Good to see you all this morning. Happy Father's Day to all of you.
Let me invite you to turn with me to Numbers chapter 16.
! We are continuing through our summer sermon series in the book of Numbers,
and today we're looking at all of chapter 16. That's page 116 or 117 in the Pew Bibles.
And as we come to God's Word, let me begin with a word of prayer for us.
Father, we do ask for your Spirit to come now and help us to not just understand your Word with our
minds, but truly to have it shape our desires and our commitments, Lord, at a deeper heart level.
Lord, we want to not just be hearers of your Word, but doers. And Lord, we know that this
deep heart transformation comes only as you, by your Spirit, help us to see our Savior Christ,
our Lord Jesus, more richly and more fully. So do just that as we come to this rich passage,
this rich book of Numbers. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
All right, let me begin by reading the first 15 verses of Numbers chapter 16.
Now, Korah, the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab,
and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, Korah's rebellion. Now, at first, this seems to be just
another story in Numbers about the people grumbling against the leadership of Moses. At this point in
Numbers, you think, man, are they going to grumble about anything else, right? But, you know, when we
take a closer look, we see that this rebellion, this chapter, it's really about something more vital.
Well, chapter 16 and 17 and 18 of Numbers, which is really the center of this book, they take up the
theme of the priesthood. And what was the priesthood all about? Well, the priesthood was all about how
sinful people could draw near to a holy God.
And so, the question that really runs throughout this passage at the deepest level is,
can we approach God on our own terms? Or must we submit ourselves to approaching God on His terms?
Well, let's take a closer look and see how that comes out in this passage. First, notice in verses 9 and 10
what Korah is really after when he raises this complaint and raises this rebellion. What he's
really after is the priesthood. Now, as a Levite, Korah had been assigned, along with the rest of his
tribe, a very important role in the care and in the service of the tabernacle. The Levites, you'll
remember, were set apart of all the other tribes to serve the Lord and to serve the people of God by
keeping and tending the tabernacle. And Korah's clan, Korah's clan, which was the Kohathites, the
children of Kohath, they were even responsible for moving the most holy things into the holy places of
the tabernacle when it was set up. They had the unique role given from the Lord to intercede in this way
for the people. But Korah wanted that role for himself. And we can speculate why. You know, perhaps
Korah wanted the priesthood because he thought it would bring him more privilege or more power or more
human praise, not just carrying the ark, but going in and being the one who offered the sacrifice before
the ark. You know, too often people seek leadership for these reasons, for privilege, for power, for human
praise. And the New Testament is very clear that we should watch out for so-called leaders like that.
Beware, the New Testament will say again and again, beware the leader who wants to lead,
but who doesn't want to serve. Leaders in the church, leaders in the people of God should be first and foremost
willing servants, willing to set up the chairs and make the coffee if need be.
Nothing at the end of the New Testament will actually name Korah by name as an example of what to beware of
in the church. Beware the so-called leader that stirs up dissension and disunity. Beware the so-called
leader that seems to listen intently to people's complaints only to manipulate it for his own gain.
Jesus spoke a blessing upon whom? Upon the peacemakers.
Paul writes that we should make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace. That's what a real leader looks like.
But last, notice how Korah makes his case in verse 3. He says to Moses and Aaron, he says,
you've gone too far, for all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them.
Why then do you, Moses and Aaron, exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?
Now, of course, there is a sense in which some of what Korah is saying is true.
God had indeed chosen and set apart the people for himself. In that sense, the entire congregation
was holy unto the Lord, and God had indeed been dwelling in their midst. The Lord was among them.
In fact, at the end of chapter 15, right before this passage, that's exactly what the instructions
about the tassels on the garments was all about. It was to remind the people to keep the commandments
of God. It was to remind them to be set apart, to be holy, because the Lord was indeed in their midst.
But here's a hallmark of a false teacher. They take something that's true,
and they use it to justify something that's false.
Korah's conclusion was that anyone should be able to be a priest because the congregation was holy,
that anyone should be able to do what the priest can do. But that was wrong. Yes, God had set apart
the whole people for himself. Yes, they were a holy nation and a royal priesthood, as Exodus 19.6 says.
But that doesn't mean that they could then approach God on their own terms.
God had appointed very specific means whereby they could draw near. And under the old covenant,
he had chosen one particular family for that particular role and no one else.
And this brings us to the real heart of the passage. Yes, Korah is an example of a so-called
leader to watch out for and to avoid, but the real question that Korah raises is,
can we approach God on our own terms?
You see, the heart of Korah's rebellion is just that, a desire to want to draw near to God
in the way that Korah himself chooses, apart from God's appointed means.
And friends, that is the very heart of human rebellion against God,
that I get to choose how and on what basis I get to God. I mean, surely, right, if I'm sincere
and I'm basically moral, that's enough, right? Why can't I draw near to God through my own version
of spirituality? Whatever I happen to think is best. I mean, who's to say which religion is true,
right? I mean, aren't they all just kind of paths leading up the same mountain?
Aren't we all just blindfolded men and women grabbing a different part of the elephant?
You've got your way, I've got mine. God will just accept them all, right?
So goes, I think, our very common line of thinking.
But can we, can we actually draw near to God on our own terms?
You see, the problem with this line of thinking
is that it fails to account for God's holiness.
It fails to account for God's holiness.
Because God is not some inert goal at the top of a mountain
that we can just bushwhack our way to the top.
And God is certainly not a kind of benign elephant
that we can blindly grasp and grope like a baby Dumbo.
God is holy.
God is infinite in majesty, in power, in purity, in love.
The chapter from Revelation that Nick read for us earlier is all about this.
What do we see there in Revelation 4?
We see that God is not some kind of cosmic, doting grandparent,
but God is the Holy One
before whom all creation will and must worship.
An unmediated glimpse of the Holy and Majestic God,
an unmediated glimpse of that God would not be bliss,
but our utter undoing.
Like a tiny ship pushed by a growing wave
into rocky cliffs thousands of feet high,
dashed into oblivion,
one glimpse of God's real unmediated glory
would utterly wreck us.
We cannot come to God on our own terms
because of who God is.
And that's exactly what we see
in the next part of this passage.
Let's pick up in verse 16,
and we'll read all the way through verse 40
and see what happens to Korah's rebellion.
Moses said to Korah,
Be present, you and all your company,
before the Lord, you and they and Aaron tomorrow,
and let every one of you take his censer
and put incense on it,
which was a priestly task, by the way.
God is basically saying,
Okay, Korah, put yourself in the place of a priest.
Let every one of you take his censer
and put incense on it,
and every one of you bring before the Lord his censer.
250 censers, you also, and Aaron, each a censer.
So every man took his censer
and put fire in them and laid incense on them,
stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting
with Moses and Aaron.
Then Korah assembled all the congregation against them
at the entrance of the tent of meeting,
and the glory of the Lord appeared
to all the congregation.
And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron,
saying, Separate yourselves from this congregation
that I may consume them in a moment.
And they fell on their faces and said,
Oh God, the God of the spirits of all flesh
shall one man sin,
and you will be angry with all the congregation?
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
Say to the congregation,
Get away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram,
and the elders of Israel followed him.
And he spoke to the congregation, saying,
Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men,
and touch nothing of theirs,
lest you be swept away with all their sins.
So they got away from the dwelling of Korah,
Dathan, and Abiram.
And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood
at the door of their tents,
together with their wives, their sons,
and their little ones.
And Moses said,
Hereby you shall know that the Lord has sent me
to do all these works,
and that it has not been of my own accord.
If these men die as all men die,
or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind,
then the Lord has not sent me.
But if the Lord creates something new,
and the ground opens its mouth
and swallows them with all that belongs to them,
and they go down alive into Sheol,
then you shall know that these men
have despised the Lord.
And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words,
the ground under them split apart,
and the earth opened its mouth
and swallowed them with their households
and all the people who belonged to Korah
and all their goods.
So they and all that belonged to them
went down alive into Sheol,
and the earth closed over them,
and they perished from the midst of the assembly.
And all Israel who were around them
fled at their cry,
for they said,
Lest the earth swallow us up.
And fire came out from the Lord
and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest,
to take up the censers out of the blaze.
Then scatter the fire far and wide,
for they have become holy.
As for the censers of these men
who have sinned at the cost of their lives,
let them be made into hammered plates
as a covering for the altar,
for they offered them before the Lord,
and they became holy.
Thus they shall be a sign
to the people of Israel.
So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers,
which those who were burned had offered,
and they were hammered out
as a covering for the altar
to be a reminder
to the people of Israel,
so that no outsider
who is not of the descendants of Aaron
should draw near
to burn incense before the Lord,
lest he become like Korah
and his company,
as the Lord said to him
through Moses.
So Korah wanted to come to God
on his own terms.
Dathan and Abiram joined Korah
in his rebellion,
and as a result,
they all crashed against the rocks
of God's holiness.
Korah and the rest
who take censers
before the Lord at the tabernacle,
you would sort of put fire
inside a plate
and you would swing it
so the incense would go up.
Korah and all the rest
who did so
before the Lord at the tabernacle
were consumed by fire.
And the tragedy
is that the sin of Korah
and Dathan and Abiram
doesn't just impact themselves,
but their families as well.
At first,
we sort of recoil
at passages like this,
don't we?
At first,
it seems unjust
for family members
to suffer the same fate
as the heads of the households
who did the rebellion,
who did the rebelling.
But that's the tragedy
of sin, friends.
It impacts all those around us.
Especially the presumptuous sin
of thinking
that we can handle God
on our own terms
in any way that we see fit.
That rebellion
will impact our children.
And that's why people
were commanded to flee
from the tents
of Dathan and Abiram.
And even Korah's tent,
even though Korah himself
was at the tabernacle
with the 250,
God in mercy warned them
that this sin
was going to impact
all those around it.
But you see,
that spreading impact
of sin,
the truth is,
that's exactly how sin
has worked
from the very beginning.
All the way back
to our first parents,
when our first parents sinned,
we all fell
under its deadly sway.
Consider the original sin
of Adam.
Rather than listen
to God and obey,
Adam chose his own terms.
He took the fruit
God had commanded him
not to take,
thinking that in doing so,
he could just become
like God
rather than approach
God on God's terms.
Adam thought
he could do it
his own way.
And that rebellion
brought spiritual death,
not just to Adam and Eve,
but to all humanity.
You see,
friends,
every single human being
is created
in God's own image.
Each one of us
is full
of inestimable
dignity
and value
and worth.
And
every human being
has inherited
a guilty status
before God
and a corrupt nature
within ourselves.
Like a computer virus
that spreads
to every computer
in the network,
there is no human
who is exempt
from the effects
of Adam's sin.
And that means
there is no
approaching God
and His holiness
without it resulting
in utter ruin.
The 250 men
who swung their censers
that day
before the tabernacle
were consumed
in an instant.
God
is not
to be trifled with.
How could we think
that we could just
saunter
into God's presence?
That we could just
approach God
and be accepted
by God
on our own terms,
on our own way?
I mean,
think about it.
We would never
think about
entering our
neighbor's house
without their
permission
and on their
own terms,
right?
Of course,
you wouldn't just
like show up
at your neighbor's
house,
open the door
and take off
your shoes
and start eating
the food
out of their fridge.
I mean,
maybe you would.
Maybe you have
a really good
relationship
with your neighbor.
I don't know.
But no,
you do it
on your neighbor's
terms,
right?
That's how
you draw near
to them.
But think about
something even greater.
What about
the mayor's office?
What if we were
to walk,
you know,
a few blocks
down to the green
and go into
the city hall
and go into
the city hall?
We just kind of
barge into
Mayor Eelker's
office,
put our feet
up on his desk.
What would
happen?
Well,
you would most
likely be
escorted out
by security,
right?
You can't
approach the
human mayor
on your own
terms.
And what
about the
White House?
Try to get
into the
White House
on your own
terms and you
will certainly
be arrested
or worse.
Friends,
if that is
true of our
relationship
with mere
humans,
what makes
us think
that we
could approach
God on
our own
terms,
in our
own way?
God,
the consuming
fire himself
who is
infinitely good,
infinitely pure,
perfectly just.
And so God
tells Aaron's
son,
Eleazar,
to take all
those burned
censors of
Korah's
rebellion,
to hammer
them into
plates,
and to
plate them
onto the
altar as
a covering
so that when
the people
came to
the tabernacle
to worship,
they would
see the
covering and
every time
they would
be reminded
that they
had to
come to
God on
God's
own terms
or not
at all.
Friend,
how are you
hoping to
approach
God,
to get
near to
God
today?
I mean,
after all,
nearness to
God,
communion with
God,
fellowship with
God,
that is the
very thing
that we
humans were
created for.
We weren't
created to
find our
meaning,
our purpose,
our hope,
merely in the
created things
of this life.
Do you want
evidence that we
weren't created
to find our
meaning and hope
and purpose in
the things of
this life?
Then talk to
someone who
has it all.
Talk to the
wealthiest people,
talk to the
most famous
people,
talk to the
most powerful
people,
and what do
you find?
Do you find
that all those
things have
brought them
contentment,
joy,
peace,
awe?
No.
More often
than not,
they will all
tell you the
same thing.
It didn't
actually make
them happy.
This is why
songwriting is
such a good
gig,
because you
write songs,
you get really
famous,
it doesn't
actually satisfy,
so then you
can just write
more songs about
being dissatisfied
and make more
money.
It's a brilliant
scheme,
right?
And yet it is
evidence that
this world is
not what we
were created to
find our deepest
meaning and
identity in.
That deep
hole,
that deep
hunger still
remains.
there's only
one thing
that can
satisfy the
human heart,
and we've
read about it
in Revelation
4,
the glory of
God,
our Creator,
only in
communion with
the triune
God,
the triune
God whom all
creation praises
ceaselessly,
day and night,
only in communion
with God,
will we find
the true
meaning of
our existence.
And only in
communion with
the triune
God revealed
in Jesus
Christ,
will we be
able to
actually enjoy
the things of
this life?
Because otherwise
we just try to
use the things
of this life to
fill the God-sized
hole in our
hearts and it
doesn't work.
It doesn't
Here's the truth,
friends.
you and I
need to
approach God.
We have to
draw near to
God,
but we can't
do it on our
own terms.
Our sin is
too great,
and the holiness
of God is
infinitely greater
still.
So what's
the solution?
How can we
actually draw near?
What's the
answer to our
dilemma?
Well, it's
this,
that God has
appointed a
way.
God has set
His own
terms.
In His
grace,
God has
opened a
road whereby
sinful humans
can come to
Him and
not be
consumed.
But there's
no other
road.
only one
leads out
from Him
and only
one leads
back to
Him.
And that
road was
signified
under the
Mosaic
covenant
that one
appointed way
to God
was signified
under the
Mosaic
covenant
by the
priesthood
of Aaron.
Aaron and
his
sons
would be
the means
whereby
the Old
Testament
people could
have
fellowship
with God
without being
consumed by
God's
holiness.
Through the
priesthood's
intercession,
God would
make atonement
for His
people so
that sinful
people could
dwell with
a holy
God.
Let's read
the rest of
the chapter,
verses 41
through 50.
But on the
next day,
all the
congregation of
the people of
Israel grumbled
against Moses
and against
Aaron,
saying,
You have
killed the
people of
the Lord.
And when the
congregation had
assembled against
Moses and
against Aaron,
they turned
toward the
tent of
meeting,
and behold,
the cloud
covered it,
and the glory
of the Lord
appeared.
And Moses
and Aaron
came to the
front of the
tent of meeting,
and the Lord
spoke to Moses,
saying,
Get away from
the midst of
this congregation
that I may
consume them
in a moment.
And they fell
on their faces,
and Moses said
to Aaron,
Take your
censer and
put fire on
it from off
the altar and
lay incense on
it and carry it
quickly to the
congregation and
make atonement
for them, for
wrath has gone
out from the
Lord.
The plague has
begun.
So Aaron
took it,
as Moses said,
and ran into
the midst of
the assembly,
and behold,
the plague had
already begun
among the
people,
and he put
on the
incense and
made atonement
for the
people,
and he stood
between the
dead and
the living,
and the
plague was
stopped.
Now those
who died in
the plague
were fourteen
thousand,
besides those
who died in
the affair of
Korah.
And Aaron
returned to
Moses at the
entrance of the
tent of meeting
when the plague
was stopped.
So you see,
when Korah,
when Korah and
his company of
250 chiefs of
the congregation,
important,
powerful,
prestigious men,
when they took
their censers and
burned incense
before God,
they were
consumed.
But when Aaron,
just Aaron,
by himself,
takes a censer,
and when he
stands between
the dead and
the living and
makes intercession,
the plague is
stopped.
the just
wrath of God
is turned away
from the sinful
people,
and they're
saved.
Notice how
this episode
starts.
Now the whole
congregation is
grumbling against
them, and God
again gives
what is true.
He says,
get away from
the midst of
this congregation
that I may
consume them
in a moment.
You see,
that's how
sinful sin is.
It deserves
God's wrath.
But Aaron,
fulfilling the
priestly office
that God had
assigned to
him,
stands in the
midst of the
people and
offers up
intercession on
their behalf.
And God,
in His grace,
receives Aaron's
intercession.
God turns aside
His wrath.
He withholds
His full
judgment.
But friends,
you see,
Aaron in the
Old Covenant,
Aaron was just
a picture of
the greater
priest to come.
As the New
Testament opens
and as the
story unfolds
and as we see
the ministry
and the deeds
and the work
of the Lord
Jesus Christ,
we see that
He was the
true and the
better priest.
He was the
priest that Aaron
and his sons
were just
gesturing towards,
just pointing
towards as a
sign.
You see,
Jesus did
stand in the
midst of His
sinful people
and He
identified with
them fully.
And He didn't
merely offer up
incense and
prayers,
but He offered
up His own
body on the
cross.
And when Jesus,
our true priest,
stood in the
midst of His
people,
on that day,
the wrath of
God didn't
turn aside.
No, at the
cross, the
holiness of
God was in
full display
as Jesus
bore the
full weight
of the divine
wrath our
sins deserved.
But His
sin,
death-bearing
death,
this was
the very
plan of
God.
For in
Jesus,
we see
the terms,
God's terms,
whereby sinful
humans can now
come near.
Through faith
in Jesus
crucified and
risen,
sinners can
draw near to
God because
Jesus Christ
has turned
aside God's
holy wrath
through His
self-giving
death on the
cross in our
place.
And what's
more, on the
third day,
this true and
better high
priest rose
from the
dead,
and forty
days later,
He ascended
to the
Father's
right hand,
where He
now intercedes
forever for
those who
trust in
Him.
You see,
unlike Aaron
and all of
Aaron's sons
down through
the Old
Testament age,
unlike Aaron
who eventually
died,
Jesus,
our true and
better high
priest,
always lives.
And that
means He
always lives
to make
intercession
for us.
What He
did for us
will always
be effective
before the
throne of
our holy
God.
So for
those who
approach God
apart from
Jesus,
there is
nothing but a
fearful expectation
of judgment.
But for those
who approach
God through
Jesus,
there is
actually
confidence and
boldness to
approach God
because Jesus
has covered
our sins
and welcomed
us in His
name.
And you see,
that means if
you're not a
Christian,
if you're here
this morning and
you're spiritually
searching and
trying to figure
out what it
means to be in a
relationship with
God, then the
message of
number 16 to
you is this.
Repent of
trying to
approach God
on your own
terms.
Admit it and
turn away from
it.
Repent of
trying to
approach God
on your own
terms, in
your own
way, and
accept the
one and
only sure
way to
draw near
to God
through what
God Himself
has appointed
through the
true and
better high
priest, the
Lord Jesus
Christ.
call upon
Him and
entrust
yourself to
Him and
know that
without a
doubt in
Him your
sins will
be forgiven.
And because
He lives to
always intercede
for you, you
will have
eternal favor
and fellowship
with God your
Creator, and
God will be
your joy and
your utmost
satisfaction,
because there's
one who stands
for you at the
right hand of
God.
And for those
of us who
are trusting
in Christ,
then the
application of
number 16
is this,
remember,
remember that
our true
priest has
come and
that He
always lives
to make
intercession
for us and
that now we
can draw near
with confidence
to God.
Ephesians 3,
11 through
12 says that
God has
saved us
according to
the eternal
purpose that
He has
realized in
Christ Jesus
our Lord,
in whom,
in Jesus,
we now have
boldness and
access with
confidence through
our faith in
Him.
Do you see
what the work
of Jesus
Christ has
wrought?
Now we can
draw near to
God, though we
are sinners,
and yes,
God is holy,
now we can
draw near to
God with
boldness and
with confidence.
We don't have
to find our
identity and
satisfaction in
the things of
this world.
We can come
to God and
find it in
Him, the
one we were
created for.
We have
boldness and
access with
confidence.
It's not
presumption,
it's not pride
like Korah,
but real
confidence.
It's boldness
even because of
what God has
accomplished in
Jesus Christ on
our behalf.
We see this
theme throughout
the New Testament,
but perhaps
Hebrews 10,
19 through
25 says it
best.
The author of
Hebrews says,
therefore,
brothers and
sisters, since
we have confidence
to enter the
holy places by
the blood of
Jesus, by the
new and living
way that He
opened for us
through the
curtain that is
through His
flesh, and
since we have
a great priest
over the house
of God, let
us draw near
with a true
heart and full
assurance of
faith, with
our hearts
sprinkled clean
from an evil
conscience, and
our bodies washed
with pure water.
Let us hold
fast the
confession of
our hope without
wavering, for He
who promised is
faithful.
And let us
consider how to
stir up one
another to love
and good works,
not neglecting to
meet together as is
the habit of some,
but encouraging one
another, and all the
more as you see the
day drawing near.
Amen, friends.
Through Jesus, the
way is open.
We have a great
priest over the
house of God.
We don't have to
come to God on our
own terms, which are
failing and faulty, but
God has graciously
opened heaven's door
through Jesus, and we
can come in.
We have a great
priest over the
house of God, so let
us draw near in faith.
Let us hold fast in
hope, and let us stir
up one another in love.
Let us pray.
Father, we do ask that
You would impress upon
us, Your people, again
a genuine sense of
Your holiness.
Help us to live in
awe of You, God.
Help us to have a
rightful reverence
before You.
And Lord, help us to
see that in Christ,
what would mean certain
destruction for us,
drawing near to You,
our holy God, has
now, Lord, become an
open path where the
work of Christ and the
intercession of Christ
has paved the way.
Lord, open our eyes to
see this truth afresh.
Give us confidence and
boldness as we go
forth this week in His
name.
Amen.