The rebellion of Korah
November 25, 2020
Commentary
The most critical event of the years of wandering was the rebellion of Korah and his company against Moses and Aaron. Miriam’s and Aaron’s envy against Moses before the pronouncement of judgment at Kadesh was mild compared to this rebellion stirred up by Korah (vv. 1-35). When you review the history of Israel from Egypt to Canaan, you discover that the nation got into trouble every time they resisted the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Whenever God sought to build the people’s faith by bringing them into a difficult situation, they immediately rebelled against Moses and Aaron, blamed them for their plight, and wanted to return to Egypt.
Whether it’s the ancient camp of Israel or a modern city today, no society can function without subordination in a chain of command. Someone has to be in charge. Parents have authority in the home, teachers in the classroom, managers in the factory or office, and civil servants in the city or nation (Rom. 13:1). When this order breaks down, society is in serious trouble. God had chosen Moses to be the leader of the nation and Aaron to be the high priest; to resist this arrangement was to rebel against the will of God and bring serious division to the camp.
Though he was Israel’s top leader, Moses recognized those occasions where it was the best part of wisdom to let God reveal His mind directly to the people without using him as the spokesman (v. 5). He didn’t debate with Korah and his crowd and try to change their minds, because he knew their aim was to take over the priesthood, something the Lord would never permit. One of the easiest ways to fall away from following God is to look at our present problems and exaggerate them. Two men by the names of Dathan and Abiram did just that. They made the complaint that Moses had not only failed to take them into the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey (Canaan) but had made himself a prince and was “lording it over” the people (v. 13). Their was no doubt that these spiritually ignorant men had envy in their hearts and wanted to take over the leadership themselves.
Application
Lord help me to never argue with those who may accuse me falsely but pray to the Lord and ask Him to vindicate me just as Moses did with Korah and his company.
Numbers 16:1– 22 (NET)
1 Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, who were Reubenites, took men 2 and rebelled against Moses, along with some of the Israelites, 250 leaders of the community, chosen from the assembly, famous men. 3 And they assembled against Moses and Aaron, saying to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, seeing that the whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the community of the Lord?”
4 When Moses heard it he fell down with his face to the ground. 5 Then he said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning the Lord will make known who are his, and who is holy. He will cause that person to approach him; the person he has chosen he will cause to approach him. 6 Do this, Korah, you and all your company: Take censers, 7 put fire in them, and set incense on them before the Lord tomorrow, and the man whom the Lord chooses will be holy. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!” 8 Moses said to Korah, “Listen now, you sons of Levi! 9 Does it seem too small a thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the community of Israel to bring you near to himself, to perform the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the community to minister to them? 10 He has brought you near and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, with you. Do you now seek the priesthood also? 11 Therefore you and all your company have assembled together against the Lord! And Aaron—what is he that you murmur against him?” 12 Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up. 13 Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of the land that flows with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness? Now do you want to make yourself a prince over us? 14 Moreover, you have not brought us into a land that flows with milk and honey, nor given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Do you think you can blind these men? We will not come up.”
15 Moses was very angry, and he said to the Lord, “Have no respect for their offering! I have not taken so much as one donkey from them, nor have I harmed any one of them!”
16 Then Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company present yourselves before the Lord—you and they, and Aaron—tomorrow. 17 And each of you take his censer, put incense in it, and then each of you present his censer before the Lord: 250 censers, along with you, and Aaron—each of you with his censer.” 18 So everyone took his censer, put fire in it, and set incense on it, and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron. 19 When Korah assembled the whole community against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting, then the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community.
20 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 21 “Separate yourselves from among this community, that I may consume them in an instant.” 22 Then they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all people, will you be angry with the whole community when only one man sins?”