Numbers 16:13, commentary and pictures

Dathan and Abiram spoke in insolent, defiant refusal to meet Moses, as part of the wider rebellion of Korah with its princes and instigators against the leaders God had appointed. They sarcastically reversed the truth by calling Egypt, the house of bondage, a land flowing with milk and honey and full of plenty, borrowing the Lord's own language for the promised inheritance. They accused Moses of bringing Israel out of that land into the wilderness to kill them and let them perish, and of making himself altogether a prince and absolute ruler over them from ambition and love of dominion. In judging his leadership harmful and their own judgment better they rebelled not merely against men but against Jehovah, rejecting God and Christ as their invisible Leader in the same pride and ambition that moved Satan in heaven. The account was faithfully chronicled to pass into history for instruction and admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, to be studied and heeded as a timely warning near the close of time.

Setting and Speakers

The words are the insolent, defiant refusal of Dathan and Abiram to come up, spoken against Moses before the congregation in open rebellion. They belong to the wider uprising of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram with two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, men of renown, besides its principal instigators.

The charge also carries reproach against Aaron and challenge to the leaders God had appointed. It rests on the claim that because Aaron and Miriam shared in the work they were equal to Moses and indeed a very essential part of the great whole, and should share the honor rather than leave it all to him.

That company died before the Lord by plague and judgment, which showed the rebels guilty and their suffering just for sin against God's appointed authority. By that terrible manifestation of divine judgment God sustained Aaron in the holy office of high priest, the priesthood conferred with sacred consecration on Aaron's family. Yet the disaffection ran deep, and the followers remained deceived even after the leaders and princes were destroyed, stubbornly judging their own judgment better and accusing Moses of killing the Lord's people. The complaint that Moses brought Israel up to kill them in the wilderness lived on and was repeated at Kadesh in the desert of Zin after forty years of wandering, when water failed and Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron and wished they had died with their brethren who perished in that rebellion.

Meaning of the Charges

The rebels turn the truth upside down by calling Egypt, the house of bondage, a land flowing with milk and honey, a prosperous land of plenty and abundance, borrowing for Egypt the very language the Lord had used for the promised inheritance. That flattering picture forgets Israel's sufferings under slavery and the plagues that devastated Egypt, distorting the facts of deliverance in order to justify rebellion. From that false starting point they accuse Moses of bringing Israel out of that land into the wilderness to kill them, to let them die and perish there, leading them toward destruction rather than toward promise.

To the charge of murder they add the charge of tyranny, that except for killing them Moses makes himself altogether a prince and absolute ruler over them, turning his patient leadership into alleged ambition and arbitrary seeking of power and dominion. They blame him for keeping them out of the promised land and for the deaths and hardships in the wilderness, insisting a different leader would have spared them these troubles and taken them directly to Canaan, when exclusion from Canaan was punishment for their own sins. They claim God never said they would die in the wilderness and they will never believe He did, but that Moses invented that sentence himself, that the Lord had not determined it, that Moses never meant to bring them to Canaan and never brought them out for their good, and that he leads them about blindly at his pleasure, now toward Canaan and now back toward the Red Sea and Egypt.

To turn the people against him they assign him a selfish motive, charging that he designed to keep Israel wandering in the wilderness until they all or nearly all should perish so that he should come into possession of their property and enrich himself by bringing them into the wilderness. When remembrance of his self-sacrificing patience and his disinterested efforts for Israel in bondage disturbed consciences and moved some to speak in his behalf, they answered by claiming to have at last found out the object of his apparent interest, their selfish minds debased as Satan's instruments. In all this they utterly refuse any longer to acknowledge the authority of Moses and Aaron, asking if Moses thinks no one in Israel is wise enough to see through his motives and imposture.

Rebellion Against God

Judging the leadership that brought Israel out of bondage to be harmful, and setting up private opinion as wiser, while persisting stubbornly in that opinion, was rebellion against Jehovah and against God and not merely quarrel with men. Turning aside divine counsel to suit self and weakening confidence in the message and plain testimony sent to rebuke wrongs is that same rebellion against God, leaving those who take that course accountable for how they treat what heaven sends. Those who rise in such opposition become self-deceived, defend appetite and idols against conviction, refuse to deny self and be cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and rally the disaffected to scatter discord and sow division.

Rejecting the men laid under the burden of the work and rejecting the chosen instrument was rejecting God as leader, rejecting Christ the invisible leader, blaspheming God, insulting the Spirit of God, and judgments followed close upon the sin. The murmuring was pride and ambition complaining against the government of God and seeking to overthrow the order God had established, the rebellion of Satan in heaven worked out on a narrower stage. Satan infused Korah, Dathan, and Abiram with the same envy, discontent, and ambition for position and honor that moved Lucifer, arousing desire for self-exaltation, distrust, and rebellion.

That working was by satanic agencies while calling it the Holy Spirit, rooted in pride, prejudice, backsliding, unsanctified independence, and firm self-complacency, with unwillingness to accept and acknowledge light and truth sent from heaven. Through moral infatuation hearts were steeled against the Holy Spirit, spiritual eyesight obscured and judgment perverted and blinded, yet the deception was by consent because they placed themselves in Satan's power. The same spirit shows itself in pride and self-importance resisting rightful leadership and seeking control, as in managers seeking to control other institutions, and in contempt for the word of the Lord with mockery, lightness, trifling, jesting and joking, and refusal to seek God, humble pride, and confess.

They were so deluded as to think themselves righteous and serving God while opposing only a human leader, a man like themselves, to regard those who faithfully reproved their sins as actuated by Satan, and to present themselves as abused men when the abuse and imposition was on their own side. Their course works secretly in darkness instead of going openly to those accused, first gaining sympathy and confidence, then insinuating against appointed leaders, sowing seeds of doubt about those in whom the people should have confidence, and gathering many sympathizers. It spreads falsehoods, enmity, evil-surmisings and satanic representations, questions integrity and motives, bears false witness from a feeling of being misused, speaks hasty unadvised words that foster self-esteem and close the heart to divine influence, leavens minds with distrust, weakens faith in God's instrumentalities, and plants a seed of doubt hard to uproot.

That work falsely charges those God appointed, holds them up in a ridiculous light, labors to make the testimonies of none effect, and influences the people to stand with wrongdoers, creating false sympathy, cutting off influence, causing dissension, leading others into the same error, and endangering souls. It unsettles minds and faith, sows impressions of unbelief in other minds that cannot be removed even if faith is recovered, and does the very work Satan is doing. That course and the result of that influence upon other minds is charged in the books of heaven to be met in the day of final accounts unless the sin is confessed beforehand and let go to judgment that it may be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come.

Warning and Present Application

The complaint in Numbers 16:13 was faithfully chronicled with all its objectionable features to pass into history for instruction and admonition upon those on whom the ends of the world are come. It is to be read publicly and studied carefully and prayerfully, and heeded as a timely warning and protection from error. The record stands especially for God's people living near the close of time, because the same spirit of unbelief and rebellion worked by satanic agencies while calling it the Holy Spirit still seeks to lead persons to imitate that example. Christ came to put down such rebellion, not to aid it, and those in it work secretly in darkness instead of going openly to those they accuse, spreading falsehoods, enmity, evil-surmisings, and satanic representations to gain sympathy.

Work done from self in that spirit will not endure, while work done in God will endure. Genuine rebellion of this kind is hardly ever curable and is to be called by its right name as rebellion and apostasy. Its disaffection was so deep that it was not cured even when God swallowed the wrongdoers and the people fled in horror.

To take that course is to reject evidence and light, to refuse to see and acknowledge it, and to lead others in a path where God is not leading. It is to separate from the great Leader while following the great leader of apostasy, even while naming him Christ our Righteousness, and to be easily led astray by a few men claiming to undeceive the whole church. Both the leaders in such rebellion and those who join themselves with them and believe as they believe imperil their souls. They walk not in the light of the Lord but in sparks of their own kindling, they fall into the ditch, they are left of God as Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were left, and they will lie down in darkness and sorrow. Yielding to this spirit of bearing false witness from a feeling of being misused leavens minds with distrust, weakens faith in God's instrumentalities, plants a seed of doubt hard to uproot, and gives Satan advantage to create distrust, envy, and evil-surmising.

The same rebellion against God is committed by turning aside the counsel of God to suit self and by lessening the confidence of God's people in the message He sends, leaving those who take that course accountable to God for how they treat His message. It is committed by deciding one's own judgment is better than that of God's appointed leader, by resisting plain testimony and straight reproofs of wrongs, by refusing to deny self and be cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and by defending hurtful indulgences such as tea, coffee, snuff, and tobacco when appetite is restricted or a close, demanding requirement is placed upon them. Those who rise in such opposition become self-deceived, defend their idols and appetite against conviction, separate themselves from those perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord, war against the straight testimonies, and rally the disaffected to scatter and sow discord.

It is acted over again when God's people reject testimony and refuse to hearken though God desires to come near to bless and heal backsliding. That course is rooted in pride, prejudice, backsliding, and unsanctified independence rather than the Spirit of God, showing firm self-complacency and unwillingness to accept heavenly light and truth. It shows contempt for the word of the Lord and despises messengers and message, with spiritual eyesight obscured and judgment perverted and blinded, in a spirit of mockery, lightness, trifling, jesting and joking, and refusal to seek God. Despising the messenger is despising God Himself, and those who cherish that spirit will have no clear light to discern precious truth until they humble pride and confess. Unless every soul repents and is converted to be healed they will walk in darkness and in sparks of their own kindling, lie down in sorrow, and have the candlestick removed.

Its example warns against accusing and condemning those on whom God has laid the burden of His work, resisting God's appointed leadership, and causing division. It warns against separating from the church while accusing fellow believers and using the church's errors to build up one's own influence, a divisive course contrary to sanctification through the truth. It warns against going on year after year in the face of all warnings to do according to one's own mind and judgment while refusing to hear the voice of the Lord. It warns against rallying all the disaffected, the spiritually defective, the lame, the halt and the blind to scatter discord.

Such accusations of falsely charging those God appointed, holding them up in a ridiculous light and unjustly accusing them of guilt, are an offense to God. That work creates a sentiment that cuts off their influence, causes dissension in the church, creates false sympathy, leads others into the same error, and endangers souls. It must not be left silent or uncertain, but must be met by requiring proof for every charge, carefully investigating each accusation, undeceiving the people so they are not left to believe a lie, lifting every unsubstantiated reproach, and removing the filthy garments from the servant of God. Those who persist in evil must have a changed heart or face exclusion from the Lord's work.

The verse applies through history so that even people with spiritual light can still be deceived into supporting opposition to truth and must choose the Lord's side and stand firmly for truth. It applies to criticizing the management of the school despite the Lord's guidance, reflecting an attitude needing conversion and change of thought and conduct to work in Christ's way. It applies when a man separates from God so his heart is not under the subduing power of the Holy Spirit, revealing Satan's attributes in oppressing fellow men with influence contrary to truth, justice, and righteousness, as in the desire of one institution to control all others and in men entrusted with weighty responsibilities who have no living connection with God. It applies to entrenching as president behind the sacredness of power and demanding the voice of the Conference be respected as the voice of God while great light is claimed but not fully obeyed, the work mingled with men's devisings and selfishness, and God's servants hurt. It applies to the gainsaying at Minneapolis that unsettles minds and faith in the testimonies, sowing impressions of unbelief in other minds hard to remove.

Safety lies in sinking the shaft deep into the mines of truth, distinguishing precious ore from base material and the false from the genuine, distinguishing the voice of the true Shepherd from that of a stranger, and knowing teachers by their fruits. Safety lies in humbling the heart and sincerely repenting when misled, in holding peace and letting God's reproof fall where He directs instead of judging by human feeling, sympathizing with the wrongdoer, accusing the servant of God who corrects the erring, or standing between the offender and God. Safety lies in choosing the Lord's side, in hiding self in God rather than grasping for command and putting away the self-exalting, conceited spirit, and in returning to right senses rather than yielding to threatenings that demand separation on dishonoring terms.

The same murmuring and jealousy is repeated when God's appointed leader pleads for the cause, encourages liberality, and rebukes love of the world and selfishness, and is then falsely regarded as arbitrary, scheming, and selfish, seeking personal benefit from his brethren. Moses was not seeking dominion or acting arbitrarily to rule for his own power; he was only God's instrument to bring His people into submission and obedience to God's voice. People who act in the same selfish, faithless spirit may conceal their wrongdoing, but God sees it and will reward them according to their deeds. Their opposition did not prevent God's work from surviving, and God sustains with grace, power, and abiding presence the faithful witness He places in position.