Korah, Dathan, and Abiram
29
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
Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have
killed the people of the Lord.” The people were disappointed in the
matter resulting as it did in favor of Moses and Aaron. The appearance
of Korah, and his company, all impiously exercising the priests’ office
[34]
with their censers, struck the people with admiration. They did not see
that these men were offering a daring affront to the divine Majesty.
When they were destroyed, the people were terrified; but after a short
time all came in a tumultuous manner to Moses and Aaron, and charged
them with the blood of those men who had perished by the hand of
God.
“And it came to pass when the congregation was gathered against
Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of
the congregation, and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of
the Lord appeared. And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle
of the congregation. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Get
you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as
in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.” Notwithstanding the
rebellion of Israel, and their cruel conduct to Moses, yet he manifested
for them the same interest as before. He fell upon his face before the
Lord, and implored him to spare the people. While Moses was praying
before the Lord to pardon the sin of his people, he requested Aaron to
make an atonement for their sin, while he remained before the Lord,
that his prayers might ascend with the incense and be acceptable to
God, that all the congregation might not perish in their rebellion. “And
Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off
the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation,
and make an atonement for them; for there is wrath gone out from the
Lord. The plague is begun. And Aaron took as Moses commanded,
and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague
was begun among the people. And he put on incense, and made an
atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the
living; and the plague was stayed. Now they that died in the plague
were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides them that died