Korah, the grandson of Kohath, one of Levi’s sons, with Dathan and Abiram, two sons of the tribe of Reuben, and two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, opposed Moses and Aaron, complaining that they were taking on too much responsibility. They argued that all were equal and had their rights. Jealousy is always around and that was no exception in those days. Kohath had an important job to do (see chapter 4) but he was also jealous of Moses. We often see this today – people making themselves out be important and speaking for the people and seeking a following. Sometimes those ‘followers’ don’t even know what they are protesting about as their leaders just whip up riotous enthusiasm, often by subterfuge.
How we need to be humble and respect our leaders who have been appointed by God, and not by our rebellion. Moses was certainly not self-seeking because it was clear from his appointment that he didn’t think he could do it or was worthy of such a position.
Note Moses’ reaction, (v4-11) – he fell on his face, often a sign of submission to God. He spoke to Korah and his followers, saying that the Lord will show who is His and who is holy. It will be the Lord who will choose who is holy and that the sons of Korah were, in my words, getting too big for their boots. Moses reminded them that they were privileged by The Lord doing the work of the tabernacle, serving the congregation and in a position near to God. They were accused of setting themselves up against The Lord. They had a privileged ministry and were wrong in their attempt to rebel against Moses and Aaron’s authority.
It is a common occurrence today that people rebel against authority and seek to promote themselves, times have not changed. It is not unusual for people to kick against authority, people want their own way and seek to promote themselves. We often think that we can do better than someone else.
We should respect authority even though it may be difficult at times, but especially when the authority is given by God. In the New Testament we are told that we must respect elders because they are appointed by God. We are also told to pray for those in authority, good or bad because they are appointed by God. We might ask, is it possible to challenge those in authority? It must only be done through prayer and submission to God. We must never underestimate the position the Lord has given to us; we are privileged to be able to serve Him in whatever He has assigned to us and to support those in authority as best we can. Let’s face it no earthly leader is perfect.
It is nothing but rebellion.
Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, but they refused to come (v12-14). They accused Moses of making promises but failing to fulfil them in not having brought them into the land promised. They were untruthful and put their own spin on the past. They omitted the vital point that the reason they had not yet entered the land was simply because they had been disobedient to God. It was not Moses who had prevented it up to now, but God.
Moses was very angry (v15-19) with them. He knew had done nothing wrong and protested his innocence and he could, justifiably have pronounced condemnation on them, but he left the outcome to God. That is always the best policy. One might say that it was wrong for Moses to be angry but was entitled to be so as he protested his innocence, but we must never take matters into our own hands in our anger. We must do as Moses did and place it in God’s hands. God would show by his acceptance or otherwise of their worship in bringing censors with fire before the door of the tabernacle. In effect Moses was letting them perform a priestly office, letting them do what they were complaining of.
One commentator has said that shepherds will deal gently with sheep even when they go astray even to the point of chastisement but would not hesitate to deal harshly with wolves who attack the flock.
Moses had a clear conscience before God. We can rest in that even when we are falsely accused. The Apostle Paul showed a similar clear conscience in Acts 20 before the Ephesian elders.
God showed his judgment (v19-21) and threatened to destroy the rebels and told Moses and Aaron to separate from them so that He could do so. However, Moses and Aaron pleaded for the rebels (v22) that God should not punish all the people for the sin of one man and his few followers. Obviously, there was no reason for Moses to do this, but it showed his true character and that he was prepared to plead for the people before God. This is a picture of the Lord Jesus many years later when he came to earth and gave his life for sinners. We are left to consider that if Moses and Aaron had not prayed like this, God would have destroyed all of their people.
The Lord spoke to Moses (v23-25) and told him to speak to the congregation telling them to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Then Moses went to speak to Dathan and Abiram and the elders of Israel followed him. He told the congregation to get away from the tents of these wicked men otherwise they will be consumed in all their sins. So, the congregation got away from those tents and stood at the door of their own tents with their families. Moses said to them that The Lord will show you that I have come to do His work, it’s not my works, but His. If these men die naturally like the rest, then the Lord has not sent me but if the Lord does something new and the earth opens up and swallows them with all their belongings, then you will know that it is the Lord who is doing this. And as he finished speaking these words, the ground split apart and swallowed up Korah and his followers alive with all their goods and their households and they perished. Note that Numbers 26:11 indicates that their children were not included. Fire came from The Lord and destroyed the two hundred and fifty.
There is a lesson for us today that we should stay away from divisive people even in the body of Christ. Titus 3:10-11 says that we should reject a divisive man after giving them two warnings, knowing that such a person is sinful and is condemning himself. Also, Romans 16:17-18 that we should note those who cause division and offence that is contrary to the doctrine and avoid them. We, as Christians, need discernment to look at what others do and also what they say. They rarely claim to be divisive as they consider what they are doing to be right, so that is why we need God’s wisdom to deal with them.
The Lord told Moses (v36-40) to tell Eleazar, Aaron’s son, to pick up the pieces of the censors out of the fire because they are holy. Then to make them into hammered plates as a covering for the altar. These will be sign for the children of Israel that no outsider, who is not a descendant of Aaron, could come near and offer incense before the Lord, otherwise he would become like Korah and his companions. We should note that we should distance ourselves from troublemakers. Even if some of these two hundred and fifty were not totally in agreement with Korah, they suffered defeat and death. We must remember that God appoints His leaders, and it is dangerous in the extreme to rebel against them.
Poor Moses and Aaron, they can’t do right (I know the feeling), the congregation (v41) complain that he (Moses) had killed the people. If often happens that when we have thought the trouble was over, those who were sympathetic to the rebels set about us. It was clearly God’s doing and not Moses and Aaron’s. However, when they turned to face the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord appeared through the cloud which covered the tabernacle (v42-45). God told Moses and Aaron to get away from the congregation so that He could consume them. This showed that God treated the people’s rebellion just the same as he did the rebellion of Korah and his followers.
Again, we see that God’s appointed leader makes intercession for the people. (v46-50). Moses told Aaron to take a censor with fire and incense and make atonement for the people. The plague from the Lord had already begun. It was urgent and Aaron ran and stood in the midst of the people and the plague stopped although some had already died, in fact 14,700 had died. One could have expected Moses and Aaron to take the attitude that the people deserved it, but they didn’t and showed their love for them in pleading with God and the plague stopped.
We can see how serious the situation was. On God’s part he was dealing with their rebellion, and it was swift, on the other Aaron’s intercession was also swift and God held His hand and stopped the plague. Sin is serious and we must never forget it. Life and death situation!
We are guilty sinners and deserve judgement, but The Lord Jesus came to be our Saviour and made the difference between life and death and stood in our place and was crucified on the cross in our place for our sins.
