Jeremiah Study – Jeremiah and the Last Kings of Israel – Part 2 Lesson 2

The Jeremiah Study from Tabernacle of David Restored, in Edom

Presented by Jaco van der Merwe
The Tabernacle of David Restored in Edom
Produced by Kimberly Rogers Brown – The Messianic Message

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DISCLAIMER! WHEN WE SAY THE WORD “JEWS” or “THE JEWS”, WE MEAN THE RELIGIOUS JEWS, THE CHABAD CABAL AND OTHER JEWISH LEADERSHIP AND THOSE FROM THE HOUSE OF JUDAH WHO SUBSCRIBE TO CHABAD’S EVIL DOCTRINES. I DO NOT MEAN CULTURAL JEWS OR ALL JEWISH PEOPLE!

 

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Tuesday Midrash

 

 

I want to quote some Scripture before we start:

Mat 23:8-10 MJKV But you must not be called Rabbi, for One is your teacher, Christ, and you are all brothers. And call no one your father on the earth, for One is your Father in Heaven. Nor be called teachers, for One is your Teacher, even Christ. 

2Ti 3:13-17 MKJV But evil men and seducers will go forward to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue in the things that you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from a babe you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfected, thoroughly furnished to every good work.

Col 2:8-12 MKJV Beware lest anyone rob you through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him, who is the Head of all principality and power, in whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in whom also you were raised through the faith of the working of God, raising Him from the dead.

 

 

Jeremiah Study – Jeremiah and the Last Kings of Israel – Part 2 Lesson 2
2Kings 22; 2Chronicles 34; Jeremiah Chapter 1

I want to quote Isaiah 28:9-13 before we begin

Isa 28:9 MKJV Whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to understand doctrine? Those weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts.
Isa 28:10 MKJV For precept must be on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little;
Isa 28:11 MKJV for with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people.
Isa 28:12 MKJV To whom He said, This is the rest; cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing. Yet they were not willing to hear.
Isa 28:13 MKJV But the Word of Jehovah was to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken and snared and taken.

 

Last week I did an overview of the story of King Josiah and his sons as the last Kings on the throne in Jerusalem. For the purpose of keeping the story flowing, I brought in a possible chronology of Jeremiah’s interaction with Josiah and his descendants. I also mentioned the captivity of Daniel and later, Ezekiel in this chronology.

While judgement was taking place in Jerusalem, Ezekiel was given visions and understanding of those things while he was in Babylon, and he shared them with those who were taken captive. Just like the prophet Hosea gave us Yahweh’s commentary on the fall of the House of Ephraim, Ezekiel gave us Yahweh’s commentary on the fall of Jerusalem and on the House of David.

5 different kings were mentioned during our story last week, Let’s have a look at them. Understanding these Kings will be key to unlocking the flow of our story and to make some sense of what actually happened.

 

Descendants from King David

Genealogy of the Kings of the House of Judah, the descendants of King David.

1Ch 3:5 MKJV And these were born to him in Jerusalem Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four of Bathsheba the daughter of Ammiel

1Ch 3:10 MKJV And Solomon‘s son was Rehoboam, and Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son,
1Ch 3:11 MKJV Jehoram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son,
1Ch 3:12 MKJV Amaziah his son, Azariah <Uzziah> his son, Jotham his son,
1Ch 3:13 MKJV Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son,
1Ch 3:14 MKJV Amon his son, Josiah his son.

1Ch 3:15 MKJV And the sons of Josiah: Johanan the first-born, Jehoiakim the second, Zedekiah the third, Shallum the fourth.
1Ch 3:16 MKJV And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, and Zedekiah his son.

Following the Kings through the story of Josiah is quite a task, because after King Josiah, all of them have 2 names. Also, 1st Chronicles mention their changed names, where the records in 2nd Kings and 2nd Chronicles as well as Jeremiah, used the names interchangeable.

And to make matters more difficult, there are some form of confusion between 2nd Chronicles and 2nd Kings regarding the age of king Jehoiachin and which Zedekiah became King. Was it the brother, or was it the uncle?

 

Let’s first have a look at the different names used for the same Kings.

The 1st King after King Josiah.

In 2nd Kings we read the following:

2Ki 23:30 MKJV …And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father’s place.
2Ki 23:31 MKJV Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign. And he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

But in 1st Chronicles chapter 3 we read that King Josiah had 4 sons: Johanan. Jehoiakim, Zedekiah and Shallum the 4th son of King Josiah. So which of the 4 sons would be Jehoahaz?

Jer 22:11-12 MKJV For so says Jehovah concerning Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, who reigned in the place of Josiah his father, who went forth out of this place: he shall not return there any more. But he shall die in the place where they have exiled him and shall see this land no more.

We can clearly see, by looking at Jeremiah, that Jehoahaz and Shallum was the same person. This means that the people made the youngest son of Josiah, the King in Judah after he was killed by the Egyptians. So, Jehoahaz was the 1st of the sons of Josiah to be King. Remember him by this: He was the King that was Exiled to Egypt (where he died) because of his father, King Josiah who attacked the army of Pharaoh-Neco.

 

The 2nd King after King Josiah.

2Ki 23:34 MKJV And Pharaoh-Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in place of Josiah his father. And he changed his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away. And he came to Egypt and died there.

This is plain and straight forward. Eliakim and Jehoiakim was the same person. Jehoiakim was 1st the Vassal of Pharaoh-Neco, and then he became the Vassal of King Nebuchadnezzar for 3 years and he then rebelled for his loyalty was with Egypt. He reigned for a total of 11 years before he was taken by the King of Babylon.

 

The 3rd King after King Josiah.

Jehoiachin was the son of Jehoiakim and was chosen by Nebuchadnezzar, to be King in the place of his father. Here we have some textural differences between 2nd Kings and 2nd Chronicles. Let’s have a look at them.

2Ki 24:8 MKJV Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

2Ch 36:9 MKJV Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. And he did the evil in the sight of Jehovah.

We have 18 years vs 8 years old when Jehoiachin began to reign. I took the stance in my summation last week that Jehoiachin reigned with his father since he was 8 years old. If Jehoiakim was taken during the 11th year of his reign, then Jehoiachin would have been 18 years old when he took the throne in Jerusalem. 18 years going onto 19. In this case, the difference between 2nd Chronicles and 2nd Kings is not wrong, just incomplete, which can easily happen in the case of summations.

Now let’s go look at the different names for Jehoiachin.

It is clear from the above text that in both 2nd Chronicles and 2nd Kings, the name was recorded as Jehoiachin, but in 1st Chronicles we read the following:

1Ch 3:16 MKJV And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, and Zedekiah his son.

Jehoiakim had 2 sons and they were Jeconiah and Zedekiah.

 

In the book of Jeremiah, the name Jeconiah is used and not Jehoiachin.

Jer 24:1 MKJV Jehovah caused me to see, and behold, two baskets of figs set before the temple of Jehovah (after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had exiled Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the rulers of Judah, with the craftsmen and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon);

Jer 27:20 MKJV which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he exiled Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;

Jer 28:4 MKJV And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went into Babylon, says Jehovah. For I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.

Jer 29:2 MKJV (After Jeconiah the king, and the queen mother, and the eunuchs, the rulers of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen, and the smiths, had departed from Jerusalem.)

And to make matters even more difficult to follow, again in Jeremiah, the name Coniah and not Jeconiah or Jehoiachin is also used in the following verses:

Jer 22:24 MKJV As I live, says Jehovah, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet on My right hand, yet I would pull you out of there!

Jer 22:28 MKJV Is this man Coniah a despised broken jar? Is he a vessel in which there is no pleasure? Why are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they do not know?

Jer 37:1 MKJV And King Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.

 

Based on the quoted scripture we can clearly see that Jehoiachin, Jeconiah and Coniah was all the same person and was the son of Jehoiakim who became the 3rd King after King Josiah.

 

The 4th King after King Josiah

2Ki 24:17-18 MKJV And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, his father’s brother, king in his place. And he changed his name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

2Ch 36:10 MKJV And when the year had ended, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the valuable vessels of the house of Jehovah. And he made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.
2Ch 36:11 MKJV Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

In 2nd Kings we read that Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s father’s brother became king and his name was changed to Zedekiah. In 2nd Chronicles we read that Jehoiachin’s brother, Zedekiah became the next King. But, when we go to Jeremiah, we will find more verses that gives evidence that it was the son of Josiah and not the brother of Jehoiachin that became the next and final King in Jerusalem.

Jer 1:3 MKJV It also came in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the exiling of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

Jer 37:1 MKJV And King Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.

Jer 52:1 MKJV Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

2Ki 23:31 MKJV Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign. And he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

Comparing our parallel text with what was written in the book of Jeremiah, it seems clear that it was “the uncle” of Jehoiachin that became King and reigned for 11 years. The Zedekiah mentioned had the same mother than Jehoahaz, who was the 1st King after Josiah and who was taken into exile to die in Egypt. We can also speculate that both of them took the throne, the one after the other, but then the 11 years reign would pose a problem. But in the bigger picture, it will not matter, since Zedekiah’s sons was killed before his eyes and his eyes taken after his capture, where he died in Babylon.

Summation of the last 5 Kings in Jerusalem

1Ch 3:15 MKJV And the sons of Josiah: Johanan the first-born, Jehoiakim <Eliakim> the second, Zedekiah <Mattaniah> the third, Shallum <Jehoahaz> the fourth.
1Ch 3:16 MKJV And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah <Jehoiachin; Coniah> his son, and Zedekiah his son.

King Josiah, the last righteous king that walked like David did.

King Jehoahaz, who was also called Shallum in the book of Jeremiah. He was exiled and then later taken to Egypt where he remained and died.

King Jehoiakim. His name was changed from Eliakim and Jehoiakim is the name used throughout our text.

King Jehoiachin. He was the son of King Jehoiakim, meaning that King Josiah was his grandfather. The names used for him in the book of Jeremiah are Jeconiah and Coniah.

King Zedekiah, the brother of King Josiah. The name Mattaniah was only used once, and all other references refer to King Zedekiah, who reigned for the last 11 years in Jerusalem.

 

Let’s start with the opening Chapters of our reading in 2nd Kings, 2nd Chronicles and Jeremiah Chapter 1.

 

 

2Kings – Chapter 22
Josiah Reigns in Judah
1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Botscath.
2 And he did that which was right in the sight of YHVH, and had his walk in all the ways of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand, or to the left.

2Chronicles – Chapter 34
Josiah Reigns in Judah
3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the Elohim of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the idol temples, and the Asherahs, and the carved images, and the molten images.
4 And they broke down the altars of Ba’al in his presence; and the images, that were high above them, he cut down; and the Asherahs, and the carved images, and the molten images, he broke in pieces, and made dust of them, and scattered it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed to them.
5 And he burned the bones of their priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
6 And so he also did in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even to Naphtali, with their ruins all around.
7 And when he had broken down the altars and the Asherahs, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

 

In the eighth year of his reign King Josiah was 16 years old. This is when he started to seek after the Elohim of his father, King David. In his 12th year, Josiah was 20 years old. This was the age that he began to purge Judea and Jerusalem of the Idolatry that were present. But Josiah did not stop at the boundaries of Judea. There were people living in the Northern lands of Judea and it was still called the land of Israel.

Both Babylon and Egypt were now competing for the lands that were occupied by the Assyrians. Assyria was losing its grip on the occupied territories. Many of the Israelites were still living in the land of the northern tribes. It was even possible that many of them were still worshipping Yahweh.

Israel as a whole used to have 2 Kings, one from the line of David, ruling from Jerusalem and another King in Samaria, from one of the 9 Northern tribes, ruling under the name of Ephraim. But, after King Hosea was taken by the Assyrians, the whole of Israel only had 1 King in Jerusalem.

King Hezekiah managed to unite the 12 Tribes to worship at Jerusalem and restored the 3 pilgrimage feasts as the Torah commanded. He even received tithings from the Northern Tribes, which were the portion to the priests and the Temple. But in the 55 years of King Manasseh’s reign this stopped and even in the 2 years of King Amon, the Temple were shut down.

King Josiah was going to set things right again, and he did not stop at cleaning up only the lands of Judea. In 2nd Chronicles 34:6 we read that he removed the Idolatry in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim. From the cities of Simeon in the South, up until the cities of Naphtali that were to the far north of the lands of Israel.

 

When King Josiah reached the age of 21, Yahweh called Jeremiah to be a prophet to Israel.

Jeremiah – Chapter 1
1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the Priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benyamin:
2 To whom the word of YHVH came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon King of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his Kingdom.
3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah King of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah King of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem into exile in the fifth month.

 

Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah, who was the head priest in King Josiah’s time. Ever since the time of the Judges, there were always a remnant in Israel that kept the commandments of Yahweh. Many of them would have been Levites and even Priests from the line of Aaron. Remember in the time of Hezekiah, that he called all the priests and Levites to clean up the Temple and purify themselves. That knowledge was not lost because of the abominations of King Ahaz.

With King Josiah who seek to know Yahweh, the Elohim of David his father, he would have been inquiring about Yahweh from those priests and prophets that knew Him. So, I believe that the ruling house of Josiah was in close contact with the family of Hilkiah, the priest and father of Jeremiah. It is even possible that their age group was closely the same. They could even have been friends, Jeremiah and King Josiah.

So, in the 13th year of King Josiah, Yahweh called Jeremiah to be a prophet to Israel. Let’s go read about it in Jeremiah chapter 1:

 

Jeremiah – Chapter 1
The Call of Jeremiah

4 Then the word of YHVH came to me, saying,
5 Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I set you apart, and I ordained you as a Prophet to the nations.
6 Then I said, Alas, Master YHVH! See, I cannot speak: for I am only a child.
7 But YHVH said to me, Do not say, I am a child: for you shall go to all that I shall send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with you to deliver you, says YHVH.
9 Then YHVH put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And YHVH said to me, See, I have put My words in your mouth.
10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
11 Moreover the word of YHVH came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? And I said, Master I see a branch of an almond tree.
12 Then said YHVH to me, You have seen well: for I will hasten My word to perform it.
13 And the word of YHVH came to me the second time, saying, What do you see now? And I said, I see a boiling pot; and it faces towards the north.
14 Then YHVH said to me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
15 For, see, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, says YHVH; and they shall come, and each one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah.
16 And I will utter My judgment against them regarding all their wickedness, who have forsaken Me, and have burned incense to other elohim, and worshipped the works of their own hands.
17 You therefore dress up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command you: be not broken at their faces, lest I break you before them.
18 For, see, I have made you this day like a walled city, and an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land, against the Kings of Judah, against its leaders, against its Priests, and against the people of the land.
19 And they shall fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you, says YHVH, to deliver you.

Jeremiah called himself “a child” in verse 6. In the ancient Hebrew times, a male has to reach the age of 30 to be considered to be a man. In other words, in today’s time, if a male is under 20, he is considered to still be a child, but in the ancient Hebrew times, under 30 would still be considered as a child. Jeremiah would have been of the age of King Josiah at 21 to under 30. In the end of the book of Jeremiah, we will learn that he was forced to go to Egypt, with the remnant of Judah who was left after the destruction of Jerusalem. This would be about 54 years later, so I would consider Jeremiah to be on the younger side, probably even closer to 20, rather than 30 years old.

The fist vision of the 2 visions that Jeremiah saw was “a branch of an almond tree”. We will read in our story, in the book of Kings, that Josiah will task the repairs of the Temple to Hilkiah, who will then be called the High Priest of the Temple. Knowing this, let’s go and look what this “branch of an almond tree” represents. Let’s go all the way back to the story of Korah’s rebellion in the book of Numbers.

This is one of the most important principles in scripture to understand, so I am going to read all of it in Numbers 16 and 17.

Korah’s Rebellion

Num 16:1 MKJV Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, took both Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben;
Num 16:2 MKJV even they rose up before Moses with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty rulers of the assembly, elect men in the congregation, men who were well-known.

I want to make this point very clear. Korah was a Levite. The house of Kohath was chosen to carry the Holy items that was inside the Tabernacle, after the Priests have covered them up according to their selected coverings. They were allowed to enter into the Holies and even approach the Holy of Holies, after the coverings were done by the Priests. This were their duty, which would have been considered in the highest regard after that of the Priests.  

Num 16:3 MKJV And they gathered themselves against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, You take too much upon you, since all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and Jehovah is among them. Why then do you lift yourselves up above the congregation of Jehovah?

These people that gathered themselves against Moses were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. They spoke for the people and the congregation. They, with Korah as the leader of this mob, did not like the idea that only the sons of Aaron were chosen to be Priests and to burn incense to Yahweh. They did not believe Moses, choosing only his brother’s family to be set apart to be Priests, and he though Moses was saying that the rest of them were of less value in the congregation, because they were not allowed to burn incense to Yahweh or do sacrifices.

Korah was a firstborn. Before the Golden Calf incident, all the firstborns were chosen to be the Priests to Yahweh and they would have served in the Tabernacle. But, after the Golden Calf incident, Yahweh chose all the Levites to be holy to Him, but only Aaron and his sons could be Priests in the Tabernacle, and He allowed only them to burn incense to Him. Also, only the Priests, who were from the descendants of Aaron were allowed to do sacrifices, nobody else. Only the Priests were allowed to enter the Holies in the Temple, except when the Kohathites went in to collect the covered items after the Priests covered them up, when the congregation as a whole got ready to move camp. 

In Egypt it was custom that anyone that worshipped a god, could do a sacrifice to that god and burn incense to that god. But Yahweh did things different. Sacrifices and incense to Him were only to be done by the Priests He chose.

Num 16:4 MKJV And Moses heard and fell on his face.
Num 16:5 MKJV And he spoke to Korah and to all his company, saying, Even tomorrow Jehovah will show who are His, and him who is holy, and will cause him to come near to Him; even him whom He has chosen, He will cause to come near to Him.
Num 16:6 MKJV Do this. Take fire-pans, Korah and all his company,
Num 16:7 MKJV and put fire in them, and put incense in them before Jehovah tomorrow. And it shall be the man whom Jehovah chooses, he shall be holy. You take too much upon you, sons of Levi!
Num 16:8 MKJV And Moses said to Korah, Hear now you sons of Levi;
Num 16:9 MKJV is it only a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near Himself to do the service of the tabernacle of Jehovah and to stand before the congregation to minister to them?
Num 16:10 MKJV And He has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you. And do you seek the priesthood also?

“Do you seek the priesthood also” – very interesting words that Moses spoke against Korah and his followers.


Num 16:11 MKJV For this cause you and all your company are gathered against Jehovah. And what is Aaron, that you murmur against him?

Num 16:12 MKJV And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. And they said, We will not come up.
Num 16:13 MKJV Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land that flows with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but must you also seize dominion over us?
Num 16:14 MKJV Besides, you have not brought us into a land that flows with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance in fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up.

So, now they blame Moses because they did not enter the promised land yet. They quickly forgot that they were responsible for the build of the Golden Calf. They also forgot that when Yahweh told them to go and possess the land, the chose 12 Spies to go investigate 1st to find out the strength of the enemies that they would have faced.

Num 16:15 MKJV And Moses was very angry, and said to Jehovah, Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.
Num 16:16 MKJV And Moses said to Korah, Stand before Jehovah, you and all your company, you and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.
Num 16:17 MKJV And every man take his fire-pan and put incense in them, and let every man bring his fire-pan before Jehovah, two hundred and fifty fire-pans, you also, and Aaron, each with his fire-pan.
Num 16:18 MKJV And every man took his fire-pan and put fire in them, and laid incense on it, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.
Num 16:19 MKJV And Korah gathered all the congregation against them, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And the glory of Jehovah appeared to all the congregation.

Moses told Korah and the 250 men that rebelled with him, to get themselves ready and come and burn incense to Yahweh. Yahweh will show them if He will approve of their incense or not. In their arrogance and ignorance, they just did that and this is what happened.

Num 16:20 MKJV And Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
Num 16:21 MKJV Separate yourselves from among this congregation, so that I may devour them in a moment.
Num 16:22 MKJV And they fell upon 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 MKJV And Jehovah spoke to Moses saying,
Num 16:24 MKJV Speak to the congregation saying, Get away from the tent of Korah and Dathan and Abiram.
Num 16:25 MKJV And Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram. And the elders of Israel followed him.
Num 16:26 MKJV And he spoke to the congregation, saying, I pray you, get away from the tents of these wicked men. And touch nothing of theirs lest you be destroyed in all their sins.
Num 16:27 MKJV So they got away from the tent of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, on every side. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their infants.
Num 16:28 MKJV And Moses said, By this you shall know that Jehovah has sent me to do all these works, and that not from my own heart.
Num 16:29 MKJV If these men die the common death of all men, or if they are visited according to the examination of all men, Jehovah has not sent me.

Num 16:30 MKJV But if Jehovah makes a new thing, and the earth opens her mouth and swallows them up with all that they have, and they go down alive into the pit, then you shall understand that these men have provoked Jehovah.
Num 16:31 MKJV And it happened, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart.
Num 16:32 MKJV And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who were for Korah, and all their goods.
Num 16:33 MKJV They and all that they had went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed upon them. And they perished from among the congregation.

Num 16:34 MKJV And all Israel around them fled at their cry. For they said, Lest the earth swallow us up.
Num 16:35 MKJV And there came out a fire from Jehovah and burned up the two hundred and fifty men who offered incense.
Num 16:36 MKJV And Jehovah spoke to Moses saying,

Num 16:37 MKJV Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the fire-pans out of the burning, and scatter the fire yonder. For they are holy.
Num 16:38 MKJV The fire-pans of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them into broad plates, a covering for the altar; for they offered them before Jehovah, therefore they are made holy. And they shall be a sign to the sons of Israel.
Num 16:39 MKJV And Eleazar the priest took the bronze fire-pans, the ones with which those who had been burned up had offered, and they were made into broad plates, a covering of the altar,
Num 16:40 MKJV a memorial to the sons of Israel, that no stranger not of the seed of Aaron may come near to offer incense before Jehovah, so that he may not be as Korah and as his company, as Jehovah said to him by the hand of Moses.
Num 16:41 MKJV But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron saying, You have killed the people of Jehovah.

The next day, they blame Moses that he killed Yahweh’s people and that it was his fault that they died. In their arrogance they, who are the people of Yahweh refuse to acknowledge that they did wrong and the accuse Moses for killing them.

Num 16:42 MKJV And it happened when the congregation was gathered together against Moses and against Aaron, they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation. And behold! The cloud covered it, and the glory of Jehovah appeared.
Num 16:43 MKJV And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 16:44 MKJV And Jehovah spoke to Moses saying,
Num 16:45 MKJV Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
Num 16:46 MKJV And Moses said to Aaron, Take a fire-pan, and put fire in it from the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly to the congregation and make an atonement for them. For wrath has gone out from Jehovah. The plague has begun.
Num 16:47 MKJV And Aaron did as Moses commanded and ran into the midst of the congregation. And behold! The plague had begun among the people. And he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
Num 16:48 MKJV And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed.
Num 16:49 MKJV And those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand, seven hundred, besides the ones who died about the matter of Korah.
Num 16:50 MKJV And Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the plague was stayed.

It was not enough for the people to live their lives according to the Torah that was given to them. The sacrifices were given only to the descendants of Aaron to do, and the rest of the tribes were not burdened with it. But they rebelled against Moses, which mean that they rebelled against Yahweh. And when Yahweh killed those who insisted to do the burning of incense, the people still murmured against Moses and even blamed him for the death of their leaders which they chose, calling themselves Yahweh’ chosen people.

 

The principle that we learn from the story of Korah is that only those of the Aaronic Priesthood are Holy and set-apart to do sacrifices and burn Incense to Yahweh. If anyone, back then and even to today, burn incense to Yahweh or do an animal sacrifice to Yahweh, and this person doing so is not a chosen Priest of the line of the descendants of Aaron, he is guilty of walking in the rebellion of Korah. Being of the descendants of Levy is not enough, for Korah was a Levite and He was rejected and killed by Yahweh for his arrogance.

Jer 7:21 MKJV So says Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: Put your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat flesh.
Jer 7:22 MKJV For I did not speak to your fathers, nor command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices.
Jer 7:23 MKJV But I commanded them this thing, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people; and walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, so that it may be well with you.
Jer 7:24 MKJV But they did not listen, nor bow their ear, but walked in their own plans, in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward.

Hos 6:6-7 MKJV For I desired mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But, like Adam, they have broken the covenant. They have acted like traitors against Me there.

It is not about the sacrifices or even the burning of incense, it is about doing what Yahweh said. Korah refused to do what Yahweh said, and did not listen to the instructions that Moses gave. Again, during our story of Jeremiah, the Kings of Judah will not listen to what Yahweh’s instruction were through the mouth of Jeremiah.

 

In Numbers 17 we will read that Yahweh gave evidence to the 12 Tribes that only the Tribe of Levy, under the head of Aaron was chosen by Him. Let’s go read it.

 

Aaron’s Staff Buds

Num 17:1 MKJV And Jehovah spoke to Moses saying,
Num 17:2 MKJV Speak to the sons of Israel, and take a rod from each of them for a father’s house, of all their rulers, for their fathers’ house, twelve rods. Write every man’s name upon his rod.
Num 17:3 MKJV And you shall write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi. For one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.
Num 17:4 MKJV And you shall lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
Num 17:5 MKJV And it shall be, the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall blossom. And I will make to cease from Me the murmurings of the sons of Israel by which they murmur against you.
Num 17:6 MKJV And Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, and all their rulers gave to him a rod, for each ruler, one rod for each ruler, for their father’s house, twelve rods. And the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
Num 17:7 MKJV And Moses laid up the rods before Jehovah in the tabernacle of witness.
Num 17:8 MKJV And it happened on the next day Moses went into the tabernacle of witness. And behold! The rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had budded and had brought forth buds, and had bloomed blossoms, and had yielded almonds.
Num 17:9 MKJV And Moses brought out all the rods from before Jehovah to all the sons of Israel. And they looked, and each one took his rod.
Num 17:10 MKJV And Jehovah said to Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept as a token against the rebels. And you shall completely take away their murmurings from Me so that they do not die.
Num 17:11 MKJV And Moses did as Jehovah commanded him, so he did.
Num 17:12 MKJV And the sons of Israel spoke to Moses saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.
Num 17:13 MKJV Whoever comes near the tabernacle of Jehovah shall die. Shall we be consumed to die?

Yahweh gave Jeremiah a vision of a rod of an almond tree.

Jer 1:11 Moreover the word of YHVH came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? And I said, Master I see a branch of an almond tree.

Jeremiah was a Levite from the line of Aaron, and the vision that he received was that He had the authority of a chosen High-Priest. This also tell us that Jeremiah’s Father was the correct Priest chosen to be the High Priest to the Temple that Josiah was going to repair.

The number one purpose of the High-Priest was to guid the people and even the King in keeping the commandments of the Torah. But Yahweh chose Jeremiah as a prophet, meaning that he would function outside the Temple, bringing the message of Yahweh to the people of the nations, calling them to repentance or giving them message of destruction.

 

Lead out

Let’s read the opening scriptures of 2nd Kings,2nd Chronicles and Jeremiah again, just so that we can get back on track of our story.

2Kings – Chapter 22
Josiah Reigns in Judah
1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Botscath.
2 And he did that which was right in the sight of YHVH, and had his walk in all the ways of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand, or to the left.

2Chronicles – Chapter 34
Josiah Reigns in Judah
3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the Elohim of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the idol temples, and the Asherahs, and the carved images, and the molten images.
4 And they broke down the altars of Ba’al in his presence; and the images, that were high above them, he cut down; and the Asherahs, and the carved images, and the molten images, he broke in pieces, and made dust of them, and scattered it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed to them.
5 And he burned the bones of their priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
6 And so he also did in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even to Naphtali, with their ruins all around.
7 And when he had broken down the altars and the Asherahs, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

Jeremiah – Chapter 1
1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the Priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benyamin:

4 Then the word of YHVH came to me, saying,
5 Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I set you apart, and I ordained you as a Prophet to the nations.
6 Then I said, Alas, Master YHVH! See, I cannot speak: for I am only a child.
7 But YHVH said to me, Do not say, I am a child: for you shall go to all that I shall send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with you to deliver you, says YHVH.
9 Then YHVH put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And YHVH said to me, See, I have put My words in your mouth.
10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
11 Moreover the word of YHVH came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? And I said, Master I see a branch of an almond tree.
12 Then said YHVH to me, You have seen well: for I will hasten My word to perform it.

17 You therefore dress up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command you: be not broken at their faces, lest I break you before them.
18 For, see, I have made you this day like a walled city, and an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land, against the Kings of Judah, against its leaders, against its Priests, and against the people of the land.
19 And they shall fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you, says YHVH, to deliver you.

 

In this study I explained the 5 different Kings that we will encounter during our reading of the book of Jeremiah.

Josiah was 8 years old when he started to reign. At the age of 16, he began to seek after Yahweh and at the age of 20 he travelled through all the lands and cities of Israel and destroyed the Idol Temples, Asherah poles and Ba’al altars that he could find.

And when Josiah reached the age of 21, Yahweh commissioned Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations and he gave him 2 visions of which the 1st one was a branch of an almond tree. Aaron’s staff was a rod of an Almond tree that blossomed and grew almonds as a sign to the 12 Tribes that Yahweh chose the family of Levy with Aaron as its head to lead in the matters of the Tabernacle. This also indicates that Jeremiah qualified to be the next High Priest, but Yahweh chose him to rather be a prophet instead.

Let’s end this study by reading Malachi chapter 3 as a memorial to the Levites, the Rebellion of Korah and to Jeremiah who, rather than becoming a High-Priest, became a prophet who brough the message of destruction, repentance and restoration to Israel and the Nations.

 

The Messenger of the Lord

Mal 2:17 MKJV You have wearied Jehovah with your words. Yet you say, In what have we wearied Him? When you say, Every evildoer is good in the eyes of Jehovah, and He delights in them; or, Where is the God of justice?
Mal 3:1 MKJV Behold, I will send My messenger, and He will clear the way before Me. And Jehovah, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Angel of the Covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He comes, says Jehovah of Hosts.
Mal 3:2 MKJV But who can endure the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap.
Mal 3:3 MKJV And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. And He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may be offerers of a food offering in righteousness to Jehovah.
Mal 3:4 MKJV Then the food offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasing to Jehovah, as in the days of old and as in former years.

Mal 3:5 MKJV And I will come near you to judgment. And I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those who extort from the hired laborer’s wages, and turning away the widow, and the orphan, the alien, and not fearing Me, says Jehovah of Hosts.

Join us next week as we continue in our study of Jeremiah and the last Kings of Israel. Shalom.

 

Kimberly Rogers-Brown has been teaching Torah and special Bible topics since 2008. She is also the author and publisher of Beast Watch News dot com and is heard internationally via two radio programs on Hebrew Nation Radio. Kimberly now lives in Aqaba, Jordan close to the Exodus wilderness area where the Bride (i.e. "the woman" of Revelation 12:6) will flee for 1260 days of the Great Tribulation.