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Patriarchs and Prophets
Angel of the covenant was their invisible leader, that, veiled by the
cloudy pillar, the presence of Christ went before them, and that from
Him Moses received all his directions.
They were unwilling to submit to the terrible sentence that they
must all die in the wilderness, and hence they were ready to seize upon
every pretext for believing that it was not God but Moses who was
leading them and who had pronounced their doom. The best efforts of
the meekest man upon the earth could not quell the insubordination
of this people; and although the marks of God’s displeasure at their
former perverseness were still before them in their broken ranks and
missing numbers, they did not take the lesson to heart. Again they
were overcome by temptation.
The humble shepherd’s life of Moses had been far more peaceful
and happy than his present position as leader of that vast assembly of
turbulent spirits. Yet Moses dared not choose. In place of a shepherd’s
crook a rod of power had been given him, which he could not lay down
until God should release him.
He who reads the secrets of all hearts had marked the purposes of
Korah and his companions and had given His people such warning
and instruction as might have enabled them to escape the deception of
these designing men. They had seen the judgment of God fall upon
Miriam because of her jealousy and complaints against Moses. The
Lord had declared that Moses was greater than a prophet. “With him
will I speak mouth to mouth.” “Wherefore, then,” He added, “were ye
not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
Numbers 12:8
. These
instructions were not intended for Aaron and Miriam alone, but for all
Israel.
Korah and his fellow conspirators were men who had been favored
with special manifestations of God’s power and greatness. They were
of the number who went up with Moses into the mount and beheld
the divine glory. But since that time a change had come. A temp-
tation, slight at first, had been harbored, and had strengthened as it
was encouraged, until their minds were controlled by Satan, and they
ventured upon their work of disaffection. Professing great interest
in the prosperity of the people, they first whispered their discontent
to one another and then to leading men of Israel. Their insinuations
were so readily received that they ventured still further, and at last they
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really believed themselves to be actuated by zeal for God.