Numbers 16:2-4

Their anti-God spirituality was so focused that while they had their anger centered on Moses, they appeared to be entirely ignorant of the fact that it was God they were rejecting, as well as Moses. They were not about to allow the sovereign God to govern His people because they did not really see God through eyes of faith. What is interesting to me is that those three men apparently did not consider God's involvement at all. How quickly Adam and Eve forgot God. Now with Dathan, Korah, and Abiram, the same thing. For some reason God was simply not a part of their thinking. This sounds exactly like David describes in Psalm 10.

The problem here in these people I have used as examples was a lack of faith combined with a lack of awareness of God. This awareness thing is important because a person can sincerely believe in a Creator God, but if he is not really a part of what God is creating, it is very likely that this person is not going to be aware of God as actually personally, intimately working in his life.

A person in whom God is really truly working in and through, and really does have a living saving faith in Him, is going to be aware of God. He is not going to be like the person David described in Psalm 10:4. God is very real to him. To him God is a living Being he talks with in intimate terms, and believes God is working in his life night and day. He is aware, but not afraid, that God is watching over his life very, very closely.

Numbers 16:2-3

What Korah did not understand is that even if there's a certain amount of truth in what rebels say, they are still rebels. The attack on Moses and Aaron was brazen and blunt. Back a few verses in Numbers 16.

Moses' reaction was a powerful message in itself. He prostrated himself in abject humility, fearful that God would wipe out these arrogant rebels and the nation in a flash. Moses knew God well enough to know what to expect. An earthquake destroyed Korah and his rebels in plain view of the nation. That is not something He does lightly, but He so hates the sin of pride and arrogance that He had to take drastic measures to save the rest of the nation.

We should be "quaking in our boots" at the very thought of even questioning authority. Because not only we, as individuals, are responsible for our rebellious attitudes or the pride that we allow to grab hold of us in questioning authority, but we also take our families with us if we are the head of household for example. Our sins in that area will cause our whole family to have judgment brought upon them for our sins in this area. We should be very cautious of our questioning of authority!

Sometimes we do have to question authority when it is unrighteous. But we better make sure that it is unrighteous authority—something that is directly against God Himself—before we question it!

Numbers 16:2-5

Let us go back to Numbers 16. Here we have the rebellion against Moses and Aaron led by Korah, so we identified the participants in verse 1.

These men exalted themselves before God and Moses through their desire for the priesthood in addition to the responsibilities that they already had. He claimed that he was just as good as Moses and Aaron. That is what Helel said: “I am going to go up and take God’s place, I am going to be God.” He was saying I am equal with God. Korah is following the same path, only this time, the participant is Korah, his buddies, Moses, and Aaron.

He says, “I am just as good as you are.” That was not the issue and Moses saw it immediately. The issue was God’s choice in the appointment of Moses and Aaron and Aaron’s family to that responsibility, but Korah’s pride brought him into contention with Moses and thus he forced God’s hand and what happened? God opened up the earth, and Korah and 250 others fell into it to their destruction.

Do you see where those proverbs came from? Pride produces contention which in turn produces a fall to destruction. It is a progression that cannot be avoided if pride is exercised, except through repentance. That is the only thing that has an opportunity to change, to alter, the course of the progression that is heading in that direction.

Numbers 16:1-3

The very fact that Joshua and Caleb were not judged in the same way shows that God was judging each person individually. Now, this one has very serious ramifications. How many people do you know who are going along with the church in today's trial, believing an evil report? Are they aware of what is written in this book of judgments about their personal responsibility?

This time the judgment was against the ministry, or at least its equivalent, and those who sympathize with them in their attack against Moses, which was viewed by God as an attack against Him.