Numbers 16:1-3—1 Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; 2 and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. 3 They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?"
Ever see the movie “The Ten Commandments”? Used to watch it every Easter when it would come on ABC. And every Easter, Charlton Heston led me to the Lord. Haha. Well, when I started studying the Bible, I realized the movie wasn’t really true to the Scriptures in some areas. This is one of those areas. Dathan was played by Edward G. Robinson, and in the movie this episode we are looking at took place right after the Golden Calf episode. So the writers kinda mixed up and muddled up the sequence of events for dramatic license. Just wanted to get that out of the way. Here we see again a murmuring against what God has commanded. He put Moses in charge, and Aaron as the High Priest. But this band of rebels was not happy with that. They looked at Moses and Aaron as taking these mantles upon themselves. "You take too much upon yourselves…Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" And they were not happy at how Moses and Aaron were running things, and this band thought they were just as entitled to run things as Moses and Aaron. But that is not what God commanded. God had a certain way He wanted things done, and these men were rebelling against that command. And we will see the consequences of his actions later. Suffice it to say it is never good to rebel against what God has ordained.
So what can we learn from this today? We learn that God has set up an organization for how He wants the church set up. We find this organization in Ephesians 4:11—And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. Notice what Paul says. He Himself gave some to be. In other words, God is the one who appoints those who are apostles, prophets, etc. Those who are in these positions, and are truly apostles, prophets, etc., do not take these mantles upon themselves. But don’t we see Korah’s type of rebellion today; when a member of a church thinks he (or she) can do a better job than the one pastoring that particular flock, and decides to plant seeds of doubt among the members? Again, a pastor also does not (or should not) take that office upon himself lightly. For if a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work (1st Timothy 1:3). The amount of time involved in shepherding a flock—the time spent studying the Scriptures for what the people need to hear, the time visiting the sick and infirm, the time spent in meetings to determine how to spend the church’s funds—is more than many can bear, more than any rabble-rousers can imagine, and can take a toll on that preacher and his family. It is no small thing to shepherd a flock! So you can only imagine the tolls it took on Moses and Aaron top lead almost a million people from Egypt, through the desert, to the land God promised them. Which is why God was so patient with Moses in the times he cried to Him and bemoaned his situation—it was no small thing to lead this group of grumblers and backbiters, when there were scarce resources and there was scorching heat and the threat of those in the surrounding land to come upon them.
But Korah thought it was. He and those with him thought they could lead this mass of people through the desert just as well as Moses could, and that anyone could minister to God as well as Aaron did. Numbers 16:4-7—4 So when Moses heard it, 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 cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him. 6 Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company; 7 put fire in them and put incense in them before the LORD tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom the LORD chooses is the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!" In verse 7, Moses turns Korah’s argument back on him, by saying that Korah and his band have taken too much upon themselves. And he’s right. When it says in Numbers 12:3 that no one was more humble than Moses, that was the absolute truth. And he had to be. A man who was proud in his heart could not lead this bunch of grumblers through the desert, or his pride would puff him up and he would leave them all behind and take God up on His offer to wipe them all out and start over with that person. And what glory would God get out of that? (Numbers 14:13-19).
And in keeping with this idea, what is the first thing Moses does when Korah makes his claim? So when Moses heard it, he fell on his face. So many of us would be angry with these people, since God just told them in Numbers 14 that because they have grumbled against Him so many times that they would not enter the Promised Land. This time, it wasn’t grumbling because of food or water or the giants in the land, it was the grumblings of a handful of men who let one thing overtake them: pride. And if Moses was a prideful man, he and Korah would end up throwing hands against one another. But what does Moses do? He humbles himself and bows his face to the earth and instantly gets a word from the Lord, that they should let God decide who the Prophet and High Priest really are. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him. Here again we see the principle of Election, that God chooses who will be His and who will be chosen to perform the duties of ministering between the people and God, as Moses says again in verses 6-7—6 Take censers, Korah and all your company; 7 put fire in them and put incense in them before the LORD tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom the LORD chooses is the holy one. In this way, Moses was letting Korah and company know that he was not making the decision, but God.
Remember back in Leviticus 11, when Nadab and Abihu brought a different incense to burn before God, and He burned them up on the spot? Wasn’t Moses that did that, wasn’t Gershom, wasn’t Eleazar. It was God. Why? Because they did something in a way that God did not approve of. And in the same way, Korah and company were to bring a censer of coals and Aaron was to bring a censer of coals, and God would make the decision. Many people these days think it is some kind of badge of honor to say “Only God can judge me!” And they say it in an almost prideful manner, as if God will excuse their sins. But when someone says “Only God can judge me”, they should be ready for Him, because one thing is certain—He will!
And Korah decided also to cast his lot on his own righteousness, rather than acknowledging that He chose Aaron to be High Priest. And even today, we have those who will rail against God’s people, thinking that they themselves are better than the people of God. Paul says in Romans 8:33—Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Korah laid a charge against the men God had chosen, and thought he could get away with it. How brazen must he have been! How prideful! To think that God would turn His back on the man He chose to be High Priest, and accept this prideful man who boasted against God’s elect! This even more clearly emphasizes the point made in Numbers 12:3, that the man Moses was very humble!
Numbers 16:8-11—8 Then Moses said to Korah, "Hear now, you sons of Levi: 9 Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to serve them; 10 and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also? 11 Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the LORD. And what is Aaron that you complain against him?” Korah and company thought it was an easy task to lead almost one million souls from Egypt, to Sinai, around the Sinai Peninsula, through the Wilderness of Paran, to a land which the people did not know. And from the human side, Korah and company were treating their election by God as a minute thing—that God had chosen them to be His, that God had chosen them to perform their assigned duties in the Tabernacle, that God had chosen them to act as mediator between the people and God. And now they want more? Now they want to be the ones in charge of the Tabernacle? A position that God Himself chose Aaron for, flawed as he was? This rank jealousy coming from Levites, the ones who were to stand before God and present unblemished sacrifices. How could they stand before God with such a heart polluted by the same sin that caused Satan to be cast out of Heaven, when he declared 13 “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14). What do you read over and over again in this passage? I…I…I…… And just as it was Satan exalting himself above the seat of God, here we see Korah—not Moses and Aaron—exalting himself and those with him above the judgment of God.
”Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the LORD.” Ouch. This would have been the time for Korah and company to fold their hands and admit that they were in no position to question God. They could have, as Moses, fallen on their faces and begged forgiveness from the Most High, and they may have been struck with leprosy or may have incurred some other punishment from God. As Jesus said of the two sons in Matthew 21:28-31—28 "A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.' 29 He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" Here, we see that God had two sons—Moses and Korah—We know Moses did the will of God. And here, Korah could have been like the first Son in Jesus’ parable—going against the will of the Father, then regretting it and submitting to God’s will. But he didn’t. Much like the wicked men of Sodom in Genesis 19:11, they kept groping for the door of sin and like the men of Sodom, they would face consequences. Well said is it in Proverbs 16:18—Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Dathan was a prideful man, and he (and those who followed him) would experience a fall like no other!
Numbers 16:12-14—12 And Moses sent to call 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 a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you should keep acting like a prince over us? 14 Moreover you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!" Again we see the longing for slavery. Edward G. Robinson—I mean, Dathan—and Abiram saw their time in bondage as a time of freedom. They could eat what they wanted, they could do what they wanted, they could play however they wanted—all they had to do was dance in the mud and put up statues to honor the pagan gods. Just like today, when we come to know Christ and even confess Him as Lord and Savior, and something comes up that tests our patience, or is disagreeable to us, we can be tempted to seek to go back to the mire we were taken out of, because we see that as easier than following Christ and accepting of the trial we are in. Or we are tempted by something we used to enjoy, and we think “ya know, if it wasn’t for Jesus, I could enjoy that again.” Instead of seeing that trial or temptation as a way to show that we are actually in a better place than we were in, and to give God the glory we see it as God not being fair, and we say that God has not made our lives easier. But here’s the problem—knowing Christ and following Him may not bring instant joy and deliverance from trials. In fact, the trials may become more intense, But don’t let that dissuade you from following Him. Rather, we should use these trials as a way to depend on Him even more. James 1:2—My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. Are you in a financial bind? Ask God how to get through this. Do you have wayward children? Ask God to set them on the correct path. Did you lose your job? Ask God where to seek employment and follow His guiding. But in all these things, ask that His will be done (Matthew 6:10), because His will may be different than your will.
And be patient. James 1:3—Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. This was one thing Dathan and Abiram were sorely lacking in. “You have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards.” No, they had not come to the land flowing with milk and honey—YET. But they would get there! And it would be a far better place than their time in bondage in Egypt! It has been said that every prayer of the saints is heard by God, and He answers them all. Sometimes the answer is “yes”, sometimes the answer is “no”, sometimes the answer is “wait”. Galatians 5:22—The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering… Patience. Wait on the Lord. David says this in Psalm 27:14—Wait, I say, on the LORD! In our day and age it is hard to be patient. So many things and people around us demanding our attention. So often we are out somewhere and we are behind a slower car, or an elderly couple in the aisle or the checkout at the grocery store. Or maybe we have to wait for five seconds for someone to move out of our way. Our reaction can show who we really are. Do we get angry, and huff and puff? Not only is that impatience, but also displays a bit of pride. “Where I have to go is more important than these people!” Perhaps by slowing you down by five seconds, God may be saving your life! In her song “Granny’s angel”, Nicole C. Mullen posits such a thought in her song “Granny’s Angel”:
Stuck in traffic, at a quarter ‘til nine
Shirley’s cursin’ “Oops! Is that fatal wreck on my side?
No compassion, ‘cause she don’t realize
Had she been any earlier
BOOM! It would have been her life
Thing is that no, the people of Israel were not in the Promised Land. But they were getting there. Wait, I say, on the LORD! Abraham Kuyper once said “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” Not only does that speak of all of the physical universe, but it also speaks of time. There is not a year our month or week or day or hour or minute or second over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, “Mine!” God could have very easily stopped their mouths and their grumbling and complaining but He didn’t. Why? I don’t know, but He had His reasons. More than likely, He was weeding out those whom He knew were not fit for the Promised Land. Just like when He told Gideon to not go against the Midianites and Amalekites and people of the East with the 32,000 or the 10,000 but only the 300 faithful men.
Not only was He weeding out the unfaithful and backbiting, He was also doing it for His glory. See, God does not get glory in victory by large numbers, but by strengthening the hands and minds of the few. Remember, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the whole city celebrated. By the time He gave up His life, the city had turned on Him. In the old hymn “Man of Sorrows, What a Name”, P. P. Bliss states:
Lifted up was He to die;
"It is finished" was his cry;
He was lifted up on the cross by those who opposed God. Forsaken even by those who followed Him and knew Him as the Son of God. Only John was left, and Jesus sent him away as well. As Isaiah said, 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted…He was led as a lamb to the slaughter…8 He was taken from prison and from judgment…For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken (Isaiah 53:7-8). What glory could come from one Man, beaten and mocked, dying alone on a cross, put to shame for the world to see? Well, this was not just any man. This was the holy, righteous, perfect Son of God. And what had He done that was deserving of death? Why was He beaten and mocked? What blasphemy had He uttered? Oh no friend, it was not because of any sin He committed, for the Son of God did no sin, nor did He even think of doing any sin. In fact, He was put to death for us. For you. For me. For your neighbor. And God took His Son, battered and broken, from the tomb, raised Him up to sit at His right hand, to rule over all creation. The hymn goes on:
Now in heaven exalted high:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
When he comes, our glorious King,
All his ransomed home to bring,
Then anew this song we'll sing:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
How dare any of us think that just because He has not yet returned that His promise is null and void? How dare we think that just because we are still stuck on this rock that our lives are for naught? We have the promise of our risen Lord that He will return, and that every eye will see Him, that the mouths of the unbelieving will be stopped, and that we who Know Him will be brought safely into our promised reward. But we have to be patient, and Wait, I say, on the LORD!
Part 2 next week
