Great Rebellion
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esteemed, and their judgment had often been sought in difficult matters.
But they were affected by a wrong influence, and became envious,
jealous, and rebellious. They perished not with Korah, Dathan, and
Abiram because they were not the first in rebellion. They were first to
see the end of the leaders in the rebellion, and have an opportunity to
repent of their crime. But they were not reconciled to the destruction
of those wicked men, and the wrath of God came upon them and
destroyed them also.
“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Eleazar the
son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning,
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and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed. The censers
of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad
plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the Lord,
therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children
of Israel.”
The Rebellion Not Cured
After this terrible exhibition of God’s judgment the people returned
to their tents. They were terrified, but not humbled. They had been
deeply influenced by the spirit of rebellion and had been flattered by
Korah and his company to believe that they were a very good people
and that they had been wronged and abused by Moses. Their minds
were so thoroughly imbued with the spirit of those who had perished
that it was difficult to free themselves from their blind prejudice. If
they should admit that Korah and his company were all wicked and
Moses righteous, then they would be compelled to receive as the word
of God that which they were unwilling to believe, that they should
certainly all die in the wilderness. They were not willing to submit to
this and tried to believe that it was all an imposture, that Moses had
deceived them. The men who had perished had spoken pleasant words
to them and had manifested special interest and love for them, and
they thought Moses a designing man. They decided that they could not
be wrong; that, after all, those men who had perished were good men,
and Moses had by some means been the cause of their destruction.
Satan can lead deceived souls to great lengths. He can pervert their
judgment, their sight, and their hearing. It was so in the case of the
Israelites. “But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of