Num
16:1-3, 10-13, 31-35 (NIV) 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 2 and rose up
against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders
who had been appointed members of the council. 3 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?"
. . .
He has
brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to
get the priesthood too. 11 It is against the Lord that you and all your
followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against
him?"
12 Then
Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, "We
will not come! 13 Isn't it enough that you have brought us up out of a land
flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert? And now you also want to
lord it over us?
. . .
31 As
soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32 and
the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all
Korah's men and all their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the grave,
with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and
were gone from the community. 34 At their cries, all the Israelites around them
fled, shouting, "The earth is going to swallow us too!"
35 And
fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering the
incense.
NOTE: Apparently,
the people also blame Moses for the decision to not go into the desert.
Interesting that two Reubenites team up with some of the Levites to lead the
revolt. Additionally, 250 others from the community, leaders in their own
right, join the rebellion. In human terms, this type of revolt is very well
organized with essentially no support for Moses and Aaron. In most times and
ages, it would have succeeded. But in this case, God has a special purpose for
Israel and has taken active involvement, and he stands for Moses and Aaron. The
result is that despite no other support, all the instigators die. An incredible
miraculous event, which makes the next day's rebellion even more amazing. The
people are hurt and disappointed. Their lives have been torn apart by their
sin. They want to rebel against something, anything that might change their
lives. They have no hope and they are bitter. Still, life is preferable to
death even in the desert. But in times of great emotion, we are blinded by emotion
and do not want to hear or listen to truth.
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