Numbers 16:15 Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, “Do not regard their offering! I have not taken a single donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them.” 16 Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company be present before the Lord tomorrow, both you and they along with Aaron. 17 Each of you take his firepan and put incense on it, and each of you bring his censer before the Lord, two hundred and fifty firepans; also you and Aaron shall each bring his firepan.” 18 So they each took his own censer and put fire on it, and laid incense on it; and they stood at the doorway of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron. 19 Thus Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the doorway of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.
20 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” 22 But they fell on their faces and said, “O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?”
23 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”
25 Then Moses arose and went to Dathan and Abiram, with the elders of Israel following him, 26 and he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing that belongs to them, or you will be swept away in all their sin.” 27 So they got back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the doorway of their tents, along with their wives and their sons and their little ones. 28 Moses said, “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing. 29 If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. 30 But if the Lord brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the Lord.”
31 As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions. 33 So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34 All Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, “The earth may swallow us up!” 35 Fire also came forth from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.
Numbers 16 recounts the arrogance and rebellion of Korah, a Levite, Dathan and Abiram against the divinely appointed leadership of Moses and Aaron. These three men, along with 250 sons of Israel, were said to be leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly and men of renown. Korah, Dathan and Abiram became arrogant (16:1; cf. Psalm 106:16-18), rising up against Moses and Aaron in the assembly, they assert two claims that are certainly accepted truths:
all the congregation, every one of them — and by implication not just Moses and Aaron — are holy. There is justification for this assertion from Exodus 19:6: you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.
and the Lord is in the midst of the congregation … This is also an accepted truth … Exodus 29:45: I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God.
From these two claims Korah deftly deduces a rather democratic conclusion … in the form of a question: so why do you [Moses and Aaron] exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” If we are holy and God is in the midst of all of us, who are you, Moses and Aaron to lord it over the rest of us? Of course, Moses and Aaron had not exalted themselves above the assembly; they had been chosen by the Lord. So Moses proposes to leave it to the Lord to decide the question. Korah’s conclusion shall be put to the test …
is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of 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 to them; and that He has brought you near, Korah, and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking for the priesthood also? Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord
“You and all your company be present before the Lord tomorrow, both you and they along with Aaron. Each of you take his firepan and put incense on it, and each of you bring his censer before the Lord, two hundred and fifty firepans; also you and Aaron shall each bring his firepan.” 18 So they each took his own censer and put fire on it, and laid incense on it;
Korah and his company along with Aaron were to present themselves before the Lord and burn incense before Him. God will choose between Aaron and Korah. This test should have sounded an ominous note for Korah. According to God’s appointment only Aaron was allowed to burn incense morning and evening before the Lord (Exodus 30:1-10). Aaron did not appoint himself High Priest; God did. Korah’s arrogance and envy was not just rebellion directed against Aaron, it was directed against the Lord (v 11). Moreover, God struck dead Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, for offering up strange fire before the Lord. Amazingly, Korah accepts the challenge, and, expecting to be vindicated, summons the whole of Israel to the doorway to the tent of meeting to bear witness.
The glory-cloud of God’s presence appears to the congregation and the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Separate yourselves from among the congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” Moses and Aaron intercede with the Lord: “O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?” God will not spare the wicked; He separates them from the rest of the congregation. God has chosen and His judgment is terrifying and tragic.
Moses said, “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing. 29 If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. 30 But if the Lord brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the Lord.”
31 As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions.
God has appointed those who are servants and ministers in His Church. How destructive arrogance and rebellion against God are! It bears the fruit of bitterness, pain, distress and judgment. We pray for those in authority, for bishops, priests and deacons. Pray for wisdom, grace and humility in God’s household.
JSH+