to their suffering.
Deuteronomy 15:12-18 Slaves
The laws in Deuteronomy addressing the maturation of slaves are in addition to the legislation in Exodus 21:2-11. Six years is the standard length of indentured service for an Israelite (also see Ex 21:2 and verse 18).
Question: In addition to setting a Hebrew slave free in the seventh year, what other requirements are placed on the Israelite master?
Answer: The master must provide the newly freed slave with enough goods to start his new life according to the degree the Lord has blessed the master with material goods.
According to Jewish tradition, the gift of liberation had to be not less than thirty silver shekels, which is the value of a slave according to Exodus 21:32. You will recall it is the same amount that Judas was paid for betraying Jesus (Mt 26:14-16) by the chief priests.
Some Israelites preferred to live in security in a household and to not have to struggle to make their own living as a freed man. In that case, the Israelite could become permanently bonded to his/her master in a small ceremony. It is unclear why a hole was driven through the slave's ear. It may have been so the slave could wear an earring as a symbol of his permanent slave status, or it may be punishment that physically marks the Israelite who has denied himself the right of redemption and rejected God's command in Leviticus 25:42 that Israelites may not be sold into permanent servitude because they are Yahweh's servants. There is no consensus of opinion among Biblical scholars on the meaning of the ceremony.
Question: What is the reason given for the redemption of Israelites slaves?
Answer: The Israelites' own experience of slavery and redemption by God is cited as the reason why Israelite slaves should be treated with such generosity. The Israelite masters are to remember God's graciousness in liberating their ancestors from slavery in Egypt.
Deuteronomy 15:19-23 The First-born
This section of Moses' second homily began and ends with the blood prohibition (see 12:16; 15:23). The unblemished first-born male animals like the second tithe are to be eaten in ritual communion meals in the presence of God or in the camp of God that surrounds the Sanctuary and later the Temple. The first-born cattle had to be sacrificed within a year of their birth and not earlier than the eighth day of life (Ex 22:29). The animal's sacred status prevents shearing of its wool-every part of the animal belongs to God. However, God is generous and will share His sacrifice with His covenant community in the sacred meal; the hides went to the officiating priest (Lev 7:8; 6:38).
Question: What about first-born male domestic animals that had blemishes or had a physical imperfection?
Answer: Those animals were not given to God but were retained by the owner and could be eaten as food like any other animal.
Only unblemished animals could be offered in sacrifice to Yahweh (Lev 22:2, 17-25, 32; Mal 1:6-9). The only exception was that an animal with a slight blemish could be offered as a free-will festival communion offering (see Lev 22:23). In verse 22, You will eat it at home, unclean and clean together, as you would gazelle or deer refers not to the status of "clean" or "unclean" concerning the animal but the ritual cleanliness of the individual eating the animal. If a person was ritually unclean from some contamination, he was not prohibited from eating with other members of his family; the ritually unclean and clean could eat together.
Chapter 16:1-17
Passover and the Sacred Pilgrim Feasts
Deuteronomy 16:1-8
The Passover Sacrifice and the Pilgrim Feast of Unleavened Bread
This is the third time a list of Yahweh's sacred feasts has appeared in the Pentateuch and the third time the pilgrim feasts have been named (see Ex 23:14-17; 34:18-23). The first list is the most complete and appears in Leviticus 23 where seven sacred annual feasts are listed. The second list, which enumerates the various sacrifices of the weekly, monthan and annual feast days (with the exception of Firstfruits which was given in Lev 23), occurs in Numbers 28-29. The list in Deuteronomy 16:1-17 is the least complete, only mentioning the Passover sacrifice and the three pilgrim feasts. The Passover sacrifice is probably included in the list because it is the beginning of the liturgical calendar and the sacrifice occurs the day before the pilgrim feast of Unleavened Bread, which began at sundown.
The Israelites didn't begin their march out of Egypt until after the Passover meal on the first night of Unleavened Bread and after Yahweh struck down all the first-born in Egypt at midnight (Ex 12:29). It was "still dark" when Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and told them to leave Egypt (Ex 12:31-32). God's slaying of the Egyptian firstborn males and cattle that night at midnight is seen as the essence of the beginning of the Exodus redemption. In Hebrew time, midnight is part of the day that began at sunset, unlike Roman time that counts the hours of the new day beginning at midnight.
Since the Hebrew text is written without any periods, commas, or other grammatical helps, translator decide where the sentence breaks should come. To be in agreement with other passages in Scripture, verses 6-7 should probably read: "there you must sacrifice the Passover at the end of the day (meaning in the period of time meaning from noon until before sunset); at the hour when you came out of Egypt you will cook it and eat it in the place chosen by Yahweh your God ..." This arrangement of the words is in agreement with other passages in Exodus and in the instructions for the Passover sacrifice recorded in the Jewish Mishnah. The "coming out of Egypt" began symbolically with the Passover redemption.
Question: Why was the feast that began the night the covenant people ate the sacrificial meal of the Passover victim called the Feast of Unleavened Bread? Also see Ex 12:17-20; 13:3-10.
Answer: God commanded the people to eat only unleavened bread that night and for the entire holy week, hence the name "Unleavened Bread."
Question: Was the Passover sacrifice a required pilgrim feast?
Answer: No, it was not. At sundown after the sacrifice, which became the 15th day of the first month, was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread when the Passover sacrifice was eaten in a sacred meal; that night and the entire week was a pilgrim feast for the covenant people.
One didn't have to be present at the actual Passover sacrifice, but one had to be present at the sacred meal. The Jewish Talmud records that a relative or even a slave could present the Passover victim at the liturgical ceremony of the Passover sacrifice for the other people of the household (Mishnah: Pesahim, 8:1-8:3).
Deuteronomy 16:9-17 The Two Other Pilgrim Feasts
In the free-will contributions to the Sanctuary (money as well as goods), and in free-will whole burnt offerings and communion offerings, the members of the community were expected to give according to the degree of their material blessings (see verses 10 and 17).
This second pilgrim feast was a one day celebration like the earlier festival of Firstfruits that offered the first of the barley harvest in thanksgiving to the Lord.
Question: The Feast of Weeks was associated with bring the first fruits what other harvest? See Ex 34:22.
Answer: The first fruits of the wheat harvest.
Three feasts were associated with the annual harvests:
- Firstfruits = harvest of the barley
- Weeks/Pentecost = harvest of the wheat
- Shelters/Tabernacles = harvest of the fruit (figs, olive, grapes)
Seven weeks were counted and on the fiftieth day the people were to celebrate the next first fruits of the harvest on the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost (Lev 23:15-16).
Question: The second pilgrim feast was the festival of Weeks. From when were the Israelites to begin their count of seven weeks until the celebration of the pilgrim feast of Weeks? See Lev 23:9-16?
Answer: The day after the Sabbath of the seven-day festival of Unleavened Bread, is the Feast of Firstfruits (on the Sunday within the holy week of Unleavened Bread) when the people brought the first of the harvest to Yahweh. They were to count seven full weeks, and on the fiftieth day they were to present the produce of the next harvest to Yahweh at His Sanctuary on the Feast of Weeks.
Question: What was the Greek name that the Feast of Weeks was known as in the first century AD? What does the Greek name mean?
Answer: It was called the Feast of Pentecost; "pentecoste" in Greek means "fiftieth day."
Jesus taught the New Covenant Church for forty days from His Resurrection on the first day of the week, the day after the Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Sunday), until His Ascension (Acts 1:3). He instructed His disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). On the fiftieth day after the Resurrection, as the ancients counted, on the day that according to the liturgical calendar was the fiftieth day from the Feast of Firstfurits, on the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost, God the Holy Spirit came to baptize the New Covenant people of God.
The first harvest was the barley and the second harvest was wheat. Counting seven full weeks from the offering of the first of the barley harvest on the Sunday offering of Firstfruits, as the ancients counted, was fifty days. The ancients always counted the first number in a sequence as day #1. This is why Jesus said He would arise from the dead on the "third day;" from Friday to Sunday is three days as the ancients counted.
Question: Consult a liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. How are the days counted between the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Feast of Pentecost? On what day of the week do these two Christian feasts fall?
Answer: It is a fifty day count with both the Resurrection and Pentecost falling on a Sunday. The Church counts the length of time between the feasts of Easter Sunday and Pentecost just as the ancients counted.
The instructions for keeping the third pilgrim feast, the Feast of Shelters, are found in Leviticus 23:33-43 and Numbers 29:12-29. The Feast of Shelters (in some translations called "Booths") was also called the Feast of Tabernacles since it celebrated the gathering of all the tribes of Israel encamped around the Presence of God in the holy Sanctuary/Tabernacle. It also became a feast that anticipated the Messianic Age when the prophets prophesied that the people of God would live again in the presence of their God. The ceremonies of water and fire that were observed during the week long festival recalled the water miracles in the wilderness journey (Ex 17:1-7 and Num 20:1-13) and God's pillar of fire that guided the Israelites throughout their forty year journey (Ex 13:21-22).
Question: For how many days were the people to keep the third pilgrim feast? See Dt 16:15; Lev 23:34-36, 39-44.
Answer: The festival lasted seven days and was concluded in a Sacred Assembly of Israel on the eighth day.
Question: Why was the festival called the Feast of Shelters/Booths? See Lev 23:42.
Answer: The name "shelters/booths" commemorates the temporary and transient shelters that the Israelites lived in during the wilderness years. The camp of Israel was commemorated during this festival by the command for the Israelites who had come to the site of the Sanctuary (and the residents living there) to build temporary shelters/booths to live in during the holy week of the feast (Lev 23:42)
The Gospel of John records the three years of Jesus' ministry in the context of the annual feasts. In the Gospel of John chapters 7-8 Jesus attends the pilgrim feast of Shelters (also called the Feast of Tabernacles) and announces Himself as the Messiah. Associated with the rituals of water and fire, Jesus announces to the crowds of pilgrims on the seventh day of the festival that He is the "living water" (Jn 7:37-39) and the next day, on the day of the Sacred Assembly, that He is the "light of the world" (Jn 8:12). Jesus' announcements in the midst of the Temple liturgy are declarations that clearly identify Him as the promised Messiah in fulfillment of the messianic prophecies of the prophets:
- When that day comes, a fountain will be opened for the House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to wash sin and impurity away ... When that Day comes, living waters will issue from Jerusalem ... (Zec 13:1; 14:8).
- Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty; though you have no money, come! ... Pay attention, come to me; listen, and you will live. I shall make an everlasting covenant with you in fulfillment of the favors promised to David (Is 55:1, 3).
- For I shall take you from among the nations and gather you back from all the countries, and bring you home to your own country. I shall pour clean water over you and you will be cleansed; I shall cleanse you of all your filth and all your foul idols ... I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws, and respect and practice my judgments (Ez 36:24-27).
- The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; on the inhabitants of a country in shadow dark as death light has blazed forth ... For a son has been born for us, a son has been given to us, and dominion has been laid on his shoulders; and this is the name he has been given, 'Wonder-Counselor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace, to extend his dominion in boundless peace, over the throne of David and over his kingdom to make it secure and sustain it in fair judgment and integrity (Is 9:1/9:3, 5/6-6/7).
- Arise, shine out, for your light has come, and the glory of Yahweh has risen on you. Look! though night still covers the earth and darkness the peoples, on you Yahweh is rising and over you his glory can be seen (Is 60:1-2)
Civil and Religious Authorities
Deuteronomy 16:18-18:22 appears to be the first historical blueprint for a constitutional government, placing limitations on the absolute authority of political and religious leaders. This section deals with the responsibilities of four main types of human authorities:
- Judges (Dt 16:18-17:22)
- Kings (Dt 17:14-20)
- Priests (Dt 18:1-8)
- Prophets (Dt 18:9-22)
Limitations are established for each office, which lays the foundation for public supervision and grounds for protesting abuses of authority. The limitations listed in the Deuteronomic Code not only prevent those office holders from exercising absolute authority over the nation but empowers the citizens to admonish and to resist those who abuse their power. It will be the primary duty of Yahweh's prophets to take a stand against such abuses in support of the people as well as exercising the authority from God to admonish the people when they became complacent concerning their moral and religious sins and the same sins in government and religious leaders.
CHALLENGE “If God is outside of time and knows everything that we’re going to do, then we don’t have free will.”
DEFENSE: Knowing about an event does not mean causing it. God can know about things people choose without depriving them of free will. It’s true that God is outside of time and knows both our past and future choices, but this does not determine them.
Consider: You know about many events in the past—in your personal history, your family history, and world history. But your knowledge did not force any of them to happen. They occurred, for whatever reason, and you just happen to know about them. Some occurred because of the choices of others. For example, your father may have chosen to enter a particular trade. But your knowledge of his trade does not reach back in time and force him to make this choice. It doesn’t deprive him of free will. You might object that we are talking about the past, but the same applies to the present and the future.
Suppose that you know of a place where, right now, someone is singing a song. Your knowledge does not force the person to sing. Or suppose that you are standing on top of a building, and you see two cars about to collide in the street below. Your knowledge of what is about to happen does not cause it. The choices of the drivers were what led to the accident. Whether we are talking about the past, the present, or the future, knowledge of an event does not force it to happen or deprive those involved of free will.
Neither does God’s knowledge of events. God dwells in an eternal now outside of time. All times are equally present to him, and he knows what people choose to do in those times, but his knowledge of what people choose does not make their choices unfree any more than our knowledge of their choices does.
Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist
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