The closer we are to God, the closer God looks at us. We may come to God as we are, but we shouldn’t stay as we were. A key lesson of the Torah reading שמיני Shemini (“eighth”; Leviticus 9–11) is the more understanding God gives us, the more God expects of us (Luke 12:48). This is also why the sacrifice of Yeshua (Jesus) was the only sacrifice that could take away our sins, transgressions and iniquities (Lev. 16:15, 18, 27; Heb. 9:13; 10:4).
There’s a difference between an “argument to Heaven” and an “argument to man.” In the former, we are showing a person how their conduct contradicts God’s word. In the latter, we are trying to dominate the other person. We want the person to accept us as an authority, rather than pointing one to accept God’s authority.
What is the goal? To gain influence or to come closer to God. Even if our “argument to Heaven” is not executed perfectly, if the conclusion of the matter brings both parties closer to God’s will, it has accomplished a righteous goal. We see this lived out in the tragic rebellion of recorded in Torah reading קֹרַח Korach (Korah; Numbers 16–18).
There are no shortcuts to holding a position of authority in God’s kingdom. People who try to take shortcuts to greatness will not prosper in the end. Just as Aaron and Moses are examples of how God and Yeshua interact with each other, Korah is an example of the “spirit of antichrist” (1John 4:3).
Novelist Catherine Aird wrote, “If you can’t be a good example, then you’ll just have to be a horrible warning.” This fits very well this week’s Torah reading, aptly named קֹרַח Korakh/Korach, after the leader of this merry band of rebels.
The Torah reading קֹרַח Korakh/Korach is a study in what it means to rebel against God and opens a window into the destructive power of antichrist.
The betrayal by Korakh (Korah) against Aharon (Aaron) mirrors the rejection of Yeshua the Mashiakh (Jesus) by leaders of Yisrael (Israel) at in the first century A.D. We can see a foreshadowing of Yeshua’s grace through Aharon’s reaction to the rebellion.