Korah Leads a Rebellion

This chapter is based on Numbers 16 and 17. 

The judgments inflicted on the Israelites held back their complaining and rebellion for a while, but the spirit of rebellion was still in their hearts. Now a seriously planned conspiracy was formed to overthrow the authority of the leaders appointed by God Himself. 1TC 261.2

Korah, the leading person in this movement, a cousin of Moses, was a man of ability and influence. He had become unhappy with his position and wanted the dignity of the priesthood. For some time Korah had been secretly opposing the authority of Moses and Aaron, though He had not dared to openly rebel. He finally devised a bold plan to overthrow both the civil and the religious authority. Dathan and Abiram, two princes, readily joined in his ambitious schemes and decided to divide the honors of the priesthood with Korah. 1TC 261.3

The feeling among the people favored Korah. In the bitterness of their disappointment, their former doubts, jealousy, and hatred returned, and again they complained against their patient leader. They forgot that they were under God’s guidance, that the presence of Christ went in front of them, and that Moses received directions from Him. 1TC 262.1

Unwilling to die in the wilderness, they were ready to believe that it was not God but Moses who had decided their doom. Although the evidence of God’s displeasure at their rebellious nature was still before them, they did not take the lesson to heart. 1TC 262.2

God, who reads the secrets of all hearts, had given His people warnings and instructions that could have given them the power to escape the deception of these scheming men. They had seen the judgment of God on Miriam because of her jealousy and complaints against Moses. The Lord had declared, “I speak with him face to face. ... Why then,” He added, “were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” (Numbers 12:8). These instructions were intended not for Aaron and Miriam alone, but for all Israel. 1TC 262.3

Korah and his co-conspirators were among those who went up with Moses into the mountain and saw the divine glory. But they had held onto a temptation, though small at first, until their minds were controlled by Satan. They first whispered their resentment to one another and then to some of the leading men of Israel. At last they really believed that they were driven by zeal for God. 1TC 262.4

They were successful in recruiting two hundred fifty princes. With these influential supporters they felt confident of greatly improving the administration of Moses and Aaron. 1TC 262.5

Jealousy had given rise to envy, and envy to rebellion. They had deceived themselves and each another into thinking that Moses and Aaron had themselves taken the positions they held, that these two leaders had put themselves up into high positions by taking the priesthood and government. They were no more holy than the people, and it should be enough for them to be on a level with their brethren, who were equally favored with God’s presence and protection. 1TC 262.6

Korah’s Method: Praise the People

Korah and his associates appealed for the support of the congregation. They declared that it was a mistake to say that it was the complaining of the people that had brought God’s anger on them. They said that the congregation were not at fault, since they desired nothing more than their rights, but that Moses was an unfair and unreasonable ruler—he had found fault with the people as sinners when they were a holy people. 1TC 263.1

Those who listened to Korah thought they clearly saw that their troubles might have been prevented if Moses had done things differently. Their exclusion from Canaan was a result of poor management by Moses and Aaron. If Korah were their leader, and he encouraged them by dwelling on their good deeds instead of pointing out their sins, they would have a very successful journey, and instead of wandering in the wilderness they would proceed directly to the Promised Land. 1TC 263.2

Korah’s success with the people increased his confidence. He claimed that God had authorized him to make a change in the government before it was too late. 1TC 263.3

Unfair Attack on Moses

But many were not ready to accept Korah’s claims against Moses. They remembered his patient, self-sacrificing labors, and their consciences were disturbed. So Korah found it necessary to assign some selfish motive—the old charge was repeated that Moses had led them out to die in the wilderness so that he might seize their possessions. 1TC 263.4

As soon as the movement gained enough strength to support an open break, Korah publicly accused Moses and Aaron of taking authority. “You take too much upon yourselves,” said the conspirators. “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?” 1TC 263.5

Moses had not suspected this carefully-laid plot, and he fell on his face in silent appeal to God. He rose up calm and strong—Divine guidance had come. “Tomorrow morning,” he said, “the Lord will show who is His and who is holy, and ... whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him.” Those who thought they should be priests were to each come with a censer and offer incense at the tabernacle. Even the priests, Nadab and Abihu, had been destroyed for daring to offer “strange fire” contrary to a divine command. Yet Moses challenged his accusers, to refer the matter to God if they dared risk making such a request. 1TC 264.1

Pointing out Korah and his fellow Levites, Moses said, “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 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? Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord. And what is Aaron that you complain against him?” 1TC 264.2

Dathan and Abiram had not taken as bold a stand as Korah had, and Moses called them to appear before him, that he might hear their charges against him. But they rudely refused to accept his authority: “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? 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!” 1TC 264.3

By saying this, they declared that they would no longer submit to be led around like blind men, now toward Canaan, and now toward the wilderness, to fit Moses’ ambitious plans. They portrayed him as the worst tyrant and power-grabber. They blamed him for their exclusion from Canaan. 1TC 264.4

Moses did not try to defend himself. He solemnly appealed to God in the presence of the congregation and begged Him to be his judge. 1TC 264.5

The Great Test: Whom Would God Acknowledge?

The next day the two hundred fifty princes, with Korah leading them, presented themselves with their censers, while the people gathered to await the result. It was not Moses who assembled the congregation to see the defeat of Korah and his company. The rebels, in their blind judgment, had called them together to witness their victory. A large part of the congregation openly sided with Korah. 1TC 265.1

Korah had left the assembly to join Dathan and Abiram when Moses, with the seventy elders, went down with a last warning to the men who had refused to come to him. At God’s direction, Moses told the people, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.” The people obeyed, for a sense of approaching judgment rested on all. The chief rebels saw themselves abandoned by those whom they had deceived, but they stood their ground with their families, defying the divine warning. 1TC 265.2

Moses now declared in the hearing of the congregation, “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. If these men die naturally like all men ... then the Lord has not sent me. 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.” 1TC 265.3

As he finished speaking, the solid earth split open and the rebels went down alive into the pit, with all their goods, and “they perished from among the assembly.” The people ran away, self-condemned as those who had taken part in the sin. 1TC 265.4

But the judgments were not ended. Fire flashing from the cloud consumed the two hundred fifty princes who had offered incense. These men had not been destroyed with the chief rebellion planners. They were allowed to see their end and to have an opportunity to repent, but their sympathies were with the rebels, and they shared their fate. 1TC 265.5

The entire congregation shared in their guilt, for to a greater or lesser degree, all had sympathized with them. Yet the people who had permitted themselves to be deceived were still given time to repent. 1TC 266.1

Jesus, the Angel who went before the Hebrews, was working to save them from destruction. The judgment of God had come very near and appealed to them to repent. Now, if they would respond to God’s leading, they could be saved. But their rebellion was not cured—that night they returned to their tents terrified, but not repentant. 1TC 266.2

Korah had flattered them until they really believed themselves to be a very good people, wronged and abused by Moses. They had foolishly cherished the hope that a new order of things was about to be established in which there would be praise instead of reproof, and no troubles instead of worry and trials. The men who had died had spoken flattering words and promised great interest and love for them, and the people decided that somehow Moses had been the cause of their destruction. 1TC 266.3

The Israelites had proposed putting both Moses and Aaron to death, yet they did not spend that night of probation in repentance and confession, but in planning some way to resist the evidence that showed them to be the greatest of sinners. They still cherished hatred of the men God had appointed, and braced themselves to resist their authority. 1TC 266.4

“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.’” And they were about to move violently against their faithful, self-sacrificing leaders. 1TC 266.5

Moses’ Love for Erring Israel

Divine glory appeared in the cloud above the tabernacle and a voice spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” 1TC 266.6

Moses lingered in this terrible crisis, showing a true shepherd’s interest for the flock of his care. He pleaded that God might not completely destroy the people of His choice. 1TC 266.7

But wrath had gone out and the plague was doing its work of death. Following his brother’s instructions, Aaron took a censer and hurried into the middle of the congregation to “make atonement for them.” “And he stood between the dead and the living.” The plague was stopped, but not until fourteen thousand Israelites lay dead. 1TC 267.1

Now the people were compelled to believe the unwelcome truth that they were to die in the wilderness. “Surely we die,” they exclaimed, “we perish, we all perish!” They confessed that they had sinned in rebelling against their leaders and that Korah and his company had experienced the just judgment of God. 1TC 267.2

Don’t the same evils still exist that were at the heart of Korah’s ruin? Pride and ambition are all around, opening the door to envy and power struggles. People become separated from God and unconsciously drawn into the ranks of Satan. Like Korah and his companions, many are thinking, planning, and working so eagerly to exalt themselves that they are ready to twist the truth, lying about and misrepresenting the Lord’s servants. By continuing to repeat lies, they finally come to believe it to be true. 1TC 267.3

The Hebrews were not willing to submit to the Lord’s directions and restrictions. They were unwilling to receive correction. This was the secret of their complaints against Moses. All through the history of the church, God’s servants have had to meet the same spirit. 1TC 267.4

Rejection of light darkens the mind and hardens the heart, making it easier to take the next step in sin, to reject even clearer light, until habits of wrongdoing finally become set in the heart. The person who faithfully preaches God’s word and condemns sin is too often repaid with hatred. Soothing their consciences with lies, jealous and resentful people spread conflict in the church and weaken the hands of those who want to build it up. 1TC 267.5

Those who are envious and continually criticize have misrepresented every step forward made by those whom God has called to lead His work. It was this way in the time of Luther, of the Wesleys, and other reformers, and it is the same today. 1TC 267.6

Korah and his companions rejected light until they became so blind that the most amazing demonstrations of power were not enough to convince them—they attributed them all to human or satanic sources, and the rest of the people did the same thing. Despite the most convincing evidence of God’s displeasure, they dared to claim that His judgments were from Satan, declaring that Moses and Aaron had caused the death of good and holy men. They committed the sin against the Holy Spirit. “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man,” said Christ, “it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him” (Matthew 12:32). It is through the Holy Spirit that God communicates with us, and those who deliberately reject this influence as satanic have cut off the channel of communication between themselves and Heaven. 1TC 268.1

If we finally reject the Spirit’s work, there is no more that God can do for us. We have cut ourselves off from God, and sin has no remedy to cure itself. “Let him alone” (Hosea 4:17) is the divine command. Then “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26, 27). 1TC 268.2