Atonement

These past few Sabbaths, the readings have focused on the priesthood. This week's Sabbath reading titled Korach, meaning "baldness", does so also. To me the term "baldness" in this reading refers to a lack of spiritual covering, and we will learn what the priest did in the middle of this dire circumstance. We are also called kings and priests, and a royal priesthood unto the Lord under the new covenant in Christ. This made me think about my role as a believer-priest when the spiritual covering over a people has been removed. Our Sabbath reading begins in Numbers 16 with a terrible rebellion that starts small but eventually encompasses all of the congregation of Israel. The rebellion started with four men, one of whom, Korah, was a Levite from the same tribe as Moses and Aaron, the tribe of the priesthood. The other three rebels were from the tribe of Reuben. Those four men recruited two hundred and fifty tribal leaders of the congregation who were: "representatives of the congregation, men of renown." (Num. 16:1-2). The rebellion began in covetousness, envy and resentment, but was fed by false accusations and lies. These four men and the tribal leaders accused Moses and Aaron of appointing themselves to be the leaders of the Israelites. They said: "You take too much on yourselves, for all the congregation is holy...and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?...Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey (referring to Egypt), to kill us in the wilderness, that you should keep acting like a prince over us? Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards..." (v. 3, 13-14). Moses pointed out to Korah the Levite that he was showing that he despised his own calling of the LORD to serve in the tabernacle, and coveted and envied another's calling instead (v. 9-10). Because of this, they were "gathered together against the LORD" (v. 11). The Levite rebel, Korah, then gathered all of the congregation against Moses and Aaron at the door of the tabernacle. So now all of the people have turned against Moses and Aaron. The glory of the LORD appeared before them all. The LORD not only planned to deal with the rebels, but also to consume the whole congregation in a moment (v. 19-21). Moses and Aaron fell on their faces interceding with God on behalf of the congregation. God allowed the congregation to separate themselves from the rebels, as the earth opened up underneath the four original rebels and the two hundred and fifty tribal leaders who had joined them, and they fell down into the open earth alive, and the earth closed over them (v. 28-33). However: "On the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron saying, 'You have killed the people of the LORD.' (v. 41). The glory of the LORD appeared again, and the LORD repeated that He would consume the people. Moses and Aaron again fell on their faces before the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron, "Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement (kapar - to cover over, to be covered, to overspread, to cover (sins), to make expiation for an offender, reconciliation, forgive, appease, pacify) for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD. The plague has begun." (v. 45-46). Aaron did as Moses had spoken, "and made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped. Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident." (v. 45-49). In making atonement for the people, Aaron physically placed himself in the middle of the plague to stand between those who were dead, and those who were yet alive. The fast-moving plague was stopped at that point. Before this incident, atonement was observed as a feast day of the LORD, carried out on an appointed day, in an appointed place, the Holy of Holies, and with a specific sacrifice. In this instance, however, making atonement for the people was accomplished by an act of intercession using a censer and incense. How did God feel about this intercession of atonement that Aaron ministered at the command of Moses? After this incident, in Numbers 17, the LORD lets us know. All of the rods that represented the fathers of the tribes of Israel, with their tribes' names written on them, were brought before the LORD in the tabernacle. Aaron's rod, with his name written on it for the Levites, was included with the other rods (Num. 17:1-7). The LORD said that the rod of the man whom He will choose will blossom. He would settle the complaints of the children of Israel against Moses and Aaron in this way. The next day, Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, "and behold, the rod of Aaron, for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds." (v. 8 KJV). Not only had the rod, a long dead staff, produced blossoms, but it produced almond fruit as if it were a living tree. Not only did it produce almonds, but ripe almonds. Although the wording of this verse in English sounds repetitive, the Hebrew meanings of the words here are not repetitive, and each phrase adds a new and different meaning. The four phrases used here in v. 8 have the following meanings: "budded": parah - bud, blossom, break forth, extend wings and fly. "Brought forth buds": yasa/perah - deliver, lead out, bring out, proceed/flower, blossom. "Bloomed blossoms": sus/sis - flourish, to shine, gleam, twinkle, to be bright, to glance through a lattice/ blossom, wings, feather. "Yielded almonds" - gamal/saqed/saqad - dealt bountifully, bestowed, recompense, do good, wean a child or mature, ripening/almond trees, almonds, the first tree to awaken out of winter sleep/watch, keep watch over, wake, hasten, sleepless. Regarding this budded rod of Aaron's, the LORD instructed Moses: "Bring Aaron's rod back before the Testimony (meaning the ark of the covenant), to be kept as a sign against the rebels (meri - rebellious, bitterness, stubborn refusal to obey; root word mara- "stroke, strike, slash with a whip"), that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die." (v. 10). Not only did Aaron's rod bud as a fruit of his atonement for the people, but it remained before the Testimony of the LORD as a sign against such rebellion, on penalty of death. In this Sabbath reading, we can see the role of the priest as one who stood between the living and the dead in a plague, and made an atonement, even for rebellious people who falsely accused him and resented him. The LORD recognized the power and work of that atonement through the budding of Aaron's staff. His Son, Jesus, as our High Priest, looked upon those who were crucifying Him, who had mocked and whipped Him in their rebellion against God, and said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Lk. 23:34). He is our atonement (Rom. 5:11), and not only for us, but for the whole world (1 Jn. 2:2). Jesus' atonement is a one time offering that extends into eternity: "By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting/expecting (ekdechomai - receive, accept, grant access to, embrace, make one's own, to take with the hand) till His enemies (echthros - hostile, hating, opposing) are made (tithemi - lay down, bend down, kneel down, carry no longer, establish) His footstool (hypopodion - among, by, or under foot, a foot on the neck of an enemy, or at the feet as a disciple)." (Heb. 10:10, 12-13). Scripture says also that every knee should bow at the name of Jesus, and every tongue should confess Him (Phil. 2:8-11). Our priestly ministering in intercession of His atonement for the people plays a role in that transforming victory, I'm sure. If you would like to know more about our priesthood in Christ, you can pray with me: "Lord Jesus, You have given us the priestly ministry of reconciliation through Your covering atonement. Fill me with the Holy Spirit who shows me how to pray and intercede effectively in the middle of world-wide rebellion against God, and the resulting deadly plague. You are sitting at the right hand of the Father waiting expectantly to receive those who will come forth from Your atonement, and sit at Your feet as disciples, or bow at Your feet as a subject before You. As the time grows short, Your desire is that none should perish but that all should come to repentance and salvation. Show me how to stand in the gap, and make up the hedge with my censer of incense, or prayers, for those who are uncovered and in danger of perishing. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN."