Intro: [instrumental music] Welcome to the Spoken Gospel podcast. This is our attempt to speak the gospel out of every corner of scripture. We believe every part of the Bible, Old Testament and New, is about Jesus, and this podcast is our experiment to publicly test that belief. Let's jump in. [instrumental music]
David: All right. Well, welcome everyone, to the Spoken Gospel podcast. We are continuing our walkthrough of the Book of Numbers.
Seth: Yes, and just more rebellion on more rebellion-
David: [laughs]
Seth: ... on more rebellion.
David: Yep.
Seth: Just like a-
David: The Book of Numbers is a cycle
Seth: ... teenage.
David: Like a Seth, like a teenage Seth.
Seth: More like teenage my sister.
David: Oh, whoa.
Seth: Whoa.
David: Whoa.
Seth: Whoa.
David: Whoa.
Seth: Oh, ouch.
David: Just threw your sister-
Seth: I know
David: ... under the bus.
Seth: Didn't name her, but you can find her on Instagram.
David: Oh, there you go. [laughs] Didn't name her, but I'ma f- let you figure out where to go find her.
Seth: [laughs]
David: Man, your sister's gonna get, like, some hate online now.
Seth: I w- yeah, I was more the self-righteous Pharisee.
David: Yeah, you were too, you were too, too much of a legalist to be disobedient.
Seth: Yeah.
David: You, you weren't Israel before they refused to enter the Promised Land.
Seth: Oh, yeah.
David: You were Israel running in-
Seth: In, after God said don't
David: ... yep, trying to earn it yourself.
Seth: Yes, that's exactly right.
David: Yes. And so that's what we looked at last week, was Israel's refusal to enter the Promised Land. And so forth-
Seth: And we said before-
David: Yep. We're-
Seth: We're both trying to introduce the same thing.
David: [laughs] So, so but before that, God punishes the older generation, says they're all gonna die in the wilderness, but the younger generation will enter.
Seth: That's right.
David: Okay.
Seth: That's right. And so what we kinda said was, like, we have an example of Israel's disobedience following by a bunch of laws intended to correct-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... Israel's disobedience. But now we have the priests deciding to obey.
David: That's right.
Seth: And so what I think w- you're supposed to see here is like there's this growing rebellion among the people. At first, it was just the rabble, just the mixed multitude, just the Egyptians wanting to go back to Egypt.
David: Yep.
Seth: Then it's the whole nation that wants to go back to Egypt. Now we're gonna get the priests-
David: Yep
Seth: ... the people who are s- to be closest into God's presence, who wanna go back to Egypt, and eventually Moses will even distrust.
David: Mm-hmm.
Seth: So you have this, like this sending, if you were like, you had like a-
David: Like the concentric circles-
Seth: ... concentric circles
David: ... from the beginning of Numbers.
Seth: Right, and they're c- they're circling in, and they're showing that every single person is disobedient.
David: Mm.
Seth: Nobody can see what I'm doing with my hands.
David: Yeah, you, you're-
Seth: But I'm like, I'm bringing [laughs]
David: ... you're bringing them in from a big circle into a little circle.
Seth: [laughs] I know, like all the, like the, the, the d- the s- the drain, the circle.
David: The drain, yeah. It's circling the drain.
Seth: Circling the drain.
David: Yep.
Seth: Like, that's the image you should see.
David: Right.
Seth: So-
David: And, and the other thing that's happening here of why we start looking at the priests is because the 12 tribes each had a leader that went into the Promised Land and had a representative, and it's they, except Caleb, that were punished, right?
Seth: Right.
David: But the tribe of Levi is not outnumbered with the 12. They are different.
Seth: Right.
David: And so the question is, well, what's going on with the Levites? What's going on with the priests at this time? Are they swept up in this rebellion and this disobedience, too, or are they different? And what we find out is they are swept up in the rebellion and the-
Seth: Right
David: ... disobedience.
Seth: And what's funny, what they do is... I'm just gonna read it to you.
David: Okay.
Seth: In verse three, "They assembled themselves together." Two-
David: Oh, sorry, this is chapter 16.
Seth: Chapter 16, "They have assembled the, uh, 250 Levites together-
David: Yep
Seth: ... against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, 'You have gone too far, for all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourself above the assembly of the Lord?'"
David: Mm-hmm.
Seth: So what we should see here, this isn't primarily, like, directed at Moses, although he's included. It's primarily directed at Aaron as the leader of the high priests.
David: Right.
Seth: And it's the same, um, objection that Miriam brings against Moses.
David: Yep.
Seth: Miriam says, "I'm filled with the Holy Spirit, so why do you have authority over me?"
David: Yep.
Seth: And then the Levites come to Aaron and says, like, "We're all holy and set apart. Why are you specially holy-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... and set apart?" It's the same objection that we just saw with Moses-
David: Right
Seth: ... not too far be- long before
David: 'Cause if you remember at the beginning of Numbers, um, God gives the Levites each different jobs, and we looked at those all individually, right? The sons of Aaron were the ones that were supposed to be the ones who actually handled the holy utensils inside the tabernacle and covered them up with different cloths and animal skins before they were to be transported. The, um, the Kohathites, which Korah is a part of-
Seth: Right
David: ... they were to then take the, the items out of the tabernacle after they were wrapped up.
Seth: Right.
David: And so they kind of assumed then that since they weren't trusted to actually touch the objects themselves and be in charge of that first step, that they were somehow less than.
Seth: Right.
David: And they were like, "Um, we're all equal. We're all Levites."
Seth: Right.
David: "Why do we have a lesser job? Who are, who do you think you are?"
Seth: And we talked about that.
David: "You've gone too far. You're too proud."
Seth: Right.
David: And it's like the, the, the, uh, the idea here was not, is not that Aaron is somehow intrinsically better or his sons are somehow elevated above them. They just have different jobs.
Seth: Right, and we talked about that all the way back when-
David: We did
Seth: ... we first introduced them, and they were like, they did not believe that that was the case.
David: Nope.
Seth: And so they see the fact that Moses and Aaron's leadership has led them to lose the battle-
David: Mm
Seth: ... and not enter into the Promised Land-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... and the fact that they, they are holy as reasons that they can actually, they should be the true leaders.
David: Right.
Seth: Uh, the, uh, Aaron, at least, or at least Aaron and Moses shouldn't be the true leaders and that Korah should be.
David: Yep.
Seth: Um, and they say in verse 13, "Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey?" So fascinating.
David: [laughs]
Seth: They say Egypt was a land of milk and honey, flowing with livestock and fruits and vegetables, "And have brought us to kill us in the wilderness?"
David: Is he talking about Egypt there?
Seth: He is talking about Egypt there because, "Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey."
David: Oh, so you've brought us out of a good land, and then you failed to bring us into a, a good land.
Seth: Killing us in the wilderness, and you couldn't even get us into the one that you said you were.
David: And so they were saved from slavery, and they're mad about it, and then they are projecting their own disobedience onto someone who didn't disobey. [laughs] They are deflecting like mad. This is-
Seth: Yeah
David: ... this is crazy.
Seth: So that's, this is the essence of the rebellion.
David: Mm.
Seth: We're all holy.
David: Yep.
Seth: Why are you set apart above us?
David: Mm.
Seth: Besides that, you promised to get us into a land of milk and honey, and so we followed you from a land of milk and honey- To this border or wilderness-
David: Yeah, yeah, right
Seth: ... that we're gonna die in, and you couldn't get us in. So you shouldn't be the true leaders, we should be.
David: Mm-hmm.
Seth: So it's the same issue of authority that we saw with Miriam and Moses back-
David: Yep
Seth: ... a couple chapters ago.
David: 11 through 12, yep.
Seth: And so Moses, like he has been in each case, intercedes for the people.
David: Which is really interesting. I think, I think we actually see him fall on his face and start to intercede before God even promises any kind of punishment.
Seth: Y- yep.
David: And so it's like Moses knows what the end of this kind of disobedience and questioning of authority ends in. I mean, he was there for Miriam.
Seth: He says that in verse seven.
David: Yeah.
Seth: 'Cause they say, "You've gone too far," Moses and Aaron. And then Moses says, "No, you've gone too far."
David: [laughs]
Seth: "Do not do this. Take-"
David: "I know you are, but what am I?" [laughs]
Seth: [laughs] Is that Moses' reply. [laughs]
David: Yep. And so, um, is it then, uh, is it, is, is he the one who comes up with this idea of the censers?
Seth: It is.
David: Yeah.
Seth: He says, "Take the censers," yeah.
David: So there's these, these little bits of incense, right? Is that, is that what's happening here? Um, there's... Okay, let me read it. He says, "Do this." Moses says, "Do this. Uh, we're gonna see who God chooses to be the leader. Do this: Take censers," the censers of Korah.
Seth: Which is basically... Okay, a censer, if I, in my mind-
David: Yep
Seth: ... is just kind of like a, a metal bowl.
David: Yep. Little bowls.
Seth: With, like, handles.
David: Yep. Take, take little bowls. Uh, I lost my place. Where was I? There we go. Uh, take, take the, your little bowls o- of Korah and all his company, and put fire in them. So build these little, like, candle bowls, and put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow, and the man whom the Lord chooses shall be the holy one. So God is apparently going to choose one censer out of all the other ones.
Seth: Yep.
David: I don't know if he's gonna extinguish all the other ones or, and leave one lit or something, but this was a test-
Seth: Right
David: ... to show who God would choose.
Seth: So the next-
David: But the test never really ends up happening
Seth: So the next morning, 250 people come out.
David: Including Korah and, yep
Seth: And, and so all of them that have their little censers, 'cause they're like, "Who's the true leader?"
David: "We're gonna find out right now."
Seth: "We're gonna find out." And, uh, so every man took a censer and put fire in them. Then Korah assembled the congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. So the whole nation of Israel is gathered around 250 censers to see who will God's new leader be.
David: Yep.
Seth: And then what happens?
David: And then God says, "It's a trap." [laughs]
Seth: [laughs]
David: I mean, kind of. That's, that's kind of what's happening here because God ends up using this moment as a playing field, or like a stage I guess I should say, to punish the people who are challenging whom-
Seth: Right
David: ... who he has put in authority.
Seth: Yeah, and so Moses tells everyone, "Back away, back away, back away."
David: Yep. Moses actually inter- intercedes for the 250, right?
Seth: He does.
David: He's like, "Hey, it's just the three that were really the, the ringleaders."
Seth: Oh, I r- uh, I was reading that as to the entire congregation. Like, "Nation of Israel, get back."
David: Oh.
Seth: "Get back. Get back. Get back."
David: Yeah, yeah, 'cause something bad's about to go down.
Seth: So bad's about to happen.
David: Yep.
Seth: And then Moses says, like, "This is how you'll know-"
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... "in verse 28 that I'm truly God's, Aaron's truly God's anointed, is if these men die by natural causes, you'll know that I'm not God's, God's chosen prophet here."
David: Oh, right, right, right.
Seth: "But if something new happens and the ground swallows them up, then you'll know that Aaron truly is God's anointed person for this task."
David: Mm-hmm.
Seth: And what happens? The ground opens up, swallows the four of them whole.
David: Yep.
Seth: And then the fire, the incense that was supposed to be a sign-
David: Uh-huh. Of who God would choose
Seth: ... ends up just spilling over and consuming everybody.
David: The 250.
Seth: The 250.
David: Right.
Seth: So-
David: And so God's answer to who's chosen is, "None of you. It's Aaron, who I already put in charge."
Seth: Right.
David: Yeah.
Seth: That's exactly right.
David: Yeah. And this should remind us of-
Seth: Nadab and Abihu.
David: Right.
Seth: Who offered strange fire to the Lord.
David: Mm-hmm.
Seth: So remember, the Kohathites-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... were supposed to carry the objects-
David: Yep
Seth: ... not act like priests.
David: Oh, yeah.
Seth: And so by bringing, by bringing the incense-
David: A censer. Mm-hmm
Seth: ... at all, they're violating God's commands.
David: They're bringing unauthorized fire-
Seth: They're bringing un-
David: ... like Nadab and Abihu did
Seth: ... they're bringing unauthorized fire. And so God's response is, just like Nadab and Abihu, is when his holiness meets their sin-
David: Yep
Seth: ... they're swallowed by it.
David: That's right. And then something happens with the, the bowls themselves, right?
Seth: Right. So all the censers are now technically holy-
David: Oh, right
Seth: ... because God's fi-
David: 'Cause the fire of the Lord has come on them
Seth: ... 'cause like, the... And so they take all the censers of Korah, and they hammer them into, like, a shield-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... to cover the Ark of the Covenant, which is like-
David: That's crazy
Seth: ... here's the ruins of all those who've opposed my laws. And it's like a picture of, also of who may not enter. Unless you are a Levite-
David: Oh
Seth: ... unless you are my chosen one-
David: Yeah
Seth: ... you are physically barred from entering.
David: Mm.
Seth: I'm just flapping my hands here-
David: It's, yeah [laughs]
Seth: ... for no reason. Like-
David: It's a reminder
Seth: It's a reminder-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... that only God's chosen one can enter the temple.
David: Wow.
Seth: The people's response-
David: That's really interesting
Seth: ... to this-
David: Oh, yeah, they go crazy.
Seth: So again, we're seeing increasing, growing rebellion in this shrinking circle, but also the, everybody else, even as it gets narrower of focus-
David: Uh-huh
Seth: ... like, everybody else is still going crazy.
David: Yeah, verse 41, "But the next day, all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, 'You have killed the people of the Lord.'"
Seth: My first question was how?
David: How? How did Moses open the ground and send fire out? Like, who do you think Moses... I mean, I guess they'd seen him do some pretty crazy miracles. Like, let's give th- let's give them that.
Seth: Right.
David: Like, they'd seen him open the Red Sea, and, like, bring water out of a rock. They think he's some kinda crazy miracle worker.
Seth: But they should know that it is the Lord who does these things.
David: I know that, but I'm just saying, like-
Seth: Well, it's funny-
David: Yeah
Seth: ... whenever Jesus turns water into wine-
David: Oh
Seth: ... they keep misattributing-
David: To, uh, to Satan, right?
Seth: No, no, no, no.
David: Oh, no?
Seth: They think that Jesus is, like, they think Moses is the impressive one.
David: Uh-huh.
Seth: But don't you know the bread was from God?
David: Oh, you said Jesus.
Seth: What did I say?
David: You said when Jesus brings bread. So I-
Seth: Well, yeah. Well, well, yeah. In John 6-
David: Uh-huh
Seth: ... when he brings the, when he multiplies the bread and fish-
David: Uh-huh
Seth: ... and they come looking for him.
David: Right.
Seth: And it's like, "What sign are you gonna do to prove that you're a true prophet from God?" And he says, "No, don't you know the bread was from God?"
David: Oh.
Seth: It was never about-
David: Moses
Seth: ... Moses.
David: It's-
Seth: It was about what God did.
David: [laughs] It's misplaced attrib- uh, like, an attri- what was the word I'm looking for?
Seth: Attribution?
David: Yeah.
Seth: They're, they're misplacing-
David: They're misplacing who did what.
Seth: Right. And so-
David: They're saying, like, "Well, you've worked all these other miracles, and now you're using your power for death."
Seth: Yeah, yeah. And so, yeah, they're just convinced that Moses is some conjurer-
David: Interesting
Seth: ... killing everybody, but, like, nope It's disbelief.
David: Yeah.
Seth: It's disbelief that God is actually the one who is holy-
David: Yeah
Seth: ... and who has, who is responding-
David: Mm
Seth: ... to people's sin. Anyway.
David: Interesting. And so, um, so then God's wrath breaks out against all the congregation.
Seth: Because they're doing the same thing that Levi did.
David: That's right.
Seth: They're questioning Moses' and Aaron's authority.
David: Yep.
Seth: "You guys are unjust leaders. You're not fit to lead."
David: Yep.
Seth: And so in the same way that just happened for Korah, this plague starts spreading out through the entire camp of Israel, and thousands of people start dying-
David: That's right
Seth: ... so quickly that Moses goes to Aaron, "Aaron, run as fast as you can. Get incense. Get a censer, and run out into the middle of the people and stand between the dead and the living so that-
David: Mm.
Seth: "The Lord will end the plague."
David: Yeah, there's this plague sweeping through, and Aaron goes and s- I love that, that phrase. It's really intense. He stands between the dead and the living.
Seth: The plague was stopped.
David: And the plague was stopped. And here we get... And here's something we should really notice. We had 250 men, right?
Seth: Mm-hmm.
David: Uh, that, that, that died, and then now in this plague, there were 14,700.
Seth: Right.
David: So what we should be seeing is that number we started with at the beginning of Numbers in the census-
Seth: Right
David: ... that 600,003 whatever-
Seth: Right, right, right, right
David: ... um, 603,000, is now slowly being chipped away at.
Seth: Right, right, right, right.
David: God's promise of punishment, that they would all die in the wilderness, is coming true. And again and again and again throughout Numbers, um, you're going to see numbers pop up.
Seth: Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
David: And you're gonna see 14,000. Subtract 14,000 from that number. Subtract this nu- this many from that number, and God is slowly chipping away at the old generation.
Seth: The, uh... I love that idea, "And he stood between the dead and the living"-
David: Yep
Seth: ... as a picture of intercession.
David: Oh, it's, it's, it is so beautiful.
Seth: It is what intercession is.
David: Yeah.
Seth: What is Moses doing every time there is disobedience? He is standing before the God of life and light and between those of s- darkness and sin-
David: And death
Seth: ... and death.
David: Mm.
Seth: And he's standing between them, and he's like, "Lord, I know your light must push away the darkness."
David: Mm.
Seth: "I know your holiness must do away with sin, but do both."
David: Mm.
Seth: Like, "Bring us into your light and punish the darkness at the same time."
David: Right.
Seth: Standing between the two constantly. I keep imagining, like, movie posters where there's, like, a big battle coming together in the middle, and there's, like, one person holding back something. I don't know. It's, I mean, really-
David: Yeah, no, totally. It's like an action movie. It really is.
Seth: It is, yeah.
David: Yeah. And it's like, um, uh, I, I mean, think about Romans 14:9. "For this reason, Christ died and returned to life, that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living." Who has the actual right to stand between the living and the dead? He who died and came back to life-
Seth: Right
David: ... is the point, that Jesus is the only one qualified to actually finally be the intercessor between the dead and the living, those who are gonna be ultimately condemned for their sin and the God of life who could, uh, sustain us forever. Jesus is the one who stands before us and actually ends the plague, ends the punishment that we deserve, ends the death that we are supposed to, to, to have, e- uh, experienced and instead gives us life.
Seth: Yeah.
David: And we get to go through the grave like he did. We get to move from death to life. We get to not be the older generation but become the new generation. We get to not be exiled but get to enter-
Seth: Yeah
David: ... all because Jesus is the one who stands between the dead and the living. It's so cool. [gentle music] It's pretty amazing what happens next, uh, that, that the, the people wanted to perform some kinda test to see who the legitimate leader was.
Seth: Right.
David: And then in 17 after this plague, God suggests a test-
Seth: Yes
David: ... whi- which is just, like, really kind of him to be like, "I'm gonna show you miraculously that I have actually chosen Aaron," as if the, him standing between the dead and the living wasn't already enough-
Seth: Right
David: ... that he went out there and the plague stopped.
Seth: Right.
David: It's like, so God proposes a test, and this time he asks all the different leaders-
Seth: Mm-hmm
David: ... uh, is it all the Levi leaders?
Seth: It's all the l- the leaders of the Levi houses-
David: Right
Seth: ... to deposit their staffs in the tent of meetings.
David: Yeah.
Seth: So they all have a staff-
David: Yep
Seth: ... because they're in the desert, so they just place them right there.
David: Yeah. And I think it's a sign of their authority. I think it's, like, their-
Seth: Yeah, like a scepter
David: ... scepter. Like a scepter. Yeah.
Seth: Yeah, yeah.
David: And so they place it inside, and it, is it, like, overnight? Is that right?
Seth: The next day-
David: Yeah
Seth: ... Moses went into the te- testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms. It bore ripe almonds.
David: Right. So it's like there's an almond tree growing out of a stick-
Seth: Right
David: ... that, it should not happen.
Seth: Right.
David: That's a miracle.
Seth: It's a miracle.
David: And the whole point is-
Seth: It's a sign for the rebels.
David: That's right.
Seth: Verse, uh, 10, "It's a sign for the rebels that you may make an end of their grumbling against me, lest they die."
David: Yep.
Seth: It's proof of his authority. "I am the legitimate authority, the legitimate mediator-
David: Yep
Seth: ... for Israel."
David: And it's been proven because out of a dead thing, God has brought life.
Seth: And the, the fact that the people get this is proven in the next verse. "And the people of Israel said to Moses, 'Behold, we perish. We are undone. We are all undone. Everyone who comes near, who comes into the taber- tabernacle of the Lord shall die. Are we all to perish?'"
David: Yep.
Seth: And the answer is yes.
David: Yes. You-
Seth: Without Aaron.
David: Right.
Seth: And it's like-
David: Right
Seth: ... it's an ironic question. I- i- it's, two things are happening here.
David: Yeah.
Seth: One is for the new generation to whom the, the, the commands and laws were given in, in chapter 15, the answer is no. If you respect the priesthood that God has put in place, the intercessors that God has ordained, no, you won't perish because you'll have a proper intercessor. But then for the older generation, the question's ironic. Uh, like, are we all to perish? Yeah.
David: Yeah.
Seth: God promised you would.
David: Right.
Seth: And so it's, it's kind of a, a both/and thing.
David: And it also goes back to Mount Sinai, too.
Seth: That's right.
David: So it's like God's presence falls.
Seth: Uh-huh.
David: And what does everybody say there? "We're all gonna die."
Seth: Oh, right.
David: Yeah. We're all gonna-
Seth: Yeah, "So Moses, you go. I, we don't wanna go."
David: "Moses, Moses, Moses, you go."
Seth: "You go."
David: But the difference here is that Aaron's the one who goes.
Seth: Mm-hmm.
David: So what it sh- well, the point of this passage is not to just show Moses's legitimate authority-
Seth: Mm-hmm
David: ... but Aaron as the legitimate authority as well. And so, like, it's-
Seth: There's something happening here that's, like, distinguishing between Moses' role and Aaron's role.
David: Mm.
Seth: Like up to now, they've been kinda like lumped together.
David: Yep.
Seth: Moses has been the intercessor, but now, like, Aaron-
David: Yeah, really comes to the fore
Seth: ... in the most, in the most dramatic story so far-
David: Standing between life and death
Seth: ... standing between the dead-
David: Yeah
Seth: ... and the living, Aaron's there. So some commentators will point to s- say, like, "Look, we have, like, multiple things happening. We have Moses as an intercessor, but, like, Aaron really is the priest."
David: Right, yes.
Seth: And Moses is, like, the king.
David: Right.
Seth: Because-
David: He's... They're talking about when we come near to the tabernacle.
Seth: Right.
David: All this stuff is happening at the tabernacle. It's the Levites that are the ones that are-
Seth: Right
David: ... throwing up a fit.
Seth: So people have talked about, like, prophet, priest, and king-
David: Uh-huh
Seth: ... as these things that Jesus fulfills.
David: Right.
Seth: So I think you begin to see those things separate out here-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... for the first time.
David: Yeah.
Seth: So, like, Aaron is the priest.
David: Yep.
Seth: And then Moses is-
David: The prophet
Seth: ... the, the prophet-
David: Yep
Seth: ... and the king speaking mouth to mouth-
David: Yep
Seth: ... the words of God. So, like, we see those things separating. So it's like it's a, a more nuanced point-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... uh, because it's like it's focusing on Aaron, but it's the same point we've been making all along.
David: Definitely, definitely. Um, and something we have to see here is, um, God proves the legitimacy of his ordained, chosen intercessor through a miraculous event where he brings l- like, life out of something that's dead.
Seth: Mm.
David: There's this dead stick-
Seth: Right
David: ... that's not planted. It's not rooted anywhere, and it grows almonds and-
Seth: Yeah
David: ... blossoms. Like, like, life comes out of death.
Seth: Yeah.
David: And it proves that, "This is my chosen intercessor." And that's what we have.
Seth: To stand between life and death. [laughs]
David: To stand, and that's what we have in Jesus' resurrection. It's-
Seth: Yeah
David: ... out of something that's dead, out of the grave, God has proven once and for all that there is one mediator between God and man. There's no other name given under heaven by which men must be saved than Jesus-
Seth: Mm
David: ... because he is the only one who has risen from the dead.
Seth: That's good.
David: There, there's no other intercessor. There's no other priest.
Seth: I kept trying to find a connection, like, what's, like, the Jesus connection between-
David: Yeah
Seth: ... like, a, a, like, a budding staff?
David: Yeah. [laughs]
Seth: Like, what, what, what i- is there any staffs or a tree in-
David: Right
Seth: ... the New Testament? That's helpful. Like-
David: Yeah
Seth: ... the budding staff is a picture of the resurrection-
David: Yes
Seth: ... from death, life.
David: That's right.
Seth: So that the one, so that somebody could stand between death-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... and life.
David: And you think about, like, especially in the cultural moment that Jesus, um, did his ministry in, think about that, um, there were so many times about 200 years before and 200 years after in this period of Jesus's life that many Christs, I'm using air quotes, came, people claiming to be the Messiah, people claiming to be the one that would bring about the Messianic hopes of Israel. Uh, Jesus was not the only one who made these claims and that people were talking about. There were lots of sects that popped up around different leaders in Israel, like, and, you know, Jewish, uh-
Seth: Right
David: ... Messiah figures. But none of them did what Moses, or did what, did what, uh, Jesus did. None of them rose from the grave. It's like all of the different Christ figures put their staffs in a tent-
Seth: Mm. Yeah, yeah, yeah
David: ... in this 400-year period, and said, "Which one will bud from the grave?"
Seth: Mm.
David: And Jesus is the only one.
Seth: That's cool.
David: And so, like, when we look at every other world religion even, right?
Seth: Yeah.
David: Like, let's put the staffs in the tent.
Seth: Right. Who can act as a mediator between-
David: That's right
Seth: ... good and evil?
David: Which one's right?
Seth: Who can act as a mediator between goodness-
David: Yep
Seth: ... and badness?
David: It's-
Seth: Light and darkness?
David: Yep, it's the one who has proven miraculously through a test that he can bring life out of death, that the blossom, um, of Jesus has grown out from the grave, so we can trust him above all else. [gentle music]
Seth: So just like before-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... when Israel disobeys, laws are added because of transgressions-
David: Right
Seth: ... to fix the disobedience just-
David: Right
Seth: ... s- seen.
David: So I'm gonna, I'm gonna remind everyone, every episode in Numbers-
Seth: Okay
David: ... that there's a cycle.
Seth: Yes.
David: Commands, disobedience, punishment, intercession.
Seth: Right.
David: A- and if you haven't watched our video introducing the book of Numbers yet, our Spoken Gospel video intro video-
Seth: Right
David: ... go watch it. It talks about this cycle, but that's what's happening. We just had disobedience, and we had intercession and punishment, so what comes next? Again-
Seth: Commands
David: ... commands.
Seth: And, and again, this is the same pattern we see throughout the Torah.
David: Yep.
Seth: Um, and so these are all related to the priesthood, and they're all directed towards Aaron specifically.
David: Right.
Seth: Because we just saw, like, the whole issue was is Aaron the true mediator for Israel? Is he the true priest? And the answer is yes, so all these laws are directed towards Aaron. "So the Lord said to Aaron," which is actually very unique in the Book of Numbers because the Lords always say, "And the Lord said to Moses."
David: Moses, or Moses and Aaron.
Seth: So this is, this is, like, this is p- this is responding to the fact-
David: Yep
Seth: ... that people don't see Aaron as the true mediator.
David: A legitimate leader, yep.
Seth: And so this is the law to respond to the transgression. That's what's happening.
David: Yeah.
Seth: So, and in it, we have some couple interesting things that you should see that kinda reverse some of the, the, the disobedience we just saw and also point us to Jesus.
David: Yes.
Seth: So where would you start, David?
David: I mean, I love, uh, I think it's chapter f- or, I mean, verse five of chapter 18.
Seth: "And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, that there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel."
David: It's such a beautiful verse. There's this promise that God holds out, and again, like we saw in the last episode, the laws that come in aren't these, like, let your eyes glaze over sections because the narrative action movie part is over, and now we're back into law code. Look at the hope that's here, right? He says, "What's the problem that's here? Everyone who draws near the tabernacle of the Lord dies. Are we all to perish?" He goes, "Here's the deal. I have ordained Aaron and his sons to, to work the tabernacle and surround it." Remember the beginning of Numbers. They were supposed to form a protective circular barrier-
Seth: Right
David: ... around the tabernacle.
Seth: And that's not because God doesn't wanna be with his people.
David: No, it's 'cause he does want to. [laughs]
Seth: And if they're not there-
David: Yep
Seth: ... we all die.
David: That's right, and so what's supposed to happen is, uh, um, Aaron and his sons bear the, uh, the iniquity.
Seth: Mm-hmm.
David: Like, they are the living sacrifices-
Seth: Right
David: ... that stand between the dead and the living, and, and the point is that if they do this properly, there will never again be wrath on the people. I mean, perfect eternal intercession-
Seth: Yeah
David: ... is what God is talking about.
Seth: And he says to Israel the priests are described as a gift in verse six, "And behold, I have taken your brothers, Israel," your, you know, these Levites, "from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... given to the Lord to do the service of the tent of meeting." Like, it is a gift that my presence live with you, and that these people who intercede for you are a gift.
David: Mm-hmm.
Seth: Intercessors are a gift. And then he'll even say the fact that you are a priest as well is also a gift.
David: The, yeah, the priesthood itself is a gift.
Seth: I give your priesthood as a gift.
David: Yeah.
Seth: And any outsider who comes near, uh, shall be put to death. So anybody that's not-
David: Not a priest
Seth: ... yeah, not a priest-
David: Right
Seth: ... shall be put to death.
David: Yep. And so I mean, it's just the, there's all these rules then, it's about wave offerings and sin offerings and-
Seth: Tithing, you know
David: ... tithing, first fruits, and what God is doing here is he is doubling down again, um, with promises to the priesthood. He said, "Look, the Levites have just gone nuts. They have been so rebellious, so disobedient. How will the sons of Levi ever be able to be appropriate representatives for the people of Israel? There's too much sin in them now, right?"
Seth: Right.
David: Wrong.
Seth: Right.
David: God is merciful, a thousand times merciful. He is-
Seth: You don't-
David: He is allowing them to be the priests that he told them to be despite their sin.
Seth: And they are not convinced. Weren't convinced-
David: [laughs]
Seth: ... they were gonna enter into the promised land, they weren't convinced that God was gonna provide, they didn't trust God at his word.
David: Nope.
Seth: And what is the whole, what are, what's every single one of these laws about? The contributions they're supposed to receive from the people of Israel. Every single one is like, "God will provide for you as priests."
David: Mm.
Seth: "He will make sure that you have food. He will sh- make sure you have money. The contributions of the people of Israel will provide for you."
David: Yep.
Seth: "This, your priesthood, is a gift."
David: Yeah. [laughs]
Seth: "And you are a gift to the people of Israel-
David: Right
Seth: ... because you allow God's presence to dwell. You allow the Son to dwell on Earth."
David: Right. And so what you're saying is, like, uh, all these, all these contributions and tithes that are talked about here in chapter 18, um, are talking about how the, all of Israel will bring their first fruits offerings and their grain offerings-
Seth: Right
David: ... and everything, and that is what feeds the Levites. That's their-
Seth: Yeah
David: ... 'cause they're not allowed to have land.
Seth: Right.
David: Their inheritance is the Lord.
Seth: Right.
David: And so what feeds the, the, uh, Levites are the rest of Israel. And so, uh, it, there's this reciprocity that happens here. As Israel trusts that God has ordained the Levites to be their intercessor, they bring their offerings as God commanded.
Seth: Right.
David: And that trust in God is what feeds the Levites.
Seth: Yeah.
David: And so what are the Levites to do? Trust that, trust in God that they will be provided for-
Seth: Yes
David: ... through the offerings. It's all this circle.
Seth: If everybody trusted God-
David: The circle of trust. [laughs]
Seth: No.
David: So, sir. [laughs]
Seth: [laughs] If everybody takes God at his word-
David: Yep
Seth: ... it works.
David: It works. If everyone is, has faith, it works.
Seth: If you s- [laughs] yeah.
David: If you trust God, it works.
Seth: It works.
David: If you don't-
Seth: But-
David: ... it's horrible
Seth: ... the very last verse of, uh, 18.
David: Uh-huh.
Seth: "But you shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, lest you die."
David: Right.
Seth: So it's the final warning. Like, this is, "Trust me-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... that this is the way it's still gonna work, and if you do not trust this, you'll experience the consequences." We talked about in Leviticus how, like, God's presence is like the sun, and we're-
David: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
Seth: ... we need a space suit to get, the spaceship to get there.
David: Mm-hmm.
Seth: Like, how do you harness the power of a supernova? Supernova-
David: Uh-huh
Seth: ... you need the technology.
David: Oh.
Seth: You need the right system.
David: Yep.
Seth: And God said here, "Trust the system."
David: The system will work.
Seth: Trust it. But if you don't-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... you will die, because the nature of a supernova, the nature of the sun, is to burn up anything that's not like it.
David: That's right, yeah. And so, like, I mean for us then, I mean, the, the same thing has happened. Like, Jesus, our great high priest, has been given to us as a gift.
Seth: Yes.
David: Right? [laughs] And like-
Seth: Jesus is our gift
David: ... he's our gift.
Seth: He is the one that makes sure that there is never wrath.
David: Yeah, that there will never again be wrath on the people of God.
Seth: Yes.
David: And, like, Jesus, and, like, we're gonna see that the priesthood fails, and wrath is coming again real soon in the narrative.
Seth: Yeah.
David: But in Jesus, he makes this, this statement of what could be a reality. Right?
Seth: Yeah.
David: He says, "Since I am now your great, perfect high priest who has never sinned and who will never fail and who constantly stands before you, there will never again be wrath on you."
Seth: Yes.
David: Like Seth. [laughs]
Seth: Right.
David: David, listener.
Seth: And-
David: Like, yeah
Seth: ... when Jesus is our priest-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... he makes us priests too.
David: Yes.
Seth: And when we trust him at his word that he is the great priest, we're provided for.
David: Yep.
Seth: There is nothing that we shouldn't have-
David: Mm
Seth: ... in God. Like, like, we will have all that we need, in the same way the priests had all that we need.
David: That's right.
Seth: Because-
David: And yeah, and then we get to go and be God's representatives to the world, and we get to tell them, "Look, there is a mediator who can make it so there will never be wrath on you again."
Seth: Yes.
David: And, like, we get to be that representative to the world. And so, um, then there, there's more laws after this in chapter 19, and, um, what they're addressing is the f- think about this. Like, I want you to try to get a picture of the camp of Israel in your head right now, okay? Because-
Seth: Concentric circles, so you have the tabernacle in the middle-
David: Yep, yep
Seth: ... priests around it, all the four tribes.
David: But then scattered throughout all the people are 14,000 dead bodies.
Seth: Okay.
David: So here's a problem.
Seth: Right.
David: You think about Leviticus, right, we have purity laws ringing in our ears because of all the stuff we just heard in chapter 18.
Seth: Yeah.
David: And now here's a problem. You've got a bunch of people who have to go touch dead bodies and, like, dispose-
Seth: Right
David: ... of them. How-
Seth: And, and the warning of the last chapter, the last words before chapter 19 starts is-
David: Don't profane the holy things
Seth: ... lest you die.
David: Lest you die. So how do I go and touch death without dying myself?
Seth: Right.
David: And so God provides a way. He, he comes up with, he c- comes up with a new sacrifice of a red heifer.
Seth: Yes.
David: And-
Seth: And it's a weird sacrifice
David: ... it's a weird one, yep.
Seth: It, there's all these weird details that are not included in any other sa-
David: Yep
Seth: ... sacrifice. Like, there's string and, like, hyssop-
David: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm
Seth: ... involved. You burn the body outside the camp-
David: Yep
Seth: ... but you use its ashes for the ceremony.
David: Yeah, and so the ashes, I think, are the things that are mixed into this water, and they create a clean, a cleansing solution.
Seth: Right.
David: And you can go, and the people can wash in that cleansing solution and be purified from touching a dead body. They can go and spray it On the houses in which the plague happened and people died.
Seth: Mm-hmm.
David: And so God creates through this, the b- the blood and death of this red heifer, a cleansing solution for the impurity that's been brought about by all the death.
Seth: And again, remember, this isn't magic water.
David: Nope.
Seth: It's like, it's not like there's some intrinsic property of the water that makes things clean. It's proving a point.
David: Yep.
Seth: The people need intercession by Moses, but sacrifice is also demanded for purity. Like, in order for there to be... In order for death to dwell with life, it must be paid for by death.
David: Mm-hmm.
Seth: And so there, this h- sacrifice is a way that that is gonna be represented to the people.
David: That's right.
Seth: So this, this is a symbol.
David: And it's also a symbol of the fact that the plague should have taken the whole camp of Israel, right? But only 14,000 died, which is a huge number.
Seth: The death was only 14,000, but everybody's responsible.
David: Yep. And so everybody-
Seth: It's a-
David: ... needed to be cleaned up-
Seth: Right
David: ... from the impurity that was on them. And so what I love about this, and we'll just do this quickly, uh, is like, uh, when we get to the New Testament, we're told that just as the blood of the heifer is sprinkled over things to make it pure, the, the blood of Jesus is sprinkled on us to make us pure. And his blood speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. His, his blood actually comes and not only cleanses us from the punishment of death-
Seth: Mm-hmm
David: ... it actually cleanses our conscience and actually-
Seth: Yeah
David: ... makes us pure people. And so we're not only free from the punishment and the penalty of the plague, we actually are free from the power of sin in our hearts so that we can actually start to trust God for the first time.
Seth: Right. The ultimate what are the wages of sin?
David: Death.
Seth: Death. And so I think part of what's, we should be seeing it, because there's so much death now entering into the camp, one of... Like, you could describe death as, like, God's arch nemesis.
David: Mm-hmm.
Seth: Not the, not, he's not equal to God. Uh, God is the God of life. Death is the opposite of him.
David: Mm.
Seth: And so you have a camp that is filled with death, filled with the opposite of what God is, and Go- the God of life still wants to live with his people.
David: Yeah.
Seth: And so the p- uh, he makes a sacrifice involving ashes and water.
David: Mm.
Seth: And what's crazy is, so throughout this entire... So what you, the point you just made-
David: Yep
Seth: ... is actually made in the symbolism of itself. So over and over again, it's called the ash of the heifer. Take the ashes of the heifer.
David: Mm.
Seth: Take the ashes of the heifer. Take the ashes of the heifer. Take the water for s- for cleansing, water for cleansing-
David: Right
Seth: ... water for cleansing, water for cleansing. And then in verse 17, the language shifts.
David: Mm.
Seth: It's no longer the ashes, it's the dust of the heifer.
David: Mm.
Seth: And it's no longer the water for cleansing, it's called the living water.
David: Mm.
Seth: So automatically, if you heard dust in reference to death-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... and living water, you should be transported all the way back to the Garden of Eden.
David: Right. When God breathed on the dust of the earth, it's the same Hebrew word.
Seth: Right.
David: And he made a living, and that's the same word for living water-
Seth: Right. Yeah
David: ... a living being.
Seth: Right.
David: It's, they're both in, there's one verse in chapter two of Genesis and one verse here in chapter 19 that use those two Hebrew words-
Seth: Right
David: ... dust and living.
Seth: And then, so in one sense, this, this sacrifice helps get us back to the Garden of Eden.
David: Mm-hmm.
Seth: But another way, it also reminds us of the fall.
David: Right.
Seth: "To dust you will return."
David: Oh, right. Yeah.
Seth: So, like, the ashes-
David: Mm
Seth: ... are the, the dust that we will return to.
David: Yeah.
Seth: But when they're mixed with the living water-
David: Yeah
Seth: ... and sprinkled on, we are given life.
David: Yeah.
Seth: We are given new life when it's sprinkled on us. So, like, what is the blood of bulls and goats? What is the sprinkling?
David: Yeah.
Seth: It is life itself. It's the end of the reign of death in God's camp.
David: Yes. He's sprinkling us with life. Yeah. And when Jesus does this, it's permanent and eternal.
Seth: Yeah.
David: And it's not just something that happens outside of us about our-
Seth: Yeah
David: ... legal standing with God, it's something that also happens inside of us.
Seth: Right.
David: It's not just the outside of the cup that's clean. The blood of Jesus-
Seth: Yeah
David: ... penetrates us and actually-
Seth: Yeah
David: ... cleans our hearts.
Seth: Yeah. This is like what the sacrifice is supposed to show. Death is the enemy.
David: Right.
Seth: Like, don't linger in the home of dead people.
David: Mm.
Seth: Don't hover over the dead people's body. God's covenant is a covenant of life.
David: Mm-hmm.
Seth: And it affects every area of your physical lives, but you should also know that it goes deeper than that.
David: Mm.
Seth: The sin is in the fact, the, the, the major problem isn't that you've neglected to do a certain-
David: Right. That you-
Seth: ... clean a certain home.
David: Right. Mm-hmm.
Seth: It's that you do not trust that God is a God of life.
David: Right.
Seth: You would prefer death, and you-
David: Yes
Seth: ... constantly keep choosing it.
David: Yeah.
Seth: Therefore, choose life, the God who has provided a sacrifice for you.
David: Yeah. Which is the plea of Hebrews 3 and 4, you know? [laughs]
Seth: Right. Exactly right.
David: And the plea of Deuteronomy, like, choose life.
Seth: Yeah.
David: And, uh, yeah, that's beautiful. Well, uh, so we've looked at, uh, last episode we looked at Israel's b- disbelief with the spies, the spies' disbelief. Um, we just looked at the priests' disbelief, and then next week-
Seth: It's Moses' disbelief
David: ... Moses' disbelief.
Seth: Episode 50.
David: The concentric circle falls in on Moses.
Seth: Implodes like a dying star.
David: Implodes like a dying star. [laughs] But yeah, and next week is episode 50.
Seth: Yeah.
David: Which is exciting.
Seth: The implosion of a dying star.
David: The implosion [laughs] of a dying star. So, uh, guys, thank you so much for walking through Numbers with us. Um, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a book that a lot of us are unfamiliar with.
Seth: I've been consistently surprised by how, like, complex the narrative is.
David: Yeah.
Seth: Like, it's like, because Genesis and Exodus kinda, it's one story-
David: Mm-hmm
Seth: ... and, like, there's characters, but they kind of, like, replace each other.
David: Right.
Seth: Like, there's a lot of character, but they, one dies off, and then a new story starts.
David: Yep, yep, yep.
Seth: And Exodus is the story of a rescue.
David: Yep.
Seth: Leviticus is just a bunch of laws.
David: Right.
Seth: And then here you have, like, multiple characters acting simultaneously, doing a bunch of different things.
David: Mm-hmm.
Seth: God's laws being interjected in the middle of it. It's actually the most complex-
David: It is
Seth: ... narrative we have gotten so far.
David: Yeah. And, like, even in the opening, remember there were, like, flashbacks to, like, in the mid, like, in the part, like, one part of Exodus.
Seth: Yes.
David: And, like, so the time is weird, and, uh, and then it's like you have, like, you know, 13 chapters explaining a couple weeks, and then you've got, like, five chapters explaining 40 years.
Seth: Right.
David: So time is weird in Numbers too, and, uh, yeah. So it is, it's, it's a, but it's like an action movie, this book.
Seth: Yeah.
David: That's how I described it at the beginning, and it, it holds up. So man, we'll just, let, like, just remember to stop and worship today, the, that, that Jesus stands before, between life and death for you. I think that's the beau- most beautiful part of this, this passage is that the budding staff of Aaron, who has risen from the grave, is, is standing between life and death for you to sprinkle a better, uh, better life over the death that you have earned and, and clean you, not only from the punishment that you deserve, but also from the sin that reigns in your heart. So thank you guys for listening, and we'll see you next week. [upbeat music]
Outro: Thank you for listening to the Spoken Gospel podcast. Spoken Gospel is a nonprofit dedicated to creating free gospel-centered media that speaks the gospel out of every corner of scripture. So to join us in our mission and view our resources, we invite you to visit spokengospel.com. [upbeat music]
