Week 9

2/9/2025

Winter 2025

• Central Passage: Numbers 16; 20; 21, Israel's continued rebellion in the wilderness

• Click here to see the Middle School Sunday school handout for Numbers

• Check out the Middle School Sunday School Resources page for other books of the Bible resources.

This past Sunday, the children’s Sunday school classes studied Numbers 16; 20; and 21: Israel’s continued rebellion in the wilderness. As a reminder, Numbers 13-14 is the key turning point when God did not permit the first generation of Exodus Israelites to enter the Promised Land. Instead of receiving God’s chastening, the Israelites continued grumbling and rebelling like spoiled children (see last week’s email). Furthermore, remember that Numbers begins with numbering the first generation. The book then records the persistent pattern of rebellion and complaining until the numbering of the second generation on the plains of Moab (Num 26).

To understand Numbers 16, take note of the division of service amongst the Levites. Being descended from Jacob’s son Levi, Levites were dedicated to serving the Tabernacle/Temple. The tribe had three main family divisions: Kohath, Gershon, and Merari. God chose Aaron’s specific family line from the Kohath tribe to carry the priesthood (1 Chron 6) while the rest of the Levites served the Tabernacle/Temple in various ways. God gave the other non-Aaronic Kohath Levites unique responsibilities, such as handling the most holy things (Num 4:1-20; cf. Num 4:18-19). The Korah family also belonged to Kohath. So, when Korah grumbled against Aaron, he didn’t only say that the priesthood should belong to all Israel (though all of Israel is certainly a kingdom of priests; Ex 19:6; cf. Num 15:39-40). Moses’ response indicated that Korah wanted Aaron’s prestige for himself (Num 16:10-11). They rejected the leaders God had placed over them.

Therefore, Moses challenged Korah to bring an offering of incense before Yahweh to prove that he was authorized as a priest to do so (Lev 10:1-2 records the result of unauthorized sacrifices). When Dathan and Abiram grumbled from their tents, Moses called them up as well, but they refused, opting to sheepishly support Korah’s rebellious cause from afar. The next day, Korah and his supporters came with their incense offerings, and God threatened to destroy all of Israel except for Moses and Aaron. This provided another opportunity for Moses to intercede on behalf of Israel (cf. Ps 106:23). Korah’s supporters were consumed by fire, and Moses displayed his authority as God’s prophet by prophesying that God would create (the same bara word for “create” that Genesis 1 uses) something new to punish them; i.e. the ground swallowing them up. Moses was vindicated before all of Israel as God’s prophet (cf. Deut 18:20-22), and Aaron was vindicated in 16:44-45 as God’s priest who had the authority to make atonement with offerings of incense when Israel rebelled again (despite the reminder of the bronze covering).^[1]

Continuing to trace the story of rebellion brings us to Numbers 20 when God punished Moses by not permitting him to enter the Promised Land. Israel complained of thirst in addition to not having figs, vines, and pomegranates (because they are spoiled children who think that Egypt was the real Promised Land), so God graciously commanded Moses to take his staff and speak to the rock for water to flow from it. Instead, Moses spoke to Israel and struck the rock twice in his frustration, causing water to flow from it. However, he had disregarded God’s instructions on two fronts. God’s punishment may seem severe, and Moses’ unbelief being the reason seems odd to us. We tend to draw a sharp distinction between belief and obedience, but Israelites did not. Moses’ disobedience was faithlessness because faith necessitates obedience. Israel had gathered before Moses as a solemn assembly, and the rock was God’s gracious provision to them. Moses striking the rock out of angry disobedience did not represent God’s holy provision to the people as intended (even though Exodus 17 records a similar story but with God commanding Moses to strike the rock). God did not punish Israel this time; he punished his prophet whom He held to a higher standard. For all teachers of truth, whether to children or adults, be mindful of presenting God as holy in both word and in deed.

In Numbers 21, Israel complained about the “worthless” bread from heaven, so God sent a plague of fiery serpents ((literally called seraphim in Hebrew, which is a participle meaning “burning ones”), named thusly due to the fiery pain from their bite. Moses interceded again and made a bronze serpent on a pole, to which the people could look for healing. I always questioned why God would commission something that seems so pagan in practice. But first, note that “bronze” should probably be best understood as copper, having a reddish color. Second, the sacrificial system naturally inverts common understanding. The blood of an animal can make one unclean, but when thrown on the altar it cleanses from sin. Thus, a reddish-colored copper snake (an unclean animal) becomes the means of healing and restoration when “sacrificed” on a pole. In the same way, crucifixion was a mark of shame and disgrace that counterintuitively brings perfect atonement. For this reason, Jesus famously alluded to this bronze serpent incident in John 3:14-15, applying it to His atoning work.

Though unstudied this past Sunday, Numbers 25^[2] is the final rebellion in Numbers. Israel camped on the plains of Moab, the same place from which Moses delivered Deuteronomy to the second generation of Israel before they entered the Promised Land. After Balaam’s forced blessings of Israel—even prophesying about King David (the near fulfillment to the prophecy) and Jesus (the far fulfillment)—Israel abandoned Yahweh to worship Baal for the first time in their history at Peor.^[3] The rebellious cycle finally ends in Numbers 26 with the numbering of the second generation of Israel. As the first generation died out, so too did their rebellion, but we know that this same rebellion sent Israel into exile. As we read passages like this, always remember to ask, “How is the sinful rebellion in this text true to the life of a sinner?” That same rebelliousness of the first generation manifested in the second generation. The life of worship requires disciplined worship and vigilance so that the sins of faithless negligence do not descend into persistent, frustratingly childish rebellion in our own lives.