Watch: Parasha Korach 2022: Democracy in Action!
Numbers 16-18; 1 Samuel 11-12; John 19
In “Parasha Shelach“, we saw that it is Elohim who chooses and then sends His servant leaders. It is not our choice whom He picks. It is pretty much a take it or leave it. Our choice is only whether we want to submit and sign up for His army or not.
But it is literally joining His army, it is not like joining the Army. It is joining His army! Because He calls us the Armies of the Living Elohim! And when we join His army, we take the position the Commander gives us. and we do not question it. We do not talk back; we do not rise up in rebellion against our Commander! Or we are put to death! Because that is how they do it in the army.
So if we fear the Commander and we realize that He is who He says He is, then do not we need to recognize those whom the Commander appoints or anoints to lead His army? And then support the team effort?
Because the Torah is a team sport and a team effort. It is not a spectator sport. You do not get to sit in the bleachers and just observe what is going on in the field. And that is the difference whether we are obeying the Torah or whether we are merely observing the Torah. Kind of like bird watchers observing birds in the field. Okay. It does not satisfy the requirement. If we know to do good and do not, to us it is sin. It does not work like that. If we know He is our Commander and we know what He commands us to do, we simply choose to obey or die, basically.
And that is the choice that is coming up for each and every one of us in the Tribulation. Yahweh puts up with it for a time. Because it worked for His purposes. But we are rapidly approaching a time when it will no longer serve His purposes for us to know what He wants to do but to disobey Him.
Only, does not it seem like no matter what Yahweh tells us to do, our forefathers disobeyed Him? And does not it seem like no matter whom Yahweh our Elohim appointed or anointed, our forefathers rejected them? The Torah, at least from a certain standpoint, is pretty much a chronology of our forefathers’ failures and rebellions. But because living beings reproduce after their own kinds, since our forefathers thought they were really doing great when they were not, is it possible that we could be the same way? Join us for this parasha and let us find out together.
If you are like me, you believed your school indoctrination. You grew up under democracy and you believed it was the best thing ever! It was like a two-hooker. They really got me! They reeled me in, and especially if we have grown up under democracy thinking it is the greatest thing!
Then Parasha Korach should make us all question our own walks. Because Parasha Korach is basically where our ancestors first began to get into Babylonian, Red Horse democracy. You can read all about that in our study on Revelation and the End Times.
Well we come look at the Torah because it is a record of our forefathers’ failures. And we do not want to make the same mistakes. Yet because as we mentioned in Genesis living beings reproduce after their own kinds, let us ask the question. Since our forefathers thought they were doing so stellar, since our forefathers thought they were really knocking it out when they were not, is there any possibility that we could be the same way? And not even realize it?
As we are going to see, this is an all-important question. And what we are going to see is the vast majority of our brothers and sisters in the Ephraimite movement and Judah who are attached to us in the dispersion, we are effectively the modern-day version of Korach’s rebellion. And that is because we are not doing what Elohim says to do the way Elohim says to do it. We are not doing everything according to the pattern that was shown to us on the mountain. We are too busy focusing on serving Him the way we want to serve Him.
You know, when the customer walks in the restaurant the waiter says, “I bet I know what he wants!” And we run off to get it. We get him the wrong thing! What kind of service have we given him?
The problem is, most of us in Ephraim, we are too busy focusing on our will. How we are going to serve Elohim. This is what the northern kingdom always did. The northern kings would always come up with their own plans of how they were going to win the war, how they were going to serve Elohim. And then they asked Elohim to bless it!
And this is in marked contrast to the way they did things in the southern Kingdom of Judah. The southern Kingdom of Judah always prayed and sought Elohim’s will first. That is why they are at least following a version of variation of the Torah. They are still wandering with Elohim, says Hosea. Well, the difference is they are at least trying to keep their understanding of the Torah. Whereas Ephraim, we feel we do not need to. We feel we can make up our own way to serve Him and it will be just as valid in His sight.
As we show in our studies on Revelation and the End Times, democracy is rebellion against Elohim. And that is because Elohim never commands democracy anywhere. Elohim never asks for us to take a vote and lead ourselves. Elohim always commands Torah-obedient kingship, or judgeship, or apostleship. Because that is what He wants. Because it is the most efficient.
And then what He does, He holds His anointed leaders accountable to His instructions (or His Torah). That is the difference. In contrast, democracy is where we all think that we are kings!
Well, you know, maybe you have heard someone say we are all a nation of kings and priests! But we do not have His order. We are without His order. Perhaps you heard Ephraim say, well a man is a king in his own house!
Or perhaps you have met Ephraimites or maybe other Christians who are into the sovereignty movement. They consider that we are all sovereign. That is exactly the opposite of what Scripture says! Scripture tells us that we are all servants. We are slaves. But we do not like that!
And in Korach’s rebellion and in democracy, we do not need to be slaves! Rather, we can exalt ourselves! we can consider ourselves to be equal with the King we can all be a nation of kings and priests of Elohim!
But without His order and without His instructions, we are not doing things according to the pattern that was shown to us on the mountain. We are not building a single ministry based on an unified Foundation of Apostles and Prophets. Organizing ourselves according to the Fivefold Ministry.
We do not want to do things Yeshua’s way because that requires us to humble ourselves. That requires His will to win and our will not to win.
Do we see the problem? The northern kings always wanted to serve Elohim their way! They did not want to do things Yahweh’s way. The southern kings did better. So, the problem is that we need to stop and take a look at our attitude. We need to stop and see why we are doing things.
Are we doing things in order to obey Him? Or are we not doing things in order to obey Him? Are we trying to gain His blessings by doing things our own way?
Well, basically, His instructions need to decrease so that our instructions might increase. Do you see the problem? Do you see what I am saying? And that is the case both under democracy and in Parasha Korach. Because what is valued most is the Red Horse will of the people.
So who was Korah? Leviticus (Vayiqra) chapter 16 tells us that Korach was a Levite. He was a Kohathite. They were responsible for transporting items inside the tabernacle and other duties.
But as we recall, back in Shemote (Exodus) chapter 32 our forefathers fell into the sin of the golden calf. And basically, that is where our forefathers decided the way they were going to serve Yahweh instead of following Yahweh’s orders. And as a result, Yahweh decommissioned the Firstborn Priesthood and transferred the active anointing to the Levitical Priesthood. And then the active anointing was later transferred to the Melchizedekian Order after Yeshua was immersed and the Spirit lighted on Him.
But what we need to see here in Parasha Korach is that Korach already had a very good place assigned to him within Elohim’s kingdom. He was already inside the priesthood! He just did not like the place Elohim gave him. He wanted a higher place! Even though he already had a very good place he wanted something Elohim did not want for himself.
And this is a Levite! This is someone who already has a place operating inside the tabernacle!
Okay, well, so what is the problem? The problem is that we are supposed to have a humble estimation of ourselves when we are called to a wedding feast. And that is what the Torah is. Our bridal contract. We are called to take the low place. We are called to be servants and then let Him lift us up into the bride hood position. Start out as servants and work our way up! If that is Elohim’s will for us at all. Or just take the place He gives us and be happy, be thrilled that we have a part in eternal life!
But did Korach do that? No! He rose up instead with 250 chiefs of the congregation. Now, these were chosen men from the assembly. They are well-known men. If we look in the news today, you see the people on the news. These would be the kinds of people; they are well-known in the community. Or depending on your paradigm or what democracy you grew up under, it would be kind of like your congress or the parliament banding together with the synagogue or the church. Or the church council rising up to overthrow the constitutional kingship.
In other words, they are rising up to overthrow what Yahweh has established in favor of making up their own Babylonian, Red Horse order.
Well, most of us are already living under a Red Horse, Babylonian democracy. But do we get the idea Korach did not like Yahweh’s order? Korach was not happy with what Elohim gave him. So what does he do? He rises up and rebels.
Verse 3 tell us that all the rebels of the congregation of Israel assembled themselves together against Moshe and against Aharon and against Yahweh. Frankly, because they are coming against His anointed servants.
And they said to him, “You have gone too far! You have taken too much on yourselves! The entire congregation is set apart! Every one of them! And you see yourself that Yahweh is among them! Because we have the calm of fire and cloud among us every day! We have got manna every day! Why is Yahweh giving these miracles unless He is among us!? So, if we have all these miracles, why then do you and Aharon exalt yourselves above the rest of the assembly of Yahweh? What? Just because Yahweh said so? Just because it is Yahweh’s will? No, no, no. We need to do our will here.”
Bemidbar (Numbers) 16:3
3 They gathered together against Moshe and Aharon, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is set apart, every one of them, and Yahweh is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of Yahweh?”
It sometimes seems like our forefathers just could not wait to rebel! And sometimes does it not seem like our Ephraimite brothers and sisters cannot wait to do something other than what Yeshua commands us?
You know, conversations I have had with fellow Ephraimites through the years. You can talk all about it. You can show it to them in Scripture. You can point out the commands for organization right there in Scripture.
I mean, how are we going to fulfill Titus 1, verse 5 unless we have the separated priesthood that appoints congregational elders?
Titus 1:5
5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—
We cannot! There is no way to fulfill that verse unless there is a separated priesthood that appoints congregational elders. So, what are we going to do with that? Do we like that? Or we do not like it?
No, no! Why? Why should we follow the commandments of Yahweh? Why should we follow the commandments of Elohim? Why should we do what Yeshua said to do? Just because He died so that we are now His slaves? Now that we are His servants? That is the only reason?
Brothers and sisters! If we fail to organize the way Scripture says, then are not we basically flunking Scripture by means of rebellion? Ephraimites, we do not want to organize. We can see Yeshua’s command to organize ourselves by the way of the fivefold ministry. Right there in Ephesians 4!
Ephesim (Ephesians) 4:11
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.
But we do not want to organize! No! Because there is discipline! There is tithing! We would have to work to help build Yeshua Kingdom just like our ancestors had to work to build Yahweh a kingdom! (Actually, it was Yeshua. Because Yeshua was the Messenger that was sent with us.)
You can point out to Ephraim. You can see right there! The commandment to unify on a single Foundation of Apostles and Prophets. But we do not want to do that. Because we do not want to humble ourselves. That takes humility! We have to find our place! We can make our contribution! You mean, we have to work for Elohim? We have to do something for Him? You mean, there is a spiritual war going on? There is a spiritual war effort? No, no! We do not want to do that! We are not up for that!
We came here to get blessings! We want to just receive the blessings! Just like our forefathers thought they were going to receive the blessings. We thought Yahweh was going to draw us out of Egypt, give us a wedding covenant, lead us right to the honeymoon, right to the promised land! No work involved! Do not have to do anything!
Verse 4. Moshe says that Yahweh is going to show who is His and who is not. He is going to show who is set apart and who is not. Amein.
Bemidbar (Numbers) 16:4-5
4 So when Moses heard it, he fell on his face;
5 and he spoke to Korach and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning Yahweh will show who is His and who is set apart, and will cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him.
Moshe tells the sons of Levi that they are the ones who have gone too far! They are the ones who have taken too much on themselves. Because if you think about it, what was the Levitical Order before the Firstborn Priesthood defiled itself and ascended the golden calf? Nothing! And it was precisely because the Levites chose to side with Yahweh that Yahweh made them to become the new Levitical Priesthood. So, obedience leads to priesthood! Is that the lesson here?
But what happens now that the Levites no longer want to obey Yahweh? What happens that the Levites are no longer siding with Yahweh? They were the salt of the earth but now what?
Well, we signed up for Yahweh’s Army. We enrolled. We set our ideas at the mountain. We signed up for Yahweh’s program. Now we can pay the price.
And we see the exact same thing in our haftarah prophetic portion. It is the same situation all over again. Our forefathers did not like what Yahweh gave us. It is the same story. As they say in the land, it is the same woman just wearing a different dress.
So let us go to Shemuel Aleph (First Samuel) chapter 12. Where Samuel said to our forefathers, “Indeed I have heeded your voice in all that you said to me. And I made a king over you, even though I knew it is not what is best for you, is not what Yahweh wanted you to do!
Shemuel Aleph (1 Samuel) 12:1
1 Now Samuel said to all Israel: “Indeed I have heeded your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.
And then in verse 8, Shemuel reiterates the obvious. Because our forefathers are just not getting it. So Shemuel said to our forefathers that Yahweh is the one who sent Moshe and Aharon to bring our forefathers out of Egypt. And made them dwell in this land in peace.
Shemuel Aleph (1 Samuel) 12:8
8 When Jacob had gone into Egypt, and your fathers cried out to Yahweh, then Yahweh sent Moshe and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.
But what always happens? What do we do? Yahweh makes things good for us and what we do? We forget all about Him! We do not want to serve Him anymore! Not really, not with all our whole heart. Not in truth. Oh, but we do not forget to ask Yahweh for what we want! Oh, no! We just forget to obey Him after He gives us what we want! And we do it time and time and time again.
Shophetim (Judges) 2:17
17 Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other elohim, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of Yahweh; they did not do so.
Sickening! How does Yahweh just not turn and walk off? It is because it is His nature. He has given His promise. even if we have not given ours, He is going to take the small portion (less than one percent of us) who are truly obeying Him. Then that is Who’s going to survive the Tribulation.
But let us take a look at what our forefathers do. We think we do not have to obey Yahweh. We just call out to Him to save us when we are in trouble. So we cry out to Yahweh.
We say, “Oh, we have sinned! We have forsaken Yahweh our Elohim. And we have served the Lord and Easter.” (Because that is what Baal and Ashtareth translate to. For more on that, please see our study on the “Set Apart Names” in Nazarene Israel Scripture Studies, Volume One.)
Our forefathers said, “Oh, no! Deliver us from the hand of our enemies! And then we will serve You for a little while. Until life gets too good and then we are going to forget You all over again!”
Yahweh forbid! Because He is out of time for that now! But when we reflect on how our forefathers behaved does anybody else get a picture? You know? You kind of close your eyes and pray about it, does anyone else get a picture of Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown?
“Yahweh! come on Yahweh! You know, you want to kick the football, Yahweh! Come on! We know you do! Do not you? You know you want me to redeem myself and be loyal in face to you! As you are set apart! Proverbs 31 Bridal Nation, you know that. And we know you are a faithful, loving, merciful, and forgiving Elohim! And we know that in the past we have kind of played games and we have promised to be faithful and true. And then we fall away again. But we already know we can game it! Because that is Your nature! We know that you are full of steadfast, loyal, love! You are going to forgive! Because that is Your nature! So I am going to promise to hold this football for you while you kick it, Charlie Brown!”
Oh, but then what happens? Oh, He is faithful to deliver us. And then we are faithful to Him for a while. And then we go back to worshiping The Lord, God, Jehovah, and Easter all over again, right? Because that is the pattern we read over and over again all throughout the prophets. And if this was the neighborhood hoodlums, this was the kids, would you not kind of suspect them of gaming things just a little bit?
But let us be honest, brothers and sisters. Are not most of us in Ephraim outside of Nazarene Israel kind of gaming Yahweh? Or why does not He just tell us once? And we read it and do it?
Verse 11. Yahweh sent anointed shophetim (judges). First, He sent us Jerubbaal (or Gideon)- benevolent dictator. And then Bedan- benevolent dictator. And then Jephthah- benevolent dictator. And then Shemuel, that was a game changer! With these anointed judges, Yahweh our King delivered our forefathers out of the hand of our enemies on every side! Whenever there was a need! And our forefathers dwelt safely! As long as Yahweh was our King, He was there for us. He was responding to us. He took care of us when we had a need. He just wants us to come back to Him. And we knew that!
Oh, oh. But what happened? Oh, now here comes Nahash, king of the Ammonites! Oh, no, no! Now we do not trust Yahweh anymore. Oh, no. Why is that brothers and sisters? Is that because Nahash is stronger than Yahweh? Or why do we want a human king to deliver us if we had Yahweh to deliver us? Was something special about Nahash the Ammonite? Or why do we want some king other than Yahweh?
Well, Yahweh is going to use this. But why do we want to rise up and rebel against Yahweh’s chosen leaders? Why do we want to rise up and rebel against Yahweh? Why do we want something other than what Yahweh has told us to do?
And is not it the same thing all over again in Yochanan (John) chapter 19? Even the Romans did not find fault with Yeshua! But our forefathers in Israel sure did!
In fact, the House of Israel, very much like our own house, answered Him saying, “We have a Torah. And according to our Babylonian misinterpretation of that Torah, He ought to die! Because He made Himself the son of Elohim!
Yochanan (John) 19:7
7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of Elohim.”
When in fact, the Torah, and the prophets, and the Psalms all speak of a divine Messiah who was also the Son of Man.
For example, Yeshayahu (Isaiah) chapter 9 and verse 6 tells us that “Unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given.” What kind of son? It says the government shall be upon His shoulder. And that tells us He would be a King! Meaning He would be the Messiah. And His name shall be called “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty Elohim!”
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 9:6
6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty Elohim, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Okay rabbis! How many human children do you know called Mighty Elohim? He is also called Everlasting Father! Okay rabbis! How many human children do you know who are called Everlasting Father? So if we know how to read the prophecies of Yahweh instead of reading the Talmud of man, can we see that the Son was clearly supposed to be divine? That we have prophecies over divine Messiah? Of course, the rabbis explain all that away. But that is a separate matter.
Then in Tehillim (Psalms) chapter 2 and verse 7 it tells us that the Messiah declared the decree! Yahweh was His Father. and His Father said that the Messiah was His Son.
Tehillim (Psalms) 2:7
7 “I will declare the decree: Yahweh has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
Now notice, the Messiah was also begotten. That means He is born of a human.
Strong’s Hebrew Concordance H3205, “Yalad”. It is a primitive root meaning to bear young. It is where we get the English word “lad”.
H3205 “Yalad” יָלַד A primitive root; to bear young; causatively to beget; medically to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage: – bear, beget, birth ([-day]), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail (-eth, -ing woman).
So get this. the divine Messiah was laded. He was born of a woman. You can read it right there in Hebrew if you want. It says the Messiah would be Yahweh’s Son and that He would be born of a woman. Just like Yeshua claimed to be. So where is His sin?
Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) chapter 23 starting in verse 5 says, “Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, when I will raise unto David a Righteous Branch. And a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice in all the earth. And then in His days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely. [You have got two houses.] And this is the name whereby He shall be called, Yahweh our Righteousness.”
Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 23:5-6
5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says Yahweh, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: YAHWEH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
So, we put it all together. We have a divine Messiah who is born (or laded) of a woman, and He is called Mighty Elohim and Everlasting Father. How many witnesses do we need here? He is called Yahweh our Righteousness! But He is also raised up unto David. Are we getting the picture?
Now let us come to Mishle (Proverbs, or riddles) chapter 30 and verse 4.
Mishle (Proverbs) 30:4
4 Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? [Kind of reminds us of Job.] What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if you know?
Let us come to B’reisheet (Genesis) chapter 19 and verse 24. Karaites, explain this one! Rabbis, you too! It tells us that Yahweh on earth rained down fire from Yahweh out of the heavens. Okay. How many Yahwehs are in that passage? Rabbis, Karaites, if you know? Maybe a Father and Son? Maybe a Father and a manifested Son?
B’reisheet (Genesis) 19:24
24 Then Yahweh rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from Yahweh out of the heavens.
Let us come to Daniel chapter 7 starting in verse 13.
Daniel 7:13-14
13 I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days [that is Yahweh], And they brought Him near before Him.
14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.
Even though He is laded of a woman, His Dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away. And His kingdom shall not be destroyed. No matter whether we accept Him or not. And no matter whether or not we want to obey His fivefold ministry and unify on the Foundation of Apostles and Prophets.
So that is the moral to the story. We are not a voting majority. But rather, we signed up to be servants in His army. He is our King! So if we truly worship Him, why does not He just have to speak one time and we do it?