Power Struggles

1. Power Struggles Numbers 16

2. Church Fights 28% of church conflicts were about significant value conflicts. 46% involved the pastor's interpersonal competence: 23% = Clergy was withdrawn and apathetic, not taking initiative, not providing any kind of leadership 23% = Pastors who were contentious and authoritarian 6% involved pastors poor preaching 12% involved pastors not doing their job In 9% of the cases the pastor was physically or mentally ill Speed Leas

3. Church Fights "A management-school definition might be: disagreement about values, goals, methods, or the facts of a given situation. That approach would say the essence of conflict is people struggling over appropriate values in an organization. Defined that way, not all churches have conflict." "Most folks, however, don't define conflict that way. To them, conflict really means, "I feel bad," or, to be precise, "Somebody is causing me to feel bad." Speed Leas

4. Church Fights Regardless of how the conflict starts, you want to get good information. As I get the data, I must do good analysis: "What are the objectives of the people in the midst of the conflict? What kind of language are they using? What kind of help do we need to deal with?" Clouding the process, of course, are unwritten rules: "We're not supposed to have conflict." The other thing I want to do is to draw on my faith resources. Speed Leas

5. "Demoralized by the majority report of the scouts and condemned by their God to die in the wilderness, the people are psychologically receptive to demagogic appeals to overthrow their leadership and return to Egypt." [Milgrom] The State of the People

6. Num 16.1-3a Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth � took - and they rose up against Moses, with the children of Israel, 250 tribal chieftains of the congregation, chosen from the assembly of the men of renown. They assembled against Moses and Aaron. . . .

7. The Levites against Aaron Dathan and Abiram against Moses The tribal chieftains against Aaron The entire community against Moses and Aaron. The Levite Korah was involved in all 4 struggles 4 Different Struggles

8. Religious Leaders: Num 16.3b "You two have gone too far! For the entire congregation is holy and Yahweh is in their midst! Why do you two raise yourselves above the congregation of Yahweh."

9. Religious Leaders: "you (two) have gone too far" = "you have too much," i.e., power and prestige? Num 11.29 = Moses' wish that all would be prophets. "all the congregation, each one is holy" Num 15.40b ". . . and you (all) shall be holy to your God.

10. Political Leaders: Num 16.12b-14 "We will not come! Is it too little that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness, that you will also lord it over us? Indeed, you have not brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you bore out the eyes of these men? We will not come!

11. Political Leaders: They exchanged Egypt for Palestine as the land flowing with milk and honey "to little" in contrast to "you have too much" (16.3, 9)? "lord it over" = Exod 2.14 "who made you chief and ruler over us?" "bore out the eyes of these men" = deceive us

12. Now Korah assembled the whole congregation against them at the door to the tent of meeting. So the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the congregation. . . . "Separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation so that I may consume them in a moment." Whole Congregation: Num 16.19-21

13. "The next day the whole congregation of the children of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron . . . . when the congregation assembled . . . the glory of Yahweh appeared. . . . 'Get away from the midst of this congregation so that I may consume them. . . .'" Whole Congregation: Num 16.41-45

14. The Response:Num 16.4-5 16.4 When Moses heard . . . , he fell on his face. 16.5 "In the morning, Yahweh will make known who is his, who is holy and who may approach him . . . the one he chooses will be allowed to approach him."

15. The response to Dathan and Abiram: Then Moses became very angry and said to Yahweh, "do not turn to their offering." "Not a single donkey from them have I taken, nor have I done one evil thing to them." The Response:Num 16.15

16. Falsely Accused "The other thing that most distresses me is being falsely accused by fellow preachers of the gospel. For whatever reason, there are men who seem to desire to discredit the ministry of others. As a result they falsely accuse other ministers, not because those they attack are unbelievers, but simply to discredit them." John MacArthur

17. The Response:Num 16.16-18 Then Moses said to Korah, "you and all your congregation will be before Yahweh, you, them, and Aaron . . . Tomorrow. Each person take a censer and put incense on them, 250 censers . . . .

18. Get away from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram . . . . As soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground split apart under them. The ground opened its mouth and swallowed them and all their households and all Korah's men and all their possessions. God Vindicate: Num 16.23-34

19. Fire came out from Yahweh and consumed the 250 men who offering incense. God Vindicate: Num 16.35

20. Numbers 16.41/17.6 The next day, the whole congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You two have caused the death of Yahweh's people."

21. Numbers 16.42/17.7 Now when the congregation assembled against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting. (hinneh)The cloud covered it and Yahweh's glory appeared.

22. Numbers 16.43-45a/17.8-10a When Moses and Aaron came to the tent of meeting, Yahweh spoke to Moses saying, "Get up from the midst of this congregation, so that I may devour them in an instant."

23. But they fell on their faces.

24. Numbers 16.46-/17.11 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Take the censer! Put fire on it from the altar! Place incense . . . ! Quickly take it to the congregation! Expiate for them! For the wrath goes out from Yahweh . . . The plague has begun."

25. Numbers 16.47-48/17.12-13 So Aaron took . . . just as Moses had spoken and ran into the midst of the congregation. (hinneh) The plague had begun among the people, so he set the incense and expiated for the people. Thus he stood between the ones dying and the living, so that the plague was restrained.

26. Numbers 16.49/17.14 Those who died by the plague were 14,700, aside from those who died over the Korah affair.

27. Numbers 16.50/17.15 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting . . . the plague had been restrained.

28. Standing Between the Dying & the Living The pericope is deeply etched by the arriving of Yahweh's presence: "(hinneh)The cloud covered it and Yahweh's glory appeared."

29. Standing Between the Dying & the Living When Yahweh gives the command: "Get up from the midst of this congregation, so that I may devour them in an instant," you would expect Moses and Aaron to be obedient, especially in the present context of this story.

30. Standing Between the Dying & the Living The fascinating pattern in many "Moses" passages is the depiction of him fallen down and presumably praying to Yahweh. Here it should be read, "But . . . ."

31. Standing Between the Dying & the Living So Aaron took . . . and ran into the midst of the congregation. (hinneh) The plague had begun among the people, so he set the incense and expiated for the people. Thus he stood between the ones dying and the living, so that the plague was restrained.