Haftarah Korach

Haftarah Korach

First Samuel 11:14-12:22

1Sa 11:14  Then said Shemu’el to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.

1Sa 11:15  All the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Sha’ul king before YHWH in Gilgal; and there they offered sacrifices of shalom offerings before YHWH; and there Sha’ul and all the men of Yisra’el rejoiced greatly.

1Sa 12:1 Shemu’el said to all Yisra’el, Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.

1Sa 12:2  Now, behold, the king walks before you; and I am old and gray-headed; and behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my youth to this day.

1Sa 12:3  Here I am: witness against me before YHWH, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose donkey have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind my eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

1Sa 12:4  They said, You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything of any man’s hand.

1Sa 12:5  He said to them, YHWH is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. They said, He is witness.

As Moses mentioned in the Torah Portion, he did not take anyone’s donkey.  In other words, he asked no one in the congregation for any money or household goods or any gift of any kind.  Doing so would imply undue influence for the wealthy or those with high social standing, because they have far more to tithe than an ordinary person.

Samuel, continued:

1Sa 12:6  Shemu’el said to the people, It is YHWH who appointed Moshe and Aharon, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

1Sa 12:7  Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before YHWH concerning all the righteous acts of YHWH, which he did to you and to your fathers.

1Sa 12:8  When Ya`akov was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to YHWH, then YHWH sent Moshe and Aharon, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place.

1Sa 12:9  But they forgot YHWH their Elohim; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Chatzor, and into the hand of the Pelishtim, and into the hand of the king of Mo’av; and they fought against them.

1Sa 12:10  They cried to YHWH, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken YHWH, and have served the Ba`alim and the `Ashtarot: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.

1Sa 12:11  YHWH sent Yerubba`al, and Bedan, and Yiftach, and Shemu’el, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety.

1Sa 12:12  When you saw that Nachash the king of the children of `Ammon came against you, you said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us; when YHWH your Elohim was your king.

1Sa 12:13  Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen, and whom you have asked for: and behold, YHWH has set a king over you.

1Sa 12:14  If you will fear YHWH, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not rebel against the mitzvah of YHWH, and both you and also the king who reigns over you are followers of YHWH your Elohim, [well]:

1Sa 12:15  but if you will not listen to the voice of YHWH, but rebel against the mitzvah of YHWH, then will the hand of YHWH be against you, as it was against your fathers.

1Sa 12:16  Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which YHWH will do before your eyes.

1Sa 12:17  Isn’t it wheat harvest today? I will call to YHWH, that he may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of YHWH, in asking you a king.

1Sa 12:18  So Shemu’el called to YHWH; and YHWH sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared YHWH and Shemu’el.

Rain, of course, ruins standing wheat sheaves.  People who live in rural areas know that often the fire department has to be called out when damp bales of hay or straw spontaneously combust, also, catching stacks of bales or sometimes entire fields on fire.

Samuel, continued:

1Sa 12:19  All the people said to Shemu’el, Pray for your servants to YHWH your Elohim, that we not die; for we have added to all our sins [this] evil, to ask us a king.

1Sa 12:20  Shemu’el said to the people, “Don’t be afraid; you have indeed done all this evil; yet don’t turn aside from following YHWH, but serve YHWH with all your heart:

1Sa 12:21  and don’t turn aside; for [then would you go] after vain things which can’t profit nor deliver, for they are vain.

1Sa 12:22  For YHWH will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased YHWH to make you a people to himself.

Recall:

Mat 26:21  As they were eating, he said, “Most certainly I tell you that one of you will betray me.”   Mat 26:22  They were exceedingly sorrowful, and each began to ask him, “It isn’t me, is it, Adonai?”   Mat 26:23  He answered, “He who dipped his hand with me in the dish, the same will betray me.   Mat 26:24 The Son of Man goes, even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”

There are certain events which are destined to happen in the world, events leading up to the Grand Finale of Elohim’s prophetic plan.  But we have free will, and we choose what part we will play in the plan.  If these people had not asked for a king, a later generation would have.  But they are still guilty for the sins they willfully committed by rejecting Elohim and his High Priest from ruling over them directly.  We today would do well to remember these passages, because even though the culture all around us is evil, and we are often put in a position where we believe we have to do things forbidden in scripture, such as taking out a loan with interest, in truth we are choosing to be disobedient and there are always other alternatives.  We may not be happy with the other choices, such as never being able to save up enough to own property, but the choices are there.  We take them or leave them, and will be held accountable for what we have done.

Next:  Talmidim Korach