Rebelling Against God’s Plan

God had specified who was to do the different Jobs relating to his service.  Some of the people got jealous because their job didn’t get as much attention as Moses or Aaron, in Numbers 16:1-3.  “Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?”  

Korah was one of the Kohath Levites, charged with caring for the different things used in the worship process, but he wanted to be the high priest, or the leader that everyone looked up to.  The others felt like they should have been given the leadership as descendants of Reuben since he was Jacob’s oldest son.  They said that Moses and Aaron had no right to take the leadership but had just seized it in their ambition. 

Moses had not sought leadership of Israel, and had tried to get out of taking the4 position.  Instead of trying to convince them he had the right to lead, Moses said they should let God show who he had chosen, in Numbers 16:4-7.  “And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face: And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him. This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company; And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.” 

Moses said they were doing exactly what they were accusing him of doing.   As a Kohath Levite, Korah had been given a special position by God, as Moses explains in Numbers 16:8-11,  “And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi: Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?  And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?  For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?”  He was in effect saying he was too good for the job God had called him to do.   

The others blamed Moses for being stuck in the wilderness, even though they had refused to go into the land in Numbers 14, as Numbers 16:12-14 tells us.  “And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up: Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?  Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.”  Unfortunately, a lot of people blame others rather than accepting responsibility for the consequences of their actions.   

Knowing it was their own faul they were stuck there, Moses was frustrated about being blamed and asked God not to accept their efforts to mollify him with sacrifices.  He then instructed tham as to what they should do so that God could show who he had chosen, In Numbers 16:15-17.  “And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.  And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow: And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.”

Korah and his followers did as instructed, each one gathering the different items indicating they were priests.  Korah got all the people to come watch while he put down Moses and Aaron, in Numbers 16:18-21.  “And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.  And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,  Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”  When they assembled at the Tabernacle, the glory of the Lord came down like it had when they dedicated it, and God told Moses and Aaron to get out of the way so he could destroy the people for their constant complaining and disobedience. 

Moses and Aaron prayed that God would not kill them all for the sins of a few, and God warned that the people should get away from the guilty ones if they didn’t want to be destroyed,  The people did separate from them as Numbers 16:22-27 describes.  “And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.  And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.  So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.”

Moses then described How God would show that it was God who had placed Moses and Aaron in the positions of Leadership, and not just Moses’ ambition, In Numbers 16:28-30. “And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.  If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.  But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.”

Moses explained that if Korah and his followers lived for years and died a natural death, it would prove that God had not chosen Moses and Aaron specially, but if God caused the earth to split open and swallow them up it would prove God did not approve of their actions.  Numbers 16:31-35 describes what happened.  “And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.  They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.  And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.  And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.” 

Something like an earthquake cause the ground to split open right where Korah and his followers were standing , then close on them when they fell in.  The people who were close panicked, fleeing for their lives.  At the same time there was a flame of fire that killed the two hundred fifty men who had decided to become priests.  God said they should flatten those men’s incense burners and hang them on the brazen altar as a reminder what happened when people tried to override what God commanded, in Numbers 16:36-40.  “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.  The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar: To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.”