Continuing with Numbers. Lots of fun stuff left to look at there.
Num 16:23-35 - And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Say to the congregation: Get away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram." So Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram; the elders of Israel followed him. He said to the congregation, "Turn away from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, or you will be swept away for all their sins." So they got away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance of their tents, together with their wives, their children, and their little ones. And Moses said, "This is how you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works; it has not been of my own accord: If these people die a natural death, or if a natural fate comes on them, then the LORD has not sent me. But if the LORD creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up, with all that belongs to them,then you shall know that these men have despised the LORD.
As soon as he finished speaking all these words, the ground under them was split apart. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up along with their households - everyone who belonged to Korah and all their goods. So they with all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol; the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. All Israel around them fled at their outcry, for they said, "The earth will swallow us too!" And fire came out from the LORD and consumed two hundred fifty men offering the incense.
So this is what happens when some guys go wrong. God kills them, their wives, children and babies. Sucks them all under the ground, along with everything they own, and toasts a couple hundred innocent bystanders (who were presumably following instructions!) as a bonus. This is supposed to be justice?
I find it interesting that this passage is said by some scholars to be related to passages in the Book of Psalms that indicate that God doesn't require sacrifices. As I understand it, temple musicians (those who wrote the Psalms and other worship-related material) were not happy that the priests didn't "share the wealth" brought in by the sacrifices of the people, so they wrote songs and poetry that threatened the priestly income. The priests are said to have retaliated by writing this story of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, three "musical types," who went astray.
This is sort of like the conflict in Exodus where YHWH's champions and their magic were shown as stronger than the priests of Egypt. It appears to have been a propaganda war preserved for posterity.
Comments?
