In Numbers 15, God gives instructions for offerings that will be offered when the people enter the Promised Land. These instructions are the same for the resident aliens as for the Israelites. In addition to burnt offerings, they are instructed to bring the first batch of dough as a donation.

If they unintentionally fail to bring these offerings the priest must make an atonement sacrifice and they will be forgiven. But if they act defiantly they will be cut off from the people.

A man is found to be gathering sticks on the Sabbath. God orders that the man should be killed and the people stone the man. God then has the priests put a blue cord on the fringe of their garments to remind the people of the commandments so they will be holy an do not follow the lust of their hearts and eyes.

In Numbers 16 Moses again is dealing with dissension in the ranks. Some of the leaders led by Korah, a Levite, Dathan and Abiram complain that Moses and Aaron are exalting themselves above everyone else and in their opinion are no better than they are. All of them are holy.

Moses becomes angry but says that they will go before God in the morning and He will decide who is holy. Moses chastises Korah and the Levites with him in particular. They have been set apart already to do the Lord’s work. Moses emphasizes that their complaint is not against Moses or Aaron but is against God.

Moses calls Dathan and Abiram to come to him but they refuse. They complain that Moses has brought them out of a land where they had everything into the wilderness to kill them and lord it over them. They don’t believe the promise of going to a land of milk and honey or receiving an inheritance of land.

The rebels come before the Lord. God tells Moses and Aaron to separate themselves from the rest so He can destroy them. Moses and Aaron plead for the followers of Korah, Dathan and Abiram that they are not to blame. So God has Moses separate the rest from Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Moses says to the people that if these three die a natural death then Moses has not been sent by God, but if they and their households are swallowed up then Moses is meant to lead and these others have disobeyed. The earth swallows up Dathan and Abiram and their households, but everyone who belonged to Korah is swallowed up.

Instead of convincing the people to follow Moses and Aaron, all of the people rebel. God sends a plague on the people. Moses has Aaron make atonement for the people and the plague stops.

These seem like harsh punishments to us, but we need to remember that defying the will of God is a serious thing. The Israelites were chosen by God and yet they did not trust Him nor were they grateful for His providing for them. They resisted the leadership He provided; they resisted being His people; they continually turned away from Him. All who go against God Almighty, the giver of life, deserve punishment and even death. We, too, are deserving of punishment and even death when we sin and turn away. But we have a High Priest, Jesus, who has made atonement for us and pleads for us even as Moses and Aaron did for the people of Israel. Thanks be to God for His mercy toward us.

In Acts 18, Paul leaves Athens and goes to Corinth. He meets Aquila and Pricilla, fellow tentmakers, and stays and works with them. Paul speaks in the synagogue and moves some to believe but others revile him so he moves on to the Gentiles. God tells Paul that He has chosen many in Corinth so Paul should be bold in his preaching. Paul remains in Corinth for 1½ year. The Jews try to bring Paul to trial but the magistrate tells them it is a religious matter and not a legal one.

Paul leaves Corinth with Aquila and Priscilla and goes to Ephesus. After preaching for a while he moves on but Aquila and Priscilla stay. A follower of the Way named Apollos comes to Ephesus. He knows about Jesus but only teaches about the baptism of John. Priscilla and Aquila taught him the right belief and he went on helping many become believers and refuting the Jews in public.