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Korah Leads a Rebellion
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Unfair Attack on Moses
But many were not ready to accept Korah’s claims against Moses.
They remembered his patient, self-sacrificing labors, and their con-
sciences were disturbed. So Korah found it necessary to assign some
selfish motive—the old charge was repeated that Moses had led them
out to die in the wilderness so that he might seize their possessions.
As soon as the movement gained enough strength to support an
open break, Korah publicly accused Moses and Aaron of taking au-
thority. “You take too much upon yourselves,” said the conspirators.
“For all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is
among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly
of the Lord?”
Moses had not suspected this carefully-laid plot, and he fell on
his face in silent appeal to God. He rose up calm and strong—Divine
guidance had come. “Tomorrow morning,” he said, “the Lord will
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show who is His and who is holy, and ... whom He chooses He
will cause to come near to Him.” Those who thought they should
be priests were to each come with a censer and offer incense at the
tabernacle. Even the priests, Nadab and Abihu, had been destroyed
for daring to offer “strange fire” contrary to a divine command. Yet
Moses challenged his accusers, to refer the matter to God if they
dared risk making such a request.
Pointing out Korah and his fellow Levites, Moses said, “Is it a
small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the
congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work
of the tabernacle of the Lord ...? and that He has brought you near
to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you?
and are you seeking the priesthood also? Therefore you and all your
company are gathered together against the Lord. And what is Aaron
that you complain against him?”
Dathan and Abiram had not taken as bold a stand as Korah had,
and Moses called them to appear before him, that he might hear their
charges against him. But they rudely refused to accept his authority:
“Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing
with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you should
keep acting like a prince over us? Moreover you have not brought
us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance