What is God’s attitude towards rebels? Can similar rebellions happen in churches? Let’s look at Numbers 16.
How many men joined Korah in a rebellion against Moses and Aaron?
Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. 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 16:1-3 NIV)
What did Moses do when he heard about the rebellion?
So when Moses heard it, he fell on his face; 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. Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company; 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!” (Numbers 16:4-7 NKJV)
What did Moses say to Korah and those who were in rebellion?
Then Moses spoke again to Korah: “Now listen, you Levites! Does it seem insignificant to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the community of Israel to be near him so you can serve in the Lord’s Tabernacle and stand before the people to minister to them? Korah, he has already given this special ministry to you and your fellow Levites. Are you now demanding the priesthood as well? The Lord is the one you and your followers are really revolting against! For who is Aaron that you are complaining about him?” (Numbers 16:8-11 NLT)
What complaint did Dathan and Abiram send to Moses?
Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We won’t come up! 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, but you must also make yourself a prince over us? Moreover you haven’t 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 won’t come up.” Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.” (Numbers 16:12-15 WEB)
What instructions did Moses give? What did God say?
Moses said to Korah, “You and your entire community should appear before the Lord tomorrow, you, they, and Aaron. Every person should take his censer, place incense on it, and present it before the Lord. Each person will carry his censer, two hundred fifty censers in all, including you and Aaron.” Then every person took his censer, placed fire on it, put incense on it, and stood at the entrance of the meeting tent with Moses and Aaron. Korah gathered the entire community with them to the entrance of the meeting tent. Then the Lord’s glory appeared to the entire community. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Separate yourselves from this community so that I may consume them in a moment.” (Numbers 16:16-21 CEB)
How did Moses and Aaron respond to God? What was God’s answer to Moses?
But the two men bowed down and prayed, “Our God, you gave these people life. Why would you punish everyone here when only one man has sinned?” The Lord answered Moses, “Tell the people to stay away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.” Moses walked over to Dathan and Abiram, and the other leaders of Israel followed. Then Moses warned the people, “Get away from the tents of these sinful men! Don't touch anything that belongs to them or you'll be wiped out.” So everyone moved away from those tents, except Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their families. (Numbers 16:22-27 CEV)
How would the people know that it was God who had chosen Moses?
And Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been of my own accord. If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord.” (Numbers 16:28-30 ESV)
What happened to the rebellious mob of 250 men and their households?
Just as he finished speaking all these words, the ground beneath them split open. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, all Korah’s people, and all their possessions. They went down alive into Sheol with all that belonged to them. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly. At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled because they thought, “The earth may swallow us too!” Fire also came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were presenting the incense. (Numbers 16:31-35 HCSB)
What did the Lord instruct Moses to do with the censers belonging to the rebels?
Then the Lord instructed Moses, “Tell Aaron’s son Eleazar the priest to take out the censers out of the flames and scatter the coals far away, since they are holy. As for the censers of those rebels who died, fasten them into beaten plates to line the altar. Since they brought them into the Lord’s presence, they’re holy. They are to become a reminder to the Israelis.” So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers that had been burned and beat them into metal plates for the altar, to serve as a memorial to the Israelis, a reminder that no unauthorized person, who isn’t a descendant of Aaron, is to attempt to burn incense in the Lord’s presence, so that he may not become like Korah and his group, just as the Lord had spoken by the authority of Moses. (Numbers 16:36-40 ISV)
How did the congregation decide to act after this event, what did God say about their actions?
But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord. And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. (Numbers 16:41-45 KJV)
How many more died in this subsequent rebellion against God’s will?
And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from Yahweh, the plague has begun!” Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. And he took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked. But those who died by the plague were 14,700, besides those who died on account of Korah. Then Aaron returned to Moses at the doorway of the tent of meeting, for the plague had been checked. (Numbers 16:46-50 LSB)
How does Jude describe a similar attitude of rebellion in a congregation?
But these people disparage all the things that they do not understand; and all the things that they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have given themselves up to the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are the ones who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, like shepherds caring only for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, churning up their own shameful deeds like dirty foam; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved forever. (Jude 1:10-13 NASB)
What is God’s attitude towards rebels? Can similar rebellions happen in churches? You decide!
