NUMBERS CHAPTER 13 ~ 18

WEEK 37 NUMBERS 13

1 And YHWH spoke to Moses, and said
2 "Send men to spy out the land's spread
Of Canaan, which I'm giving to
The children of Israel, on cue
From each tribe of their fathers you
Shall send a man, each one a leader
Among them, of My word a heeder."
3 And Moses sent them as requested
From desert of Paran, where rested,
According to command of YHWH,
All of them men who were heads true
Of the children of Israel.
4 Now these were their names known full well:
From the tribe of Reuben, Shammua
The son of Zaccur, 5 and not fewer,
From the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat
The son of Hori, 6 and from that
Tribe of Judah, Caleb the son
Of Jephunneh, 7 and from the won
Tribe of Issachar, Igal son
Of Joseph, 8 from the tribe well done
Of Ephraim, Hoshea son
Of Nun, 9 from tribe of Benjamin,
Palti the son of Raphu, 10 from
The tribe of Zebulon, had come
Gaddiel son of Sodi, 11 from
The tribe of Joseph, that is, from
The tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi
The son of Susi, 12 and from by
The tribe of Dan, Ammiel son
Of Gemalli, 13 from the tribe of
Asher, Sethur who's the son of
Michael, 14 from tribe of Naphtali,
Nahbi who's the son of Vophsi,
15 From the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son
Of Machi. 16 These are the names done
Of men whom Moses sent to spy
Out the land. Moses called Hoshea
Son of Nun, Joshua, obeyer.

If Moses had called others of these men
By such pregnant names, things might have gone then
Another course. For YHWH will save's a name
To guide to faith and trust, though not enflame.
No doubt the new name for Hoshea made
His heart on fire, no less, to make the grade
Believe that You were always there to save.
But what about Gaddi and Gemalli,
They had to watch the grand events pass by
Without encouragement of new names and
New hopes of coming to the promised land.
Beloved, call me by any name of slave
And I shall be like Joshua the brave,
And not come down at last to Sethur's grave.

17 Then Moses sent them to spy out
The land of Canaan without doubt,
And said to them, "Go up this way
Into the south, follow the way
Up to the mountains, 18 "and see what
The land is like: whether the rut
Of folk who live in it are strong
Or weak, few or many along,
19 "Whether the land they live in's good
Or bad, whether the cities' hood
They inhabit is like camps or
Strongholds, 20 "if the land's rich or poor,
And whether there are forests there
Or not. Be of good courage, fair.
And bring some of fruit of the land."
And the time was the season stand
Of first ripe grapes to take in hand.

If Moses knew by Joshua's name that
You would save the folk wherever they sat,
Then why did he need detailed spying on
The strength and number of the foe at dawn?
Or was it that the first ripe grapes contrived
To tempt his tongue before he had arrived
From desert manna to the fruited plain?
If none had gone to spy, I'd see the gain.
If the twelve had refused to take the trip
As too hard on their feet, I think the slip
Might have been well forgiven. Let me bear
No burdens other than must meet the air,
And You will find me, my Beloved, about
The business of Your calling and Your shout.

21 So they went up and spied the land
From Wilderness of Zin's command
As far as Rehob, near entrance
Of Hamath, they spied at a glance.
22 They went up through the south and came
To Hebron, Ahiman, Sheshai,
And Talmai, sons of Anak's fame
Were there. Now Hebron was built by
Seven years before Zoan in Egypt.
23 Then they came in the valley crypt
Of Eshcol, and there cut a branch
With one cluster of grapes on ranch,
They carried it between two men
On a pole, also brought again
Some of the pomegranates and figs.
24 The place was called among the rigs
The Valley of Eshcol, because
Of the cluster which the men's claws
Of Israel cut down there. 25 And they
Returned from spying out the lay
Of the land after forty day.

I'd think a cluster of grapes such as that
Would be missed by both guard dog and house cat.
A spy should be less noticeable, no?
But these men were for forty day not slow
To gaze upon the promised and to go
From south to north to find both sun and snow.
I too for forty days lift up my eyes
On high to look and find Your paradise,
And as I see the light of verdure here
Among the pines and firs methinks appear
The gleams of Eshcol's grapes, both ripe and sweet.
I take one grape, a single grape for treat,
And cut the fruit in forty pieces till
My comrades feast on them and get their fill.

26 And they departed and came back
To Moses and Aaron in track
And all the congregation of
The children of Israel above
In Wilderness of Paran, at
Kadesh, they brought to them that sat
Back word and to all the assembly,
And showed them the land's fruit, all trembly.
27 Then they told him, and said "We went
To the land into which you sent
Us. It truly flows with milk and
Honey, and this is its fruit canned.
28 "Nevertheless the people who
Live in the land are strong, it's true,
The cities are fortified and
Very large, moreover we saw
The sons of Anak and their maw.
29 "Amalekites live in the land
Of the south, the Hittites, and band
Of Jebusites, and Amorites
Live in the mountains, Canaanites
Live by the sea and on the banks
Of the Jordan and in their ranks."
30 Then Caleb quieted the folk
Before Moses, and said "By smoke,
Let us go up at once and take
Possession, for we have the stake
To overcome it." 31 But the men
Who had gone up with him again
Said "We are not able to go
Up against the people, for show
They are stronger than we." 32 And they
Gave the folk of Israel to say
A bad report of the land which
They had spied out, and in a pitch
They said "The land through which we've gone
As spies is a land that its spawn
Devours, and all the folk whom we
Saw in it are men of degree.
33 "There we saw the giants, the sons
Of Anak came from giants' buns,
And we were like grasshoppers in
Our own eyes, and so we were in
Their sight from tower and gate and bin."

Ah, there's excuse for faith and failure of
Both Joshua and the ten out of love.
But Caleb, lovely Caleb, had no name
New with hope, yet he rose to make the claim
That forty dancing through a paradise
Could lay hold on Your strength and so dance twice.
There's nothing of reward, promise or hope
To bind Caleb with an ecstatic rope.
He reaches up and out of law's thin air
Grasps what no other man or dance could share.
Beloved, like Caleb let me too go free
To whirl about grapes of eternity,
And then return and despise all the fears
That shade and veil the dance of forty years.

NUMBERS 14

1 All the assembly lifted up
Their voices and cried in their cup,
And the people wept all that night.
2 And all of Israel's folk in sight
Complained against Moses and Aaron,
And the whole congregation barren
Said to them, "If only we'd died
In the land of Egypt!" They sighed,
"Or if only in wilderness
We'd kicked the bucket before this!
3 "Why has YHWH brought us to this land
To fall by sword in our foes' hand,
That our wives and children should be
Victims? Would it not better be
For us to return to Egypt?"
4 They said to each other tight-lipped,
"Let's take a guide back to Egypt."

Slavery's so sweet, so sweet to look back on,
A time when no choices greeted the dawn
And no regrets for failures met the night.
A sore back and the lash rather than bite
Of conscience and duty a man can bear.
How many turn back to Egyptian care!
The comfort of unthinking labour and
Rewards is tempting in most every land.
But only in Sinai's desert can be
A man or woman once her own and free.
Beloved, give me no plot along the Nile
To be a mummy for eternal while,
I'd rather for a moment shake beneath
Your speech that echoes on a barren heath.

5 And then Moses and Aaron fell
On their faces before the hell
Of the assembly of the folk
Of the children of Israel.
6 But Joshua son of Nun, good bloke,
And Caleb son of Jephunneh,
Among those who had spied the way
Of the land, tore their clothes, 7 and they
Spoke to all the assembly of
Israel's folk, saying "Land of love
We passed through to spy out is good
As any land can be or could.
8 "If YHWH delights in us, then He
Will bring us into this land free
And give it to us, 'a land which
Flows with milk and honey like pitch.'
9 "Only don't rebel against YHWH,
Nor fear the folk of the land's due,
For they're our bread, their protection
Is departed from them and done,
And YHWH is with us. Do not fear."
10 And all the congregation sheer
Said to stone them with stones. Then YHWH's
Glory appeared before the mews
Of meeting tent before the swell
Of the children of Israel.

I might go up into the pulpit dressed
In torn clothes instead of my silken best.
I might tell everyone I think they're wrong
To reject Decalogue for other song.
I might preach up the glories I have seen
Of Canaan as I mumble on the green
And whirl to the sound of Your word supreme,
And cry aloud that haven's not a dream.
I might rend coat and veils and show the true
And lovely courts of dervish dance and do.
But when, Beloved, the people stand to stone
Me while we scatter here before Your throne,
Will You appear in glory seen to save,
Or will You let them send me to the grave?

11 Then YHWH said to Moses, "How long
Will these people reject My song?
How long will they not believe Me,
With all the signs which I've made see
Among them? 12 "I will strike them by
Plague and disinherit their pie,
And I will make of you a nation
Greater and stronger than their ration."
13 And then Moses said unto YHWH,
"The Egyptians will hear it too,
For by Your mighty arm have You
Brought these people up from among
Them, 14 "and they will tell it unstrung
Unto the dwellers of this land.
They have heard that You, YHWH, will stand
Among these people, that You, YHWH,
Are seen face to face and Your cloud
Stands above them, and You in shroud
Of cloud pillar go on in might
By day and one of fire by night.
15 "Now if You kill these people as
One man, then each nation that has
Heard of Your fame will speak, and say
16 'Because YHWH was not in His way
Able to bring this people to
The land which He swore to give to
Them, therefore He killed them along
In the desert.' 17 "And now, I pray,
Let the power of my Lord in song
Be great, just as You've spoken, saying
18 'YHWH's longsuffering and not gainsaying
His mercy, and iniquity
And transgression forgiving free,
But He by no means clears guilty,
Visiting the iniquity
Of fathers on the children to
The third and fourth that come to do.'
19 "Pardon this folk's iniquity,
I pray, according to the greatness
Of Your mercy, as not in lateness
You have forgiven anyhow
This folk from Egypt until now."

The argument that Moses uses is
Unutterably low, flat, without fizz.
He thinks that You will change Your mind because
Some folk might misinterpret what Your paws
Are capable or not of doing right.
He says they'll say that You're afraid to fight.
Before I look in contempt on his word
Coming after his heart and bone were stirred
By Sinai's thunders, let me contemplate
My own lack of faith even in this state
Of having heard the same song sung to me
As once echoed from Sinai's bush and tree.
Beloved, the weakness of the flesh remains
As long as You set I-ness in men's brains.

20 Then YHWH said "I have pardoned by
Your word, 21 "but truly, and as I
Live, all the earth shall be filled by
The glory of YHWH by and by,
22 "Because all these men who have seen
My glory and the signs between
Which I did in Egypt and in
The wilderness, despite their sin,
And have put Me to the test now
These ten times running anyhow,
And have not listened to My voice,
23 "They certainly shall not by choice
See the land of which I swore to
Their fathers, nor shall any do
Of those who rejected Me see it.
24 "But My servant Caleb shall be it,
Because he has a different spirit
In him and has followed or near it
Me fully, I will bring into
The land where he went, and his due
Descendants shall inherit it.
25 "But Amalekites and the fit
Of Canaanites live in the vale,
Tomorrow move out and turn tail
Into the wilderness by way
Of the Red Sea, is what I say."
26 And YHWH spoke to Moses and Aaron,
Saying 27 "How long then shall I bear on
With this evil congregation
Who complain against Me when done?
I have heard the complaints which make
The folk of Israel for My sake.

You say that You have pardoned, yet the death
You threaten is but postponed for the breath
Of forty years. The argument remains
That You did not bring them into the plains
Of Palestine, but let the people park
Under the desert stars and in the dark.
You did not quash at all the cunning fears
Of Moses that Your strength melted in tears.
The people still said You could not and still
After the pardon You punished the hill.
Beloved, I flee to hearing of Your word
Despite my trembling at Sinai's cloud spurred.
Let my complaint be rather that Your voice
Is smaller than my seeking and my choice.

28 "Say to them, 'As I live' says YHWH,
'Just as you've spoken, so I'll do:
29 'The carcasses of those of you
Who've complained against Me shall fall
In this wilderness, of you all
Who were numbered, according to
Your whole number, from twenty years
Old and above. 30 'Except for tears
Caleb the son of Jephunneh
And Joshua the son of Nun,
You shall by no means go the way
To enter the land under sun
Which I swore I'd make you live in.
31 'But your little ones, whom in sin
You said would be victims, I'll bring
In, and they'll know the land on wing
Which you've despised. 32 'But as for you,
Your carcasses shall fall in due
Time in this wilderness. 33 'And your
Sons shall be shepherds here before
The wilderness for forty years,
And bear the brunt of all your fears
And infidelity, until
Your carcasses fall to fulfil,
Consumed upon the desert hill.
34 'According to the number of
The days in which you spied for love
The land, for forty days, for each
Day you shall bear your guilt one year,
That's forty years, and you shall hear
My rejection. 35 'I YHWH have spoken
This, I will surely make this token
To all this evil congregation
Who are gathered in conflagration
Together against Me. In this
Desert they'll be consumed amiss,
And there they'll die in the abyss.'"

Let no complaint now pass my lips, though I
Whirl in the desert and beneath the sky
For forty years of heat and frost and thirst:
Let no complaint from my parched borders burst.
Beloved, the shaggy moon that wears away
Returns in a fortnight and to the day,
And so my breath that hovers on the gloom
Inspires anew my inner chambered room.
Beloved, the circuit of the risen sun
Look back upon my prayer prostrations done,
The wind that in the heavy darkness sweeps
Dies in the glow my faithful vigil keeps.
The generations turning bear my dust
To patience as long as the turning must.

36 And the men whom Moses sent to
Spy out the land, who returned to
Make all the assembly complain
Against him by bringing a bad
Report of the land which he had,
37 Those men who brought the bad report
About the land, all died athwart
The plague before YHWH, to be short.
38 But Joshua the son of Nun
And Caleb who's Jephunneh's son
Remained alive, of the men who
Went to spy out the land, so few.
39 Then Moses told these words to all
The children of Israel's call,
And the people mourned greatly, too.
40 And they rose early in the morn
And went up to the top with scorn
Of the mountain, saying "Here we
Are, and we will go up to see
The place which YHWH has promised, for
We have sinned, what we did before!"
41 And Moses said "Now why do you
Transgress again command of YHWH?
For this will not succeed. 42 "Do not
Go up, lest you're in defeat taught
By enemies, for YHWH is not
Among you. 43 "For Amalekites
And Canaanites are there before you,
And you shall fall and the sword score you,
Because you've turned away from YHWH,
YHWH will no longer be with you."
44 But they presumed to go up to
The mountaintop, nevertheless,
Neither the ark of covenant
Of YHWH nor Moses went to bless
Departing from the camp's address.
45 Then came down the Amalekites
And with them came the Canaanites
Who lived in the mount to attack,
As far as Hormah drove them back.

Three things were lacking from the brave who went
To take the land that You had only lent
To Canaanite. Not lacking were the heart,
Sincerity, courage to act the part,
Or even sentiments of love to You.
Their faith was strong in what they had to do.
There only lacked three things, the first was that
They failed in their obeying pitapat,
They lacked the presence of the one You sent
As prophet and divine guide where they went,
And last they lacked ark of the covenant
Containing the tables of divine law,
The ten words writ on stone by no man's claw.
Beloved, I flee to these three in my awe.

NUMBERS 15

1 And YHWH spoke to Moses, and said
2 "Speak to the folk of Israel spread,
And say to them, 'When you have come
Into your land or dwellingdom,
Which I am giving you, 3 'and you
Make an offering by fire to YHWH,
A burnt offering or sacrifice,
To fulfil a vow or bespice
A freewill offering or in your
Appointed feasts, to make it for
A sweet scent to YHWH, from the herd
Or the flock, 4 'then he who is heard
To present his offering to YHWH
Shall bring a grain offering in due
Of one-tenth of an ephah of
Fine flour mixed with one-fourth above
Of a hin of oil, 5 'and one-fourth
Of a hin of grape juice poured forth
As a drink offering you shall make
Ready with burnt offering for sake
Of sacrifice, and for each lamb.
6 'Or you shall prepare for a ram
As a grain offering two-tenths of
An ephah of fine flour to shove
And mix with one-third of a hin
Of oil, 7 'and as drink offering bin
You shall offer one-third of hin
Of grape juice as sweet scent to YHWH.
8 'And when you prepare once to do
A young bull as a burnt offering,
Or as a sacrifice to sing
Fulfilment of a vow, or as
A peace offering to what YHWH has,
9 'Then shall be offered with the young
Bull a grain offering unsung
Of three-tenths of an ephah of
Fine flour mixed with half a hin of
Oil, 10 'and you shall bring as the drink
Offering half a hin of grape pink
As an offering made by fire, sweet
Aroma to YHWH at His feet.

The olive oil and flour with grape juice are
Enough to keep hunger away from bar.
Make peace for me, Beloved, and feed my soul
With such sweet things that are the offering's goal.
The boiling and the roasting meat's a treat
Of things in luxury I need not eat
Except by Your command, Beloved of all,
And in prostration to the favoured call.
An offering made by fire in a sweet scent
Is what I bring to dergah of desire,
And on the slaughtering floor my footsteps went
Softly like goat footsteps into the fire.
Beloved, I welcome all the sacrifice
That scatters on the fragrant earth in trice.

11 'Thus it shall be done for each young
Bull, also for each ram, or tongue
Of lamb or young goat. 12 'According
To the number that you would bring,
So you shall do with everyone
According to their number done.
13 'All who are native-born shall do
These things in this manner, for to
Present an offering made by fire,
A sweet aroma for YHWH's choir.
14 'And if a stranger dwells with you,
Or whoever's among you through
Out your generations, and would
Present an offering made by wood
Fire, a sweet aroma to YHWH,
Just as you do, so shall he do.
15 'One ordinance shall be for you
Of the assembly and unto
The stranger who dwells there with you,
An ordinance forever through
Out your generations, as you
Are, so shall the stranger be too
Before YHWH. 16 'One law and one way
Shall be for you and for the stray
Stranger who dwells with you.'" 17 Again
YHWH spoke to Moses, saying then,
18 "Speak to the children of Israel,
And say to them 'When you come dwell
In the land to which I bring you,
19 'Then it will be, and when you do
Eat of the bread of the land, that
You shall offer up where you sat
A heave offering to YHWH. 20 'You shall
Offer up cake angelical
And of the first of your ground meal
As a heave offering, as a seal
Heave offering of the threshing floor,
So shall you offer up the store.
21 'Of the first of your ground meal you
Shall give a heave offering to YHWH,
Offering your generations through.

As far as I know I'm not of descent
Of any of the Jewish tribes that went
Across the desert to find sacrifice.
But You say my desires alone suffice.
I eagerly like Isaac once ascend
The stony altar, take the lash and bend
My body and my soul upon the staves
Of fragrance wood and wait the pounding waves
Of the knife blade. Instead of running blood
I hear Your voice penetrating the flood
To resurrect me to live on the floor
Of this world's dergah, whirling on the shore.
Beloved, if tidal wave of love repeat,
I shall rush forward and never retreat.

22 'If you sin not by intention,
And do not observe all this run
Of commandments which YHWH has spoken
To Moses, 23 'all that YHWH in token
Has commanded you by the hand
Of Moses, from the day's command
By YHWH and onward throughout your
Generations, 24 'then as before
It will be, if it is not done
On purpose, without benison
Of the assembly, that the whole
Congregation shall then enrol
To offer one young bull as burnt
Offering, as sweet aroma earnt
For YHWH, with its grain offering and
Its drink offering by the command,
And one kid of the goats as sin
Offering. 25 'So the priest shall do in
Atonement for the whole crowd of
The children of Israel for love,
And it shall be forgiven them,
For it was not by stratagem,
They shall bring their offering to be
An offering made by fire freely
To YHWH, and their sin offering be-
Fore YHWH, for unintended sin.
26 'It shall be forgiven then in
The whole assembly of the folk
Of Israel and the stranger bloke
Who dwells among them, because all
The people did it not with gall.
27 'And if a person sins on purpose,
Then he shall bring not to usurp us
A female goat in its first year
As a sin offering to appear.
28 'So the priest shall make atonement
For the person who has not meant
To sin, when he sins not on purpose
Before YHWH, and not to extirp us,
But make atonement for him, and
It shall be forgiven in hand.

What grace You here provide, Beloved, for those
Who purposefully turn aside and close
Their eyes to Your reality, impose
Upon the soul destructive ways and woes.
Who sins on purpose just as one who fails
Without intention to rend the dark veils
Has sacrifice accepted when he comes
To his repentance and to count his sums.
Beloved, I know not which of sacrifice
I ought to bind, from which to take a slice,
For, though the veils that hide Your face now part,
And I see all the treasures of Your heart,
My own intentions still remain obscured.
I turn relying on Your blessèd Word.

29 'You shall have one law for him who
Sins without intention, it's true
For him who is native-born too
Among the children of Israel
And for the stranger who might dwell
Among them in town, plain or fell.
30 'But the person who does a thing
Presumptuously in the ring,
Whether he's native-born or stranger,
That one brings on reproach from danger
On YHWH, and he shall be cut off
From among his people to scoff.
31 'Because he has despised the word
Of YHWH, and also has preferred
To break His commandment, that one
Shall be completely cut off son,
His guilt shall be upon his bun.'"

I praised Your name the stranger has the right
And privilege of offering in Your sight.
But privilege entails assuming too
Obedience to commandments right and true.
Of course there is sweet Christian who would do
With sacrifice of Christ to let him off
Obedience to blaspheme and to scoff
With trinities and eating the unclean
Which must be all right when with thankful mien
A body shoves pork in the man machine.
Beloved, let me not take the one and leave
The other, but be careful to receive
Both sacrifice and obeying command
And so live as stranger in promised land.

32 And while the folk of Israel were
In the desert, it did occur
They found a man who gathered sticks
Upon the Sabbath day for tricks.
33 And those who found him gathering sticks
Brought him to Moses and Aaron,
And to every assembly's son.
34 They put him under guard, because
It had not been explained in laws
What should be done to him. 35 Then YHWH
Said to Moses, "The man is due
Surely to be put to his death,
All the assembly shall stone him
With stones outside the camp, how grim."
36 So, as YHWH commanded Moses,
The congregation came to this
And brought him outside the camp and
Stoned him with stones by human hand,
And so he died by God's command.

The preachers preach that faith is not the law,
And none need stand before Your throne in awe,
But rather be victorious and scream
Pop hymns instead of obeying Your dream.
They preach aloud Your law cannot be kept
By human hand no matter how one wept.
If I follow the crowd of Baal and priest,
And church and mosque and New Age crumble beast,
I must accept that I cannot nor need
To obey You instead of recite creed.
And here's a man who proves the point they make,
A man who died a martyr for truth's sake,
A man faithful to pope and church and trick,
Who knew he just had to pick up that stick.

37 Again YHWH spoke to Moses, saying
38 "Speak to the folk of Israel staying:
Tell them to make tassels upon
The edges of their garments drawn
Throughout their generations, and
To put a blue thread in the band
Of tassels on the corners there.
39 "And you shall have the tassel bare,
That you may look upon it and
Remember all and each command
Of YHWH and do them, and that you
May not follow the harlotry
To which your own heart would go free,
To which your own eyes are inclined,
40 "And that you may always take mind
And do all My commandments, and
Be holy for your God to stand.
41 "I am YHWH your God, who brought you
Out of the land of Egypt's crew,
To be your God: I'm your God YHWH."

Maybe sweet Christian preachers tell it right
That nobody can obey You on sight.
It may indeed be humanly, outright
Impossible to keep Your law and do
The simple things, Beloved, You ask us to.
I wonder if in all their so-called trying
To keep or not to keep Your law while lying,
Any of them have made a point to set
A blue thread on his blanket, so to get
Reminder to observe Your commandment.
It does not seem quite fair to raise the scent
Of Your law being not just what it meant,
If they've not tried at least the blue string trick
To remember to obey thin or thick.

WEEK 38 NUMBERS 16

1 Now Korah the son of Izhar,
The son of Kohath, son and star
Of Levi, with Dathan and one
Abiram Eliab's, sons, one
The son of Peleth, Reuben's sons,
Took men, 2 and they rose on their buns
Before Moses with Israel's folk
Two hundred fifty leaders' stroke
From the assembly, representing
The congregation unrelenting,
Men of renown. 3 They gathered there
Together against Moses heir
And Aaron, and said to them, "You
Take too much on yourselves to do,
For all the congregation's holy,
Each of them, thin or roly-poly,
And YHWH's among them. Why then do
You exalt yourselves above true
Assembly of the folk of YHWH?"
4 So when Moses heard it, he fell
On his face, 5 and he spoke to tell
Korah and all his company,
Saying "Tomorrow morn early
YHWH will show who is His and who
Is holy, and will cause him to
Come near to Him. That one whom He
Chooses He will cause to come near
To Him. 6 "Do this: take censers here,
Korah and all your company,
7 "Put fire in them and put incense
In them before YHWH in your tents
Tomorrow, and it shall be that
The man whom YHWH chooses thereat
Is the holy one. You take too
Much on yourselves, you Levi's sons!"
8 Then Moses said to Korah, "Hear
Now, you sons of Levi and fear:
9 "Is it a small thing here for you
That God of Israel's benisons
Have separated you among
Israel's assembly and unsung
To bring you near to Himself, to
Do the work of the tent of YHWH,
And to stand before the folk to
Serve them, 10 "and that He has brought you
Near to Himself, you and all your
Brothers, the sons of Levi's score,
With you? And do you seek also
The priesthood? 11 "Therefore you all go
In company and against YHWH
Gathered together. And what do
You complain against Aaron true?"

Beloved, note well that Korah makes appeal
To priesthood of believers while the spiel
Of Moses is to state that Korah's band
Is also an elite, though lower strand,
Being Levites below the priestly caste.
It's always an elite set at half mast
That defends democratic principles
While fomenting rebellion in the wools.
What smarts is that their elitist of parts
Is lower than the priesthood in their hearts.
Self always seeks to return to You when
It wakens to plurality of men.
Let me not seek such lower levels of
Men's status, but bury in divine love.

12 And Moses sent to call Dathan
And Abiram Eliab's sons,
But they said "Just forget it, man,
We will not come up off our buns!
13 "Is it a small thing that you've brought
Us up out of a land that's fraught
With flowing milk and honey, just
To kill us in the desert dust,
That you should keep acting the prince
Over us? 14 "Moreover your stints
Have not brought us into a land
Flowing with milk and honey's strand,
Nor given us inheritance
Of fields and vineyards where to dance.
Will you put out eyes of these men?
We will not come up to you then!"
15 Then Moses was very angry,
And said to YHWH, "Do not be free
To respect their offering. I've not
Taken one donkey from their plot,
Nor have I hurt one of them here."
16 And Moses told Korah, "Appear
Tomorrow, you and every peer
Be present before YHWH, you and
They, as well Aaron be on hand.
17 "Let each take his censer and put
Incense in it, and each on foot
Bring his censer, come before YHWH,
Two hundred fifty censers' cue,
Both you and Aaron , every censer
To find out which of you's pretencer."
18 So every man took censer up,
Put fire in it, incense on cup,
And stood at the door of the tent
Of meeting, and with Moses went
Aaron. 19 And Korah gathered all
The congregation great and small
Against them at the door of tent
Of meeting. Then the glory sent
From YHWH appeared to all the folk.
20 To Moses and Aaron YHWH spoke,
Saying 21 "Remove you in one stroke
From among this assembly, that
I may consume them where they sat."
22 Then they fell on their faces, and
Said "O El El God of command,
The God of spirits of all flesh,
Shall one man sin, and You be fresh
In anger with all who're at hand?"

At first Moses was angry for a thing
That struck his honour, shot him in the wing,
And then You Yourself, my Beloved, took issue
With the same folk that simpered in their tissue.
You were so angry even Moses had
To interfere. Beloved, are You so bad?
By the sweet faith we all cherish today
Moses' behaviour and Yours were a way
And out of line. Teach me to be less cross
Than You were with these people at a loss.
I understand Your feelings, though, when men
Become religious leaders once again.
I wonder You don't once more blow Your top,
Except that their vile deed will never stop.

23 So YHWH spoke to Moses, and said
24 "Speak to the congregation spread,
Saying 'Get away from the tents
Of Korah, Dathan, Abiram.'"
25 Then Moses arose and went hence
To both Dathan and Abiram,
And the elders of Israel came
After him. 26 And he spoke in blame
To the assembly, saying "Now
Depart from their tents, disavow
These wicked men! Touch nothing of
Theirs, lest you be consumed in shove
Of all their sins." 27 So they got out
From around the tents of devout
Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and
Dathan and Abiram did stand
At the door of their tents, with wives,
Their sons, and their little folks' lives.
28 And Moses said "By this you'll know
That YHWH has sent me on the go
To do all these works, for I've not
Done them of my own will untaught.
29 "If these men die a natural death
Like all men, or if they have breath
In common fate of all men, then
YHWH has not sent me, but these men.
30 "But if YHWH creates a new thing,
And the earth opens mouth to sting
And swallows them up with all that
Belongs to them, and they go flat
Down alive into the pit, then
You will understand that these men
Have rejected YHWH." 31 It occurred,
As he finished speaking this word,
That the ground split apart for them,
32 And the earth beneath opened hem
And mouth and swallowed them all up,
With their households, plate, bowl and cup,
And all the men with Korah, and
With all their goods on every hand.
33 So they and all those with them went
Down alive into the pit bent,
The earth closed over them, and they
Perished from the people that day.
34 Then all Israel who were around
Them fled at their cry and the sound,
For they said "Lest the earth us too
Swallow alive for what we do!"

I seek no claims to leadership above
The ones that You've appointed in Your love,
Nor do I seek the pageant of the way
Of priestcraft or of Levite for my pay.
Yet I too stand at my tent door and look
Toward the opening of stone like book,
And finding my reward plunging into
The gate of earth in my longing for You.
You are not far to find, nearer than breath,
And yet a gasping longing beyond death.
No moment is too brief not to reveal
The pang that every soul and self must feel
To return to Your face and there be blind
For nothing more availing me to find.

35 And a fire came out from YHWH and
Consumed two hundred fifty's band
Who were offering incense. 36 Then YHWH
Spoke to Moses, saying 37 "Tell true
Eleazar, Aaron's son, priest,
To pick up the censers released
Out of the blaze, for they are holy,
And scatter the fire somewhere lowly.
38 "The censers of these men who sinned
Against their own souls, let be binned
And hammered into plates to cover
The altar whereupon I hover.
Because they gave them before YHWH,
Therefore they are holy and true,
And they shall be a sign unto
The children of Israel to do."
39 So Eleazar the priest took
The bronze censers, which every crook
Who was burned up had presented,
And they were hammered out in grid
As altar covering, 40 to be for
Memorial to Israel's store
That no outsider, who is not
A descendant of Aaron got,
Should come near to offer incense
Before YHWH, that in his defence
He might not become like Korah
And his companions, just as YHWH
Had said to him through Moses' law.

Beloved, You turn the chalice of rebellion's wine
To mirrors for reflecting soul as fine
As was the fired desire that in them burned
Until the prophet and commander spurned
Their brave attempts to step into his place.
Ostensibly rejection of the face
Came from Your will. It's written in Your bill,
And so it must have been Your sacred will.
See here, I feign at least belief. My call
Is generally against the righteous wall
Of whomever wields censer and the sceptre,
A single figure or two of the epter.
I support Moses, since he's in the past,
And is no longer ruler here to last.

41 On the next day all the folk of
The children of Israel above
Murmured against Moses and Aaron,
Saying "You have killed the forbearing
Of YHWH." 42 Now it happened again,
When the assembly gathered then
Against Moses and Aaron, they
Turned toward the tent of meeting's way,
And suddenly the cloud went out
And covered it, and all about
The glory of YHWH appeared there.
43 Then Moses and Aaron came there
Before the tent of meeting door.
44 And YHWH spoke to Moses before,
Saying 45 "Get away from among
This congregation and unsung,
So I'll consume them in a flash."
And they fell on their faces crash.
46 So Moses said to Aaron, "Take
A censer and put fire in wake
From the altar, and put incense,
And take it quickly to the tents
Of the assembly there to make
Atonement for them and their sake,
For wrath has gone out from YHWH and
The plague has begun in the band."
47 Then Aaron took it by command
Of Moses, and then ran into
The midst of the assembly due,
And already the plague began
Among the people to a man.
So he put in the incense and
Made atonement for the folk's band.
48 And he stood there between the dead
And the living, stopped the plague's stead.
49 Now those who died in the plague were
Fourteen thousand and to infer
Seven hundred more, and beside
Those who in Korah's event died.
50 So Aaron returned to Moses
At door of meeting edifice,
For the plague had stopped before this.

Who would support the underdog are cast
Away in all the plagues from first to last.
Nothing has changed, and those who win are those
Who write not only history but morceaux
Of revelation. Beloved, where's the book
Of Your revealing to the ones who took
The battering of the rulers in the land.
Even Moses himself beneath the hand
Of princess of Egypt was not exempt
From the elite despite a shepherd kempt.
The small ones always interpose to say
The prophet killed Your own one treacherous day.
Does certainty come with the plague and crown?
Beloved, I go to meet You on the town.

NUMBERS 17

1 And YHWH spoke to Moses, and said
2 "Speak to Israel's children and bred,
And get from them a rod from each
Father's house, all their leaders reach
According to their fathers' lines,
Twelve rods. Write each man's name designs
On his rod. 3 "And you shall write Aaron's
Name on the rod of Levi's share-ins.
For there shall be one rod for each
Head of each father's house to reach.
4 "Then you shall place them in the tent
Of meeting where the covenant
Is placed and where I meet with you.
5 "And it shall be the rod will do
Of the man whom I choose will blossom,
Thus I will rid Myself and toss them,
Of the complaints of Israel's folk,
Which they made against you and spoke."
6 So Moses spoke to Israel's folk,
And each of their leaders gave him
A rod apiece, tackle and trim,
For each leader according to
Their fathers' houses, not a few,
Twelve rods, and the rod of Aaron
Was among their rods for the fun.
7 And Moses placed the rods before
YHWH in the tent of witness' store.

In one night almond withe might come to bloom
If it were set in water and warm room.
Perhaps Aaron has carefully prepared
The way by choosing a rod he's well cared.
The powerful propose the toast and say
What they propose is in the divine way.
If Korah's friends might choose the test I trow
That Korah's friends might win the rate somehow.
There is no sure and certain proof that You
Have chosen and picked one among the few.
Beloved, a doubting Thomas I look on
The evening preparations for the dawn.
The only certainty is that You are
Among these constellations greatest star.

8 Now it happened on the next day
That Moses went into the way
Of the tent of witness, indeed,
The rod of Aaron , of the seed
Of Levi, had sprouted and put
Forth buds, had produced blossoms' foot
And yielded ripe almonds at last.
9 Then Moses brought out to the mast
All the rods from before YHWH to
All the children of Israel's view,
And they looked, and each man took his
Rod. 10 And YHWH said to Moses' quiz,
"Bring Aaron's rod back, place before
The testimony, kept in store
As a sign against the revolt
Of rebels, that you may unbolt
Their complaints from Me, lest they die."
11 Thus did Moses, just by YHWH's cry
Commanding him, and so he did.
12 So the children of Israel hid
And spoke to Moses, saying "Surely
We die, we perish, perish poorly!
13 "Whoever even comes near by
Tabernacle of YHWH must die.
Then shall we all utterly die?"

The promise was the rod should blossom there.
If only blossoms had appeared from air,
I might have found excuse. Beloved, not fair!
You force the thing and leave no room for doubt,
My favourite word, and my excuse to pout.
But You grow more than blossom, leaf and bud.
You set ripe almonds on the rod and stud
It with all four things at one hour in time.
I do not blame the people for their mime
And plaint to perish. Even with some glue,
Where would they get the wherewithal to do,
If sleight of hand were in the trick and clue?
Beloved, I rebel not against Your popes,
Your gurus, mullahs, fakirs with their ropes.

NUMBERS 18

1 And so YHWH said to Aaron, "You
And your sons and your father's due
With you shall bear iniquity
Related to sanctuary,
And you and your sons with you shall
Bear iniquity destinal
With your priesthood. 2 "And also bring
With you your brothers of the swing
Of Levi, the tribe of your father,
That they may be joined with you rather
And serve you while you and your sons
Are with you before witness runs
Of tabernacle. 3 "They'll attend
To your needs and all the needs denned
In tabernacle, but they shall
Not come near any article
Of sanctuary and the altar,
Lest they die, and you also falter.
4 "They shall be joined with you, attend
To the needs of the meeting tent,
For all the work of the tent bend,
But outsider shall not be sent
Near you. 5 "And you shall attend to
The duties of the holy true
And duties of the altar, that
There may be no more wrath that sat
On Israel's folk. 6 "Indeed, Myself
I have taken your brothers out,
The Levites and from off the shelf
Among Israel's folk without doubt,
They are a gift to you, given by
YHWH, to do the work without sigh
Of the tent of the meeting place.
7 "Therefore you and your sons of race
With you shall attend to your place
Of priesthood for each thing to be
At the altar, behind the tee
Of the veil, and you all shall serve.
I give your priesthood not to swerve,
As a gift for service, but each
Outsider who comes near to preach
Shall be put to death for his breach."

The priesthood's not so great a thing to gain
It seems since the priest does not serve in vain
But bears the sin of everyone who comes
To tent of witness where to lay his sums.
The concept of both purity and soiled
Is foreign to the church where I have toiled,
But is the thing that separates both men
And women from the beasts and birds again,
Unless raccoon and friends know to the price
Of washing things to last and make them nice.
Without the knowledge of clean and unclean,
No understandings found on Scripture scene.
They search in vain for meaning and are lost
Who think it's all about morals and bossed.

8 And YHWH spoke to Aaron "Here, I
Myself have also given you hie
Of My heave offerings, all the gifts
Of holiness that Israel lifts,
I've given them to you as a portion
And to your sons without extortion,
And as continuing ordinance.
9 "This shall be yours in holy stance
Reserved out of the holocaust:
Every offering of theirs not lost,
Every grain offering and each sin
Offering, trespass offering brought in
To Me, shall be most holy for
You and your sons forevermore.
10 "In a most holy place you'll eat,
Each male shall eat it for a treat.
It shall be holy to you, meet.
11 "This also is yours: from the heave
Offering of their gift, with all leave
The wave offerings of Israel's folk,
I've given them to you to convoke,
And your sons and daughters with you,
As ordinance forever true.
Everyone who is clean in your
House may eat it, but not before.
12 "All the best of the oil, the best
Of the new grape juice and the rest,
The grain, their firstfruits which they offer
To YHWH, to you I've given and proffer.
13 "Whatever first ripe fruit is in
Their land, which they bring to the bin
Of YHWH, shall be yours. Everyone
Who is clean in your house has won
A portion of it. 14 "Each devoted
Thing in Israel is yours promoted.
15 "Everything that first opens womb
Of all flesh, which they bring to room
Of YHWH, whether man or beast, shall
Be yours, but the firstborn and pal
Of man you shall surely redeem,
And the firstborn of beasts that seem
Unclean you shall redeem. 16 "And those
Redeemed of the devoted things
You shall redeem upon the strings
When one month old, according to
Your valuation, for five true
Shekels of silver, according
To the shekel of resorting
To the temple, twenty gerahs.
17 "But the firstborn by all the laws
Of a cow, the firstborn of sheep,
Or the firstborn of goat to keep
You shall not redeem, they are holy.
You shall sprinkle of their blood lowly
Upon the altar, burn their fat
As an offering made where they're at
By fire for a sweet scent to YHWH.
18 "And their flesh shall revert to you,
Just as the wave breast and the right
Thigh are yours. 19 "All the ones in sight
Of the heave offerings, holy things,
Which the folk of Israel brings
To offer to YHWH, I've given you
And your sons and daughters with you
As ordinance forever true,
It's covenant of salt forever
Before YHWH with you not to sever
And your descendants with you too."

The Canaanite was sure the world would fail
Without the burnt offering of every male
Who was first from the womb in birth.
The first son was offered to gods in worth,
And such an offering saved the world from woe.
It's worth one soul to achieve such a show.
No way to set aside such a torment
By saying You accept no human spent
For blood. No, You, Beloved, were wiser far
In saying humans are like ass for star,
And being unclean of their sort could not
Be sacrificed like sheep and goat in cot.
For their uncleanness You redeemed the lot
And let no Canaanite come near the plot.

20 Then YHWH said to Aaron, "You shall
Have no inheritance banal
In their land, nor shall you have any
Portion among them, not a penny,
I am your portion, heritage
Among Israel's folk age to age.
21 "Indeed, I've given to Levi's folk
All the tithes that in Israel spoke
As inheritance in return
For the work they perform and burn,
The tent of meeting's work not spurn.
22 "Hereafter Israel's folk shall not
Come near the tent of meeting plot
Lest they bear sin and die on spot.
23 "But the Levites shall do the work
Of tent of meeting and not shirk,
And they shall bear iniquity,
Statute forever, through the sea
Of generations, that among
Children of Israel they unsung
Shall have no heritage at all.
24 "For tithes of Israel's folk, though small,
Which they offer up as a heave
Offering to YHWH, I've given leave
To the Levites as heritage,
Therefore I've said to them in gauge,
'Among Israel's folk they shall have
No heritage in stall to calve.'"
25 Then YHWH spoke to Moses, and said
26 "Speak thus to the Levites well bred,
And say to them, 'When you take from
The folk of Israel the tithes' sum
Which I have given you from them
As your inheritance and hem,
Then you shall offer up a heave
Offering of it to YHWH, receive
A tenth of the tithe. 27 'And your heave
Offering shall be reckoned to you
As though it were the grain of true
Threshing floor and as fullness of
The winepress. 28 'Thus you shall in glove
Also offer heave offering to
YHWH from all your tithes, those which you
Receive from Israel's folk, and you
Shall give heave offering of YHWH from
It to Aaron the priest to come.
29 'Of all your gifts you'll offer up
Every heave offering due in cup
To YHWH, from all the best of them,
The consecrated part of them.'
30 "Therefore you shall say to them, 'When
You've lifted up the best from men,
Then the rest shall accounted be
To the Levites as produce free
Of threshing floor and as produce
Of the winepress and for its use.
31 'You may eat it in any place,
You and your households in your race,
For it is your reward for your
Work in the tent of meeting door.
32 'And you shall bear no sin for it,
When you've lifted the best of it.
But you shall not profane the holy
Gifts of Israel, lest you die lowly.'"

The priest in ancient time, and Aaron's son
Had no inheritance of farm when done,
But landless had to eat the charity
Of Israel's tithes and offerings given in fee.
You were, Beloved, their portion and their right
Who slaughtered sacrifice morning and night.
I too come with my living body's gift
To bring in sacrifice, heave offering lift
To Your name in remembrance of the light.
As such a priest I have nor do desire
The acreages of the court and squire,
Nor houses rising up before my sight.
Beloved, be You my portion also here,
As I am Yours in what I do appear.


AUTHOR: THOMAS G. MCELWAIN

Copyright © 2007 Adams & McElwain Publishers and Thomas McElwain First Published in two volumes, The Beloved and I 2005, and Led of the Beloved, 2006. Second Edition, 2010 Third and revised edition, 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this verse commentary on the sacred Scriptures may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from publisher.

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