Korah's Rebellion Against Godly Leaders

They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly? - Numbers 16:3

We read this shocking story in the book of Numbers where Moses, God's leader, is being challenged and questioned. We can see a principle here that all of those who are called as Shepherds for God's people will be opposed in some way, their position will be tested. Moses clearly was the leader God raised up through 80 years of preparation for the task. God was simply obeying all the Lord was commanding him and writing the commands and rules for the people to obey. In the passage before this rebellion we see Moses detailing specific clothing for the people of God, "to make tassels on the corners of your garments" (Numbers 15:38). The reasoning the Lord gave for this was that they would remember God's commands and not fall into the lusts of their own hearts through sin. It is very shortly after this a group of 250 men starting showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect to Moses leadership. The theology and thinking these men had come to was that all of God's people are holy and they did not need a leader "over them." It can be when spiritual leaders start to exhort the people of God on specifics in their life that they can become uncomfortable with that type of leadership. This occurrence was not the first time nor the last time that God's delegated leaders would be opposed by even God's own people.

Some of the men who were opposing Moses were the levites who already were separated apart for God's work but were opposing Moses, Joshua and other priests of the Lord. God justified Moses before all of Israel (Numbers 16:31-32). Korah, like Satan, like the first humans, like those who built the Tower of Babel in defiance of God, went against God's ways and order. You could image all the reasonings of those who were going against Moses, some didn't like the way he looked, others didn't like the way he carried himself. But at the very core of the problem was a lack of submission and respect of God's commands and authority. You might not agree fully or even like some leaders in the body of Christ but we are called to submit and follow those leaders who are truly leading God's people. Just like Moses there are many servant leaders who are Overseers in God's Church. The sad reality is when people go against God's true servants there is great harm that is done also to the body of Christ. In the case of Korah's rebellion: "14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah" (Numbers 16:49). Our actions have great impact not only on ourselves but many others around us.