Supporting Those Who Do Wrong

 God had punished the rebellious followers of Korah by sending and earthquake to destroy the ringleaders, and sending a fire which destroyed the two hundred fifty men who were attempting to take over the priesthood.  Unfortunately, many people refuse to admit they have been misled.  Rather than admitting it was God who had done this, Korah’s followers accused Moses of murdering his opposition, as Numbers 16:41 tells us.  “But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.”

 

God had threatened to wipe out the entire congregation as a result of their rebellion, in Numbers 16:21. When they organized a protest against Moses and Aaron, God intervened, showing his glory, and ordering Moses and Aaron to get out of the way so he could destroy the rebels, in Numbers 16:42-45.  “And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.  And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.”

 

In an effort to save as many of the people as he could, Moses ordered Aaron to offer a sacrifice for their sin, and God honored his efforts, as Numbers 16:46-49 describes.  “And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.  And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.  And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.  Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.”

 

As a result of their rebellion, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and their families were all killed during the earthquake, and two hundred would be priests were burned to death in the fire that followed, leading to a protest which resulted in another fourteen thousand seven hundred dying.  I am sure Korah never thought trying to fulfil his ambition would lead to the deaths of fifteen thousand people.  At the same time we have to realize the last fourteen thousand seven hundred died as a result of their own rebellion against God in supporting Korah.  Proverbs 17:15 warns, “He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.”  These people were going against God in supporting Korah, Dathan and Abiram.  They compounded their sin by attacking Moses and Aaron and accusing them of wrong doing.   

 

God had clearly designated Aaron and his sons to be the priests, with Aaron himself as the High Priest, but Korah and the two hundred fifty Levites had tried to take over those positions.  After their deaths, God gave a visible sign to remind them who God had chosen in the future, in Numbers 16:50-17:7.  “And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.  And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.  And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.  And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.  And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.  And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.”

 

In the spring fruit trees bud out and several days or even weeks later blossom.  When the blossoms disappear, they leaf out, and months later the fruit appears, but these were sticks they had been using as walking sticks.  They were not freshly cut branches, and would not naturally produce buds or blossoms.  Miraculously, Aarons staff or walking stick produced buds, blossoms, leaves, and fruit all at one time, according to Numbers 17:8.  “And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.”

 

Only God could have made such a thing happen, and the people were forced to acknowledge it.  The stick was placed in the Ark of the Covenant, as a reminder to future generations that God had chosen Aaron’s family as priests, as Numbers 17:9-11 describes.  “And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.  And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.  And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.”

 

Finally, the Israelites began to realize their relationship with God was not to be taken lightly, as Numbers 17:12-13 tells us.  “And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.  Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?”  Unfortunately many Christians today do not take their relationship with God seriously, and when things don’t go the way they want, they get upset and rebel, bringing God’s ire on themselves instead of living by faith.