COMMENTARY.
The Justice of God was shown by the punishment of the Sabbath-breaker, as well as by that of Core and his adherents.
God's omnipotence worked a great miracle in connexion with Aaron’s rod, which, in one night, brought forth not only leaves, buds and flowers, but also ripe almonds.
Sabbath breaking. The severe punishment of the Sabbath-breaker teaches us that the profanation of the Sabbath is a great sin. This sin often calls down temporal punishment, and it will certainly bring eternal punishment. “Remember”, i. e. do not forget “to keep the Sabbath-day holy.”
The divine institution of the Priesthood. By the terrible punishment of the rebels, and the blossoming of Aaron’s rod, God again declared that the priesthood of the Old Testament was instituted by Him.
Rebellion against authority. The rising of Core and his adherents was a rebellion against both spiritual and temporal authority, against throne and altar, for they refused to acknowledge that God had ordained Moses to be their leader, and Aaron to be their High Priest The rebellion was, therefore, really against God, who had called Moses and Aaron, and who had attested their divine vocation by so many miracles. Hence Moses was right in saying: “Why do you stand against the Lord?” The terrible punishment of Core and those with him show's us how great a sin it is to rebel against those whom God has put in authority over us. “He that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist, purchase to themselves damnation” (Rom. 13, 2).
Pride is a capital sin. Core, being proud, was offended at the idea that he was only a Levite, while Aaron and his sons were priests; and the family pride and ambition of Dathan and Abiron wrere injured by the fact that men of the small tribe of Levi were the representatives before God of the whole people. Their pride developed into envy, and this again developed into rebellion against the authorities ordained by God.
Aaron’s rod, a type of the Cross. Aaron’s rod, which blossomed and bore fruit, is a type of the holy Cross, which by the Blood of Christ has brought forth such wonderful fruits of grace and virtue.
The Priesthood of the New Testament. We Christians are all called to be holy, and were all sanctified in baptism; but all Christians are not priests, for Jesus Christ has instituted a special priesthood in His Church, for the sanctification of all the faithful. If, even in, the Old Testament, a special priesthood was necessary for the care of the things of God, how much more necessary is it that there should be a priesthood in the New Testament to look after the sacred mysteries of the Church! "Honour God with all thy soul, and give honour to the priests” (Ecclus. 7, 33).
