Nu 16: Korah's disastrous rebellion

       Korah, Dathan, Abiram and On rebel not only against Moses but against God. In Numbers 16:12-14, Moses calls Dathan and Abiram, but they say they won’t come. They creatively remember (or forget) their life in Egypt. They have gone from happily fantasizing about eating leeks and garlic to creatively remembering feasting on milk and honey.

         13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us? 14 Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.

       I don’t know which men’s eyes Dathan and Abiram mean: Korah’s, the Israelites or the Canaanites. It doesn’t really matter. They’re talking trash, looking for a fight.

       They succeed. Moses was very wroth [dam m@`od] + [hrx charah]. We have seen the charah of both Moses and the LORD in previous chapters. This time, it’s m@`od, an exceeding charah. He says to the LORD in 15:

       Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.

       Notice that although Moses is angry, all he prays is that the LORD to not respect [hnp panah] their offering. Panah is to turn and look at, or to turn and look away. I don’t know whether there is some hidden meaning in panah; but Moses has certainly seen what has happened before when the LORD has moved away from someone. Could what might happen (if the LORD disregarded their offerings) be just as bad?

       Think of the rest of the chapter as an action movie, a crazy, seemingly pointless and epic disaster.

         18 And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron. 19 And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.

          20 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.

          22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

         23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 24 Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

         25 And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.

         27 So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.

         28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. 29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me. 30 But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.

         31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: 32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. 33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

         34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.

         35 And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

       Verses 36-40 are a footnote to the action, but do show something important. The motivation of those men who died was wrong, but the offering and the vessels bearing it were hallowed [vdq qadash]. The fire is scattered and the censers will be made into a covering for the altar. It is to be a reminder that no stranger should come near to offer incense the way Korah did.

       It would appear that the issue is over. Or is it?

Nu 16: prelude to a plague

         16:1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: 2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: 3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

       Korah was the grandson of Kohath. The Kohathites were assigned specific duties around the tabernacle (Numbers 4). From what Moses says in response, Korah and his followers weren’t content with their role as Levites (caring for the tabernacle articles); they wanted the priesthood also. Moses stands up for Aaron: what is Korah’s problem with Aaron?

       The rebellion grows to 250 leaders in the congregation. Dathan and Abiram are Reubenites. (On is a Reubenite. He is only mentioned in this verse in the whole bible.) It appears that they have a separate but simultaneous quarrel with Moses.

            4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:

       What does it take you to fall upon your face? Granted, this may be a common display in certain cultures. It’s not common in the US, at least not in Vermont.

       I found the phrase “fell upon” and “face” and its derivatives ~29 times in the Bible. In each case, profound emotional circumstances surround it. It shows worship, awe, horror, humility, wonder or extreme gratitude. In verse 4 above, it seems that Moses' display is a mix of horror and fear for what is likely to come.

       Moses fell on his face more than once. I linger on this thought because one of my desires in “opening the Old Testament” is for you to see these characters as real people with passions and foibles very like our own.

       I truly believe Moses loved these people. Like crazy. How often has he interceded for them? He once killed a man for the injustice he perceived (Exodus 2). He gave up a promise of an amazing heritage in order to talk God out of destroying Israel. Even when pushed to the brink of suicide, Moses pulls it together to continue to lead.

       Misunderstood and maligned, slandered and accused, Moses nevertheless does everything he can to guide and protect the children of Israel from stupidity in its many forms.

       I don’t wish to wax political in a bible study, but here is one thing for certain: when I see a would-be leader, if that man or woman has this kind of heart for a nation, that person will definitely draw my consideration. May our loving God raise up those kind of men and women in our lifetimes.