And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of their's, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.

So they gat up from the tabernacle 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 little children.

And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me. But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.

And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.

And there came out à fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Eleazar the son of

Aaron the priest; that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed. The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed : and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.

But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.

And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses, and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.

And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them. as in a moment. And they fell upon

their faces.

And Moses said unto Aaron, take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people and he

put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven

hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.

And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

Question. What was the sin of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram ?

Answer.-They persuaded a number of the leading men of Israel that Moses and Aaron claimed too much authority, and that all the people were as holy as they were, especially the Levites, who had been chosen to carry the ark and serve in the tabernacle. It seems strange that, having so frequently seen the power of the Lord exerted to support the authority of Moses and Aaron, Korah and the others could have doubted that they were specially chosen; but the people were rebellious in their hearts, and soon forgot how greatly they had sinned, and how the Lord had shown His displeasure. Q.-When Dathan and Abiram refused to obey

Moses, and reproached him with not having led them into the land "flowing with milk and honey," what did they mean by saying, "Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men ?"

A.-They did not mean that Moses intended to destroy their sight. The expression is figurative, meaning, "prevent them seeing that you have not kept your promise."

Q.-Why were the people told to keep away from the tabernacle, or tent, of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram?

A.-It was the intention of the Lord to make a terrible example of those who had sinned, and the others were warned to keep at a distance, so that they should be uninjured.

Q-Why did Dathan and Abiram, with their families, stand" in the door of their tents?"

A.-In defiance of Moses they audaciously wished to show to their followers that they did not believe Moses had the power to punish them, but was only endeavouring to frighten them with threats.

Q.-What other proof was there on that occasion that the Lord had chosen Moses and Aaron as prophet and high priest?

A.-Aaron, in the discharge of his office, and by command of Moses, made an atonement for the people, and the plague was stayed, showing that he acted according to the will of the Lord.

A

ND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.

And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall

choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.

And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.

And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was

budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.

And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.

And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.

And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congre

gation. Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! and why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle I should die there? and wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this

rock? and Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travel that hath befallen us : how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers: and when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:

Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.

And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.

And the children of Israel said unto

him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet.

And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor: and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.

And Moses did as the LORD commanded; and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.

And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

Question.-In what manner did the Lord show to the people that he had chosen Aaron and his sons to minister in the tabernacle ?

Answer.-By making the rod of Aaron to bear buds, blossoms, and almonds, while the other rods remained as they were before.

Q.-It is stated that the children of Israel came into the desert in the "first month." When was that?

A. The first month of the fortieth year after the departure from Egypt.

Q.-In what manner did Moses and Aaron displease the Lord when the people complained of the want of water?

A.-Moses was commanded to take the rod "from before the Lord," from the tabernacle where it was kept, and then, having the rod as a sign of his authority, to speak to the rock, and water would come forth. The Lord will be obeyed exactly, and does His wonderful works in His own way. Moses (and Aaron was with him) took the rod, which was, no doubt, the same which he had when he divided the waters of the Red Sea, and brought water from the rock in Horeb; and thinking that he had only to act as he had done before, struck the rock twice, instead of only speaking to it, as the Lord had commanded. He also spoke unkindly to the people, calling them rebels, and assumed to himself and Aaron the power of being able to relieve their wants, saying, "Must we fetch you water out of this rock?" For this act of disobedience, and taking to themselves the glory which rightly belonged to the Lord, not "sanctifying him in the eyes of the children of Israel," Moses and Aaron were punished, being told that they should not live to lead the people into the Promised Land.

Q.-Did the sin of Moses and Aaron prevent the Lord showing His goodness to the people?

A.-No. The water came, and they drank, "and their beasts also."

Q. What is the meaning of the name Meribah?
A.-"Strife." It is explained that the name was given to

this place because the children of Israel strove with the
Lord, and He was sanctified in them, meaning that they
complained of His providence, and were shown His

power.

Q-Why did Moses, in his message to the King of
Edom, say, "Thus saith thy brother Israel?"
A.-The Edomites were descendants of Esau, Jacob's
brother.

Q.-Moses said of the Lord, "He heard our voice and sent an angel." What are we to understand by this?

A.-The expression is supposed to signify that the Lord had led them by His power, which we know was the case, for the people were guided by the cloud and the pillar of fire.

AND when king Arad the Canaanite,

which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners.

And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.

And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.

And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because

of the way. And the people spake

against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for

there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.