Reading the Bible Through

Numbers 16 - 18   So the ground splits open and swallows the rebellious Korah and his follows. The rest of the Israelites are afraid they will be swallowed up as well. Then, the next day, it says, the Israelites grumble that Moses and Aaron killed the Lord's people. What gives? What didn't the Israelites understand from the group swallowing up Korah and his followers?  Then the  Lord uses Aaron's staff to designate the Levites which convinces the Israelites seeming. Why this and not the ground swallowing people up? I wonder, what is the significance of "covenant of salt?"

Leviticus 8 - 10   Earlier today, I spoke with some friends about just how gross these passages are. Killing animals in very specified ways and then doing this and that with the blood. Eventually, the glory of Lord appears to all the people who shouted for joy and fell facedown.  I've always felt a bit sorry for  Nadab and Abihu. It has seemed to me that they were caught up in an exciting moment. However, when I reflect, the Israelites had just completed all these offerings/rituals in order to have the ordination, but 2 of the people being ordained were letting themselves get carried away and not doing as the Lord had instructed.  I don't understand what Moses and Aaron are discussing at the end of this passage. I do see that Aaron won the argument which seems a bit unusual. 

Exodus 5-7   The beginning here confuses me. Moses and Aaron are saying that the Lord told them to take the Israelites into the wilderness for a 3 day festival to the Lord or they may be struck with famine or swords. I didn't understand anything about a festival from what I read earlier. Still, I guess they might get farther with that than just 'see ya.' I've always been puzzled as to how the Egyptian wise men and sorcerers also turned their staffs into snakes. Some would say by evil, but I have always wondered about some kind of trickery. Still, Aaron's staff (notice it's now Aaron's staff, not Moses like near the burning bush) eats up all the other snake/staffs. Pretty impressive.  Now the Egyptian magicians were also able to turn water into blood. I still wanna know how. Now, I also want to know were these Egyptian magicians got any water to turn it into blood? It looks like Moses and Aaron were pretty thorough. Maybe from the water people were digging up...