By Chalcedony Williams
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 action, 2 and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men of renown. 3 They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”
12 Then Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, “We will not come up. 13 Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, but you would also lord it over us? 14 Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”
32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions. 33 So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34 All Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, “The earth may swallow us up!”
Numbers 16:1-3, 12-14 and 32-34 (NASB 1995)
Envy is a dangerous thing and often likes to masquerade behind other issues in order to justify itself.
Korah, who was a Levite, assembled a group of men who were angry with Moses and Aaron. They accused Moses and Aaron of elevating themselves above the rest of the people, considering themselves more holy than everyone else. Not only that but they then complained that Moses and Aaron had not delivered on the promise to lead Israel to a land flowing with milk and honey and had not given them an inheritance of land. Korah and his co-conspirators were almost certainly envious of Moses’ position, but their envy was hidden among unfounded accusations against his character and dissatisfaction at their unmet expectations. Had they known who they were really conspiring against, they would have thought twice.
Back in Exodus 19, God appeared before Israel and spoke to Moses in their hearing, with the sole purpose of establishing Moses before them forever as the mouthpiece of God. Moses was God’s prophet, a man chosen and appointed by God alone. Aaron, likewise, was chosen from among the Levites to be the High Priest and to represent Israel before God. If we think about God’s holiness and His authority, it is impossible that any person would be able to unrightfully elevate themselves to the position that Moses or Aaron occupied without God stepping in to remove them. Therefore, we must accept that anyone in a position of power, whether we approve of them or not, is there because God, the One who has ultimate power, has allowed it to be so (Romans 13:1). Not only that, but it was God who brought Israel out of Egypt and who promised to deliver them to a land flowing with milk and honey and to give Israel an inheritance. So, who were Korah and Co. really rebelling against? God!
We can see from the scripture that Moses and Aaron were secure in their position. They did not feel the need to justify themselves or to fight back, they simply got Korah’s Crew to gather in the presence of the Lord along with the congregation of Israel. Moses explains to the people that if Korah and the Gang die of natural causes then it proves that he has not been appointed by God. But, he says, if the earth were to open up and swallow Korah’s Club whole, then it is proof that they had disrespected God. Immediately the Lord responds and Korah and his Band perished along with their family and their possessions.
Paul tells us in Romans 13 that rebellion brings judgement upon us. Proverbs 17:11 says “an evil man seeks only rebellion”. It is sinful, often fuelled by envy and in direct opposition to who God has allowed to be in power. Rebellion demonstrates a lack of trust in God’s power and authority. And to those in power, you need not fear criticism and rebellion. If God has appointed you, He will establish you and you will stand, even in the face of the fiercest opposition.
Ask – Who were Korah and co. really rebelling against? How do you know?
Seek – Have there been times when you have been envious of the position and authority someone else has? What were your thoughts and actions towards them?
Knock – Lord, we recognise You as the one who has ultimate authority and that all in positions of leadership have been appointed by You. Help us to be humble, whether in leadership or not, and to trust that You are in control.
(Upper Photo by Mahdi Bafande on Unsplash)
(Inner Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash)
