Numbers 16

In Numbers 16, we encounter a significant rebellion led by Korah, Dathan, and Abiram against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. This rebellion challenges the authority established by God, and the chapter reveals the severe consequences for those who oppose God's chosen leaders. The story serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers of pride and disobedience to God's appointed order.

Numbers 16:1-3 (NKJV)
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?”

Korah, along with Dathan, Abiram, and 250 prominent leaders, challenges the authority of Moses and Aaron. They argue that the entire congregation is holy and question why Moses and Aaron should have elevated positions. This rebellion is not just against the human leadership of Moses and Aaron, but also against God’s divine order, as God had chosen them for these roles. The claim that "all the congregation is holy" overlooks the specific roles and responsibilities God had assigned to Moses and Aaron.

Numbers 16:4-7 (NKJV)
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!”

Moses responds with humility, falling on his face before God. He challenges Korah and his followers to a test involving censers and incense, trusting that God will make clear whom He has chosen. Moses reminds Korah and the rebels that it is they who are overstepping their bounds by challenging the established leadership. Moses emphasizes that it is God’s choice, not human ambition, that determines who serves in holy positions.

Numbers 16:8-11 (NKJV)
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?”

Moses rebukes Korah, reminding him that the Levites already have a special role of service in the tabernacle. Korah’s desire for even more power shows dissatisfaction with the significant honor they already hold. Moses points out that this rebellion is not just against Aaron or himself but ultimately against the Lord, as it challenges God’s ordained system. Korah’s ambition reflects a deeper issue of pride and discontentment with God’s assignments.

Numbers 16:12-14 (NKJV)
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!”

Dathan and Abiram refuse to meet with Moses, accusing him of failing to bring them into the Promised Land and of treating them as if he were a prince ruling over them. Their accusations reflect a distorted perspective, as they describe Egypt—where they were enslaved—as a land flowing with milk and honey. They blame Moses for their current situation, ignoring their own rebellion and unbelief that delayed their entry into the Promised Land.

Numbers 16:15-19 (NKJV)
15 Then Moses was very angry, and said to the Lord, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I hurt one of them.”
16 And Moses said to Korah, “Tomorrow, you and all your company be present before the Lord—you and they, as well as Aaron.
17 Let each take his censer and put incense in it, and each of you bring his censer before the Lord, two hundred and fifty censers; both you and Aaron, each with his censer.”
18 So every man took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the tabernacle of meeting with Moses and Aaron.
19 And Korah gathered all the congregation against them at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.

Moses becomes angry at the accusations and prays to God, affirming his innocence. He calls Korah and the 250 rebels to present their censers of incense before the Lord as a test of who is chosen. The challenge is now set, and the entire congregation gathers at the tabernacle to witness the event. The appearance of God’s glory signals that a divine judgment is about to take place.

Numbers 16:20-22 (NKJV)
20 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”
22 Then they fell on their faces, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation?”

God expresses His anger at the rebellion and tells Moses and Aaron to separate themselves so He can destroy the entire congregation. However, Moses and Aaron intercede, pleading with God to punish only the guilty parties. Their concern reflects a deep love for the people, even those who have rebelled, and they appeal to God’s justice to avoid indiscriminate punishment.

Numbers 16:23-27 (NKJV)
23 So the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’”
25 Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.
26 And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.”
27 So they got away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little children.

God instructs Moses to tell the people to move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, warning that anyone who remains will be consumed in their sins. The congregation obeys, but Dathan, Abiram, and their families, including their children, stand defiantly at the entrances of their tents. The "little ones" refer to the children of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who died under God's judgment along with their families. However, because God is just and merciful, and based on Ezekiel 18:20, which states that children do not bear the guilt of their parents, these children, who were too young to decide for themselves to move away, are not held accountable for the rebellion. In God's justice, it is reasonable to believe they will be resurrected and go to heaven, as they were innocent and unable to make the choice to separate from their rebellious families.

Numbers 16:28-35 (NKJV)
28 And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will.
29 If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me.
30 But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.”
31 Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them,
32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods.
33 So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.
34 Then all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up also!”
35 And a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.

Moses declares that the outcome of this event will prove that he is God’s appointed leader. If Korah and his followers die naturally, it would mean that Moses was not sent by God. However, if something extraordinary happens, like the earth swallowing them, it would show that they have rejected the Lord. As soon as Moses finishes speaking, the earth opens up and swallows Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their families. The fire from the Lord consumes the 250 men offering incense. This dramatic judgment leaves no doubt that God has vindicated Moses and Aaron’s leadership.

Numbers 16:36-40 (NKJV)
36 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
37 “Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to pick up the censers out of the blaze, for they are holy, and scatter the fire some distance away.
38 The censers of these men who sinned against their own souls, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, because they presented them before the Lord, therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”
39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned up had presented, and they were hammered out as a covering on the altar,
40 to be a memorial to the children of Israel that no outsider, who is not a descendant of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before the Lord, that he might not become like Korah and his companions, just as the Lord had said to him through Moses.

God instructs Eleazar to collect the censers from the men who were consumed by fire, as they had become holy through being offered to the Lord. The censers are to be hammered into plates to cover the altar, serving as a perpetual reminder to Israel that only the descendants of Aaron are allowed to offer incense. This memorial emphasizes the importance of respecting God’s order of worship and the consequences of rebellion against it.

Numbers 16:41-50 (NKJV)
41 On the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.”
42 Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.
43 Then Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of meeting.
44 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
45 “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces.
46 So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun.”
47 Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people.
48 And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped.
49 Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident.
50 So Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, for the plague had stopped.

The day after Korah’s rebellion, the people again complain against Moses and Aaron, blaming them for the deaths. In response, God’s wrath kindles again, and a plague begins to spread. Moses instructs Aaron to take incense and make atonement for the people. Aaron intercedes by standing between the living and the dead, and the plague is stopped. Despite the ongoing rebellion, Moses and Aaron continue to act as mediators, showing their deep commitment to the people’s welfare even when faced with continued opposition.