The Exodus and the wilderness · Numbers 16
Korah’s Rebellion
In the wilderness, Korah, a Levite, rebels against Moses and Aaron together with Dathan, Abiram, and On, sons of Reuben, and two hundred and fifty men of renown. Their slogan: “all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them.” Moses falls on his face, then proposes a test: the next day, each man will bring his censer with incense before the LORD, who will show who is holy. Dathan and Abiram even refuse to come up. The next day, the glory of the LORD appears. Moses announces: if the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up, these men have despised the LORD. At once the ground splits open and swallows them alive, with their households, while fire consumes the two hundred and fifty men. By the next day, the people are blaming Moses and Aaron; a plague breaks out, and Aaron stops it with his censer, standing between the dead and the living.
What happens
- Korah and two hundred and fifty men: “all the congregation are holy” Numbers 16:2–3
- Moses falls on his face and proposes the test of the censers Numbers 16:4–7
- Dathan and Abiram refuse to come up: “We will not come up” Numbers 16:12–14
- The earth opens her mouth and swallows up the rebels Numbers 16:31–33
- A fire from the LORD consumes the two hundred and fifty men Numbers 16:35
- Aaron, censer in hand, stops the plague between the dead and the living Numbers 16:47–48
Who is in this story
The lesson
To rise up against those God has appointed is to rise up against God himself: Moses tells Korah as much (“thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD,” 16:11). God calls each person to a specific service; wisdom is to fill it humbly rather than covet someone else’s place.
And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the Lord will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.
Quick quiz on this story
For the next day’s test, what does Moses ask Korah and his men to bring before the LORD?
Moses commands, “Take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer”: there will be two hundred and fifty. Numbers 16:17
How do Dathan and Abiram die, together with their families?
The ground splits open beneath them, the earth opens her mouth and swallows them up with their households: they go down alive into the pit. The fire, for its part, strikes the two hundred and fifty men. Numbers 16:31–33
How many men of renown join Korah, Dathan, and Abiram against Moses?
They rose up against Moses “with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly,” men of renown. Numbers 16:2
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