A Sabbath breaker is executed: (no appreciable differences with the other translation/versions)
(ESV)
Num 15:32 While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.
Num 15:33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation.
Num 15:34 They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him.
Num 15:35 And the LORD said to Moses, "The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp."
Num 15:36 And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses.
[Note: Many people misunderstand this passage. The simple act of gathering sticks is not necessarily the issue here. Have you ever made a primitive fire? A primitive fire involves lots of hard work and effort, sometimes 2 or 3 hours worth. Today, the orthodox Rabbis make it a rule not to even turn on your stove or switch on a light. This rule is man-made, of course, and silly. In my house my wife cooks on Friday so we may eat leftovers for Shabbat, and yes, we do heat them up! And no, we don't work on a primitive fire to heat our food! We simply flip a switch on a stove or a microwave oven.]
... btw, no mention of an afterlife here.
Korah's Rebellion: (no appreciable differences with the other translation/versions)
(ESV)
Num 16:1 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, took men.
Num 16:2 And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men.
Num 16:3 They assembled themselves together 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 yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?"
Num 16:4 When Moses heard it, he fell on his face,
Num 16:5 and he said to Korah and all his company, "In the morning the LORD will show who is his, and who is holy, and will bring him near to him. The one whom he chooses he will bring near to him.
Num 16:6 Do this: take censers, Korah and all his company;
Num 16:7 put fire in them and put incense on them before the LORD tomorrow, and the man whom the LORD chooses shall be the holy one. You have gone too far, sons of Levi!"
Num 16:8 And Moses said to Korah, "Hear now, you sons of Levi:
Num 16:9 is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do service in the tabernacle of the LORD and to stand before the congregation to minister to them,
Num 16:10 and that he has brought you near him, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And would you seek the priesthood also?
Num 16:11 Therefore it is against the LORD that you and all your company have gathered together. What is Aaron that you grumble against him?"
Num 16:12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and they said, "We will not come up.
Num 16:13 Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also make yourself a prince over us?
Num 16:14 Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up."
Num 16:15 And Moses was very angry and said to the LORD, "Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed one of them."
Num 16:16 And Moses said to Korah, "Be present, you and all your company, before the LORD, you and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.
Num 16:17 And 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 his censer."
Num 16:18 So every man took his censer and put fire in them and laid incense on them and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.
Num 16:19 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.
Num 16:20 And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
Num 16:21 "Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment."
Num 16:22 And they fell on their faces and said, "O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?"
Num 16:23 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
Num 16:24 "Say to the congregation, Get away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram."
Num 16:25 Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.
Num 16:26 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."
Num 16:27 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.
Num 16:28 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.
Num 16:29 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.
Num 16:30 But if the LORD creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the LORD."
Num 16:31 And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart.
Num 16:32 And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods.
Num 16:33 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.
Num 16:34 And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, "Lest the earth swallow us up!"
Num 16:35 And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.
Num 16:36 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
Num 16:37 "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.
Num 16:38 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."
Num 16:39 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,
Num 16:40 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.
Num 16:41 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."
Num 16:42 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.
Num 16:43 And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting,
Num 16:44 and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
Num 16:45 "Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment." And they fell on their faces.
Num 16:46 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."
Num 16:47 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.
Num 16:48 And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.
Num 16:49 Now those who died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the affair of Korah.
Num 16:50 And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped.
[Note: The word "Sheol" is defined as "the grave"; "the pit", as in under the earth; "hell", as in the place for the dead, not as in an afterlife existence of tortuous burning. "Hades" is used in one translation, but still means buried in the ground. The usage is made clear by the context. The context here is of burying the people as in an earthquake.
Those who disagree will say, no, and that all of these people went to a burning Hades/Hell. Please realize what these folks are saying. They are saying that the women and children of Korah's Rebellion and all those killed by the plague (including the children) are BURNING IN HELL - RIGHT NOW! Please notice the verse says, "all" of them! They are saying that Yehovah/Yeshua is causing these women and children to suffer everlasting torment because of guilt by association.
No, the "innocent" that were caught up in this event will be resurrected (at the proper time) and given a wonderful eternal life as Scripture states. Also, the rest of Scripture does not support a vengeful "GOD" as some people assume. Adding to the narrative of Korah's Rebellion is adding something to Scripture which is not there. This is going against Torah! (see Deut. 4, Deut. 12, Rev. 22)]
... I hope everyone is having a wonderful Shabbat and are looking forward to the Fall Feasts coming up shortly!
The Observer
