Lessons for Today From the Rebellion of Korah

It was a gruesome scene. The priest moved slowly through the charred remains of men, searching for what God had declared holy. Finally, he recovered the last of 250 bronze censers.

This was part of a great tragedy in Israel’s history that the book of Numbers describes in detail in chapter 16.

What happened, and what should we learn from the rebellion of Korah?

Whose remains, and why?

The priest picking up the censers was Eleazar, a son of Israel’s first high priest, Aaron (Numbers 16:37). The charred remains belonged to 250 men of Israel who had been part of Korah’s rebellion. God had destroyed these men with a consuming fire (verse 35).

Why?

They had presumptuously planned to take the priestly role to themselves (verses 16-18). They felt Moses and Aaron had assumed too much authority for themselves, arguing that “all the congregation is holy” (verse 3).

It wasn’t Moses, however, who had decided he should lead the nation. And it wasn’t Moses who had decreed who should serve as priests.

It was God who had appointed Moses to his leadership role (Exodus 3). And it was God who had determined that Aaron and his sons alone should fulfill the priestly duties (Leviticus 8-9; Numbers 3:10). God had also set apart the tribe of Levi to serve around the tabernacle in a variety of other roles (Numbers 3:6-9).

Korah was not qualified to serve

Korah was a Levite, but he was not a son of Aaron. He had been given the great honor of serving God at the tabernacle, which was not a “small thing” (Numbers 16:9).

His three named co-conspirators were not even Levites. Dathan, Abiram and On were all from the tribe of Reuben (verse 1), which had not been selected to serve in any capacity around the tabernacle.

All these men had gathered against Moses and Aaron with their grievances. The Hebrew words translated “gathered against” in verse 3 “suggests an organized, well thought-out conspiracy” to oppose Moses and Aaron (Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 2, p. 835).

The showdown between Korah and Aaron

Faced with this rebellion, Moses set up a showdown between Aaron and these men who had presumptuously planned to take the priestly role to themselves (verses 16-18).

Each man was to stand before the tabernacle, which signified God’s presence, with a censer. These censers were shallow bronze pans used for burning incense, a priestly task.

Those 250 rebels attempted to burn incense to God. Ironically, they were themselves consumed by a great flame that “came out from the LORD” (verse 35).

They were not the only people to die suddenly in a shocking manner. Just prior to this consuming flame, “the ground split apart” under the instigators of this rebellion and their households, “and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up” (verses 31-32; Numbers 26:9-11).

What are we to learn from all this?

Lesson 1: Beware a sense of entitlement

These men were not insignificant Israelites. In fact, as The Expositor’s Bible Commentary points out, they were identified in verse 2 by three Hebrew words meaning: 1) “chiefs of the congregation,” 2) “summoned ones of the assembly” and 3) “men of name” (Vol. 2, p. 834).

Unfortunately, a sense of entitlement blinds individuals to their blessings. Clearly Korah, Dathan, Abiram and On, as well as the 250 unnamed men, had important duties and roles within the tribes of Levi and Reuben. Yet they were not satisfied.

From their own words we can discern a sense of entitlement. When they accused Moses and Aaron of taking too much upon themselves (verse 3), they were suggesting that they had been prevented from assuming their rightful share of leadership and its associated privileges.

They reasoned that “all the congregation is holy, every one of them.” They claimed that if all Israel was to be holy, as God Himself had declared (Numbers 15:40), then surely they, as “chiefs of the congregation” and “men of name,” should share in all aspects of religious and civil leadership.

The danger of entitlement

These defiant rebels were completely different from Moses. Four chapters before the rebellion of Korah, we read this statement: “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).

This humility is evident even in Numbers 16. When the mob confronted Moses, his first reaction was one of humility. As the account reveals, “he fell on his face” (Numbers 16:4), presumably to pray for the nation.

Later in the chapter Moses and Aaron together “fell on their faces” (verse 22). In this instance, Scripture tells us that they interceded in prayer on behalf of the people, begging for mercy.

Unfortunately, a sense of entitlement blinds individuals to their blessings. Instead of experiencing gratitude for what God has provided, the entitled individual can become angry and bitter about perceived injustices.

Lesson 2: Avoid setting or following a bad example

The very next day after these two back-to-back miraculous and deadly events, there was another tragic occurrence with an even greater loss of life.

Many Israelites assembled before Moses and Aaron to accuse them of having “killed the people of the LORD” (Numbers 16:41). They should have known better. No human could cause the earth to open, nor could any human destroy 250 men in a sudden blast of fire.

It was God who had destroyed the rebellious Korah. God had opened the earth, and God had created a consuming fire.

Even so, after the deaths of Korah and his comrades, the people chose to follow their example of rebellion. They gathered as an angry mob, spewing out accusations against Moses and Aaron, God’s chosen representatives.

The Hebrew words translated “gathered against” in verse 42 are the same as the words in verse 3, again suggesting an organized conspiracy. The crowd followed the evil example of Korah.

Almost immediately a plague from God began to spread among the people (verse 46). Before Aaron could make atonement for this rebellious people, 14,700 of them died.

A kingdom of priests

Korah wasn’t alive to witness this destruction, but his example had influenced the people in a ruinous way.

The way we live matters, not only to us, but to the people around us. The examples we set may inspire others to draw near to God, or they may lead others into sin.

Israel had been given a special role to be an example for all people. That’s why God referred to the nation as “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). They were to set an example of obedience that would lead to such abundant blessings that the nations around them would take notice.

The people who gathered to accuse Moses and Aaron chose the wrong path, just like their cherished leaders who had died the preceding day. They all refused to take up their God-given role to serve God faithfully by setting the right example.

Lesson 3: Recognize what really makes something holy

Korah’s rationale for rebellion was that all Israel was holy (Numbers 16:3). God Himself had instructed the people to be holy.

What does that mean, and what makes someone or something holy?

God chose the nation of Israel to be His special people. God commanded Israel, “You shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine” (Leviticus 20:26).

In a sense, as Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words explains, Israel became “‘holy’ by their relationship to the ‘holy’ God.” But the word holy signifies more. When God declares someone or something to be holy, there is a reason. That individual or object, as Vine’s notes, has been “‘devoted’ or ‘dedicated’ to a particular purpose” (article “Holy”).

Only God can set people and things apart. Only God makes them holy. Only God decides who will serve Him and in what capacity.

Korah remembered

Unfortunately for Korah, he is remembered as one of the great villains of the Bible. This infamy extends into the New Testament epistle of Jude.

Jude used Korah as one of three examples of “ungodly men” (Jude 1:4) introducing false teachings. He said these men have “gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah” (verse 11).

We must be careful to avoid having a sense of entitlement and instead humble ourselves before God (James 4:10). We must be aware of the example we set and of the examples we follow. And we must remember that it is God alone who determines what and who is holy.