Korah s Rebellion: Playing With Fire By Mark Mayberry 3/18/2012 Introduction Jude 10-11 (NASB95) 10 But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. Korah Rebels Numbers 16 Korah thought he was as great as Moses and Aaron. As time passed he grew more and more jealous, and wrong thoughts filled his mind. I am a Levite just like Aaron, Korah thought, and I m just as good as he. Like Moses and Aaron, Korah belonged to the tribe of Levi. When the tabernacle was first built, God chose this tribe to care for it. God appointed Aaron the high priest and Aaron s sons to be priests. Only Moses, the high priest and the priests were allowed to enter the tabernacle. When two others, Dathan and Abiram, heard that Korah envied Aaron, they told him, You know, we could be just as good rulers as Moses. These three talked against Moses and Aaron among the children of Israel, and they found two hundred and fifty others who felt the same way. Korah and these followers went to Moses and Aaron. They said, You think you are great men. Every person in the congregation is holy, and the Lord is with all the people. Then why do you make yourselves leaders of the congregation of the Lord? When Moses heard this, he fell on his face. He had not tried to be great, but he knew God had chosen him to be the leader. He knew, too, that God had chosen Aaron to be the high priest. These men were not speaking against Moses and Aaron but against God. Moses told Korah, Tomorrow the Lord will show you whom he has chosen and who is holy. Bring censers with fire and incense before the Lord. Then he added, Listen, you sons of Levi. Does it seem a small thing to you that the Lord chose you to care for his tabernacle and to minister to the congregation? He has let you be near to him; do you want to be priests too? Why are you gathered against the Lord? Then Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, but they sent word, We will not come. Is it a small thing that you made us leave the good land of Egypt and brought us into this wilderness so you could rule over us? You even promised us a rich land with fields and vineyards. No, we will not come to see you. Moses talked to the Lord about it. Then Moses reminded Korah again, You, your company and Aaron bring your censers before the Lord tomorrow. The next day Korah and his company brought all the congregation with them to the door of the tabernacle. There the people saw the glory of the Lord. And the Lord told Moses and Aaron, Get away from this congregation so I can destroy them. Moses and Aaron fell on their faces and prayed, O God, do not punish all the congregation for the sin of one man. The Lord told Moses what to do. Moses went to the 1
tents of Dathan and Abiram. The elders and the people followed. He told the people, Get away from these men and their tents lest something happen to you. Now we shall prove whether I have ruled by God s command or whether I have chosen myself as the ruler. If the ground opens up and swallows these men, we shall know God has chosen me for this work. As soon as Moses said these words, there was an earthquake, and the ground opened up. The men, their tents and their goods fell into the earth. The people watching ran in fear. The two hundred and fifty men who had followed Korah, Dathan and Abiram were killed by fire. And the Lord told Moses to have the two hundred and fifty brass censers flattened to cover the altar. When the people saw the brass covering on the altar they would remember that only Aaron and his children were chosen to offer incense to the Lord. Aaron s Rod Numbers 17 Still the children of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. And the Lord told Moses, Take a rod for each of the twelve tribes of Israel, and write the name of the leader of the tribe on each rod. On the rod for the tribe of Levi, write Aaron s name. Then put all the rods in the tabernacle before the ark. The rod of the man I want to be my priest will blossom. Then the children of Israel will know for sure whom I have chosen. Moses did as the Lord had said. The next day when he went into the tabernacle, eleven rods looked the same as they had the day before. But one rod was blossoming like a growing branch on a tree. Moses looked for the name on the rod. It was Aaron s. All the children of Israel looked at the rods Moses brought out of the tabernacle. They could see that Aaron s was different from all the rest. The leaders of the tribes took back their rods. God commanded Moses to keep Aaron s rod in the tabernacle so the people would never forget that God had chosen Aaron and his sons to be his priests. Source: Elsie Egermeier, Arlene Hall, & Clive Uptton, Bible Story Book, (Warner Press. Kindle Edition, 2008-07-01), s.v. Kindle Locations 2498-2548. Place The rebellion of Korah, recorded in Numbers 16, occurred while Israel was camped in the wilderness of Paran (Num. 10:11-13; 12:16; 13:1-3). Numbers 10:11-13 (NASB95) 11 Now in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, the cloud was lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony; 12 and the sons of Israel set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai. Then the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran. 13 So they moved out for the first time according to the commandment of the Lord through Moses. Numbers 12:16 (NASB95) 16 Afterward, however, the people moved out from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran. Numbers 13:1-3 (NASB95) 1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, 2 Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers tribes, every one a leader among them. 3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the sons of Israel. 2
PARAN was a wilderness region in the central part of the Sinai Peninsula (see Map 2, C-1). Although the boundaries of this desert region are somewhat obscure, it probably bordered the ARABAH and the Gulf of Aqaba on the east. The modern Wadi Feiran in central Sinai preserves the ancient name. Paran is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. Chedorlaomer, one of the four kings who attacked Sodom, conquered as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness (Gen. 14:6). After Hagar was driven from Abraham s household (Gen. 21:21), she fled to this wilderness with her son Ishmael. The Israelites crossed Paran during their Exodus from Egypt (Num. 10:12; 12:16), and Moses dispatched spies from Paran to explore the land of Canaan (Num. 13:3). After their mission, these spies returned unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh (Num. 13:26). Much later, after the death of Samuel, David fled to Paran (1 Sam. 25:1). After revolting from King Solomon, Hadad went through Paran on his flight to Egypt (1 Kin. 11:18). Source: R. F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, R. K. Harrison, eds. Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995). Participants KORAH was the Levite who, along with Dathan, Abiram, and On of the tribe of Reuben, led a revolt against the leadership of Moses and Aaron (Num. 16:1-49). Korah was the son of Izhar and a first cousin of Moses and Aaron (Ex. 6:21). He was equal in rank with Aaron within the tribe of Levi. Korah apparently was jealous that Aaron held the position of high priest. The Reubenites were the descendants of Jacob s oldest son. They thought the responsibility for leading Israel should rest with their tribe rather than the Levites. The four ringleaders gathered 250 leaders of the congregation, publicly charging Moses and Aaron with abusing their power. They claimed that all members of the congregation should have equal access to the Lord. Moses placed the dispute in the hands of the Lord, directing Korah and his company to bring containers of incense as an offering to the Lord. Korah complied with this and went with his congregation to the door of the tabernacle where the Lord appeared, threatening to consume them in a moment (Num. 16:21). Moses and Aaron interceded, saving the nation of Israel from destruction. The decision of leadership was again placed before the Lord as Moses instructed the congregation to depart from the tents of these wicked men (Num. 16:26). The decision in favor of Moses was dramatized as the earth opened its mouth and swallowed all the men of Korah (Num. 16:32). Apparently some of the descendants of Korah survived to become ministers of music in the tabernacle during the time of David (1 Chr. 6:31-37). DATHAN was a chief of the tribe of Reuben who, along with Korah and others, tried to overthrow Moses and Aaron (Num. 16; Deut. 11:6; Ps. 106:17). He and his conspirators and their households were swallowed up by the earth (Num. 16:31-33). ABIRAM was a son of Eliab, a Reubenite, who joined in the rebellion of KORAH and conspired against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. He died in an earthquake, which served as a fitting judgment for his sin (Num. 16:1-33). 3
ON was a son of Peleth, of the tribe of Reuben (Num. 16:1). On joined Korah, Dathan, and Abiram in a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. Source: R. F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, R. K. Harrison, eds. Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995). Past Perversity As firstborn, Reuben should have received a double-portion of his father s inheritance and become the leader of his brethren (Deut. 21:17). However, he forfeited such honors because he committed fornication with Bilhah, his father s concubine (Gen. 35:22; 49:1-4). Deuteronomy 21:17 (NASB95) 17 But he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; to him belongs the right of the firstborn. Genesis 35:22 (NASB95) 22 It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father s concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now there were twelve sons of Jacob Genesis 49:1-4 (NASB95) 1 Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come. 2 Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob; And listen to Israel your father. 3 Reuben, you are my firstborn; My might and the beginning of my strength, Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. 4 Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence, Because you went up to your father s bed; Then you defiled it he went up to my couch. In like manner, Simeon and Levi were condemned for their cruelty and wrath, and foretold that their descendants would be divided and scattered (Gen. 49:5-7; cf. Gen 34). The allotment of Simeon lay within the region of Judah, and the sons of Levi were scattered among the 12 tribes of Judah. Genesis 49:5-7 (NASB95) 5 Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their swords are implements of violence. 6 Let my soul not enter into their council; Let not my glory be united with their assembly; Because in their anger they slew men, And in their self-will they lamed oxen. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel. I will disperse them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel. Present Presumptiveness The rebels assembled together against Moses and Aaron, saying, You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord? (Num. 16:3; cf. Exod. 19:5-6). Note their accusations and assumptions: Are not we all equal? It is unfair for you to exalt yourselves above the assembly. In other words, fairness trumps divine restrictions. 4
Numbers 16:3 (NASB95) 3 They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord? Exodus 19:5-6 (NASB95) 5 Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and 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. Remonstrance & Rebuttal In self-defense, Moses said, Tomorrow God will show who is His, and who is holy, and who He has chosen. Bring your censers w/ fire and incense, and let us see who God has chosen. God has chosen you to minister in the tabernacle, do you seek the priesthood also? (Num. 16:4 11). Numbers 16:4 11 (NASB95) 4 When Moses heard this, he fell on his face; 5 and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is His, and who is holy, and will bring him near to Himself; even the one whom He will choose, He will bring near to Himself. 6 Do this: take censers for yourselves, Korah and all your company, 7 and put fire in them, and lay incense upon them in the presence of the Lord tomorrow; and the man whom the Lord chooses shall be the one who is holy. You have gone far enough, you sons of Levi! 8 Then Moses said to Korah, Hear now, you sons of Levi, 9 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; 10 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? 11 Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord; but as for Aaron, who is he that you grumble against him? Divine Wrath & Revelation The assignment of leadership roles and priestly responsibility belonged to God. God chose Moses and Aaron to lead the congregation out of Egypt and through the wilderness. God chose the tribe of Levi to serve as priests. Note the irony: Levi, who earlier violated the concept of a covenant would be responsible for teaching Israel and maintaining the covenant. He who showed no mercy would become an instrument of mercy, serving as mediator between God and man. In punishment, God caused the earth to open and swallow up Korah and his followers (Num. 16:31-40). Numbers 16:31-40 (NASB95) 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 5
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. 36 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 37 Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the blaze, for they are holy; and you scatter the burning coals abroad. 38 As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they did present them before the Lord and they are holy; and they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel. 39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which the men who were burned had offered, and they hammered them out as a plating for the altar, 40 as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no layman who is not of the descendants of Aaron should come near to burn incense before the Lord; so that he will not become like Korah and his company just as the Lord had spoken to him through Moses. 6