Numbers 16:46, commentary and pictures

After the rebellion of Korah and the renewed murmuring of the congregation, wrath went out from the Lord in a deadly plague, and Moses directed Aaron to take a censer with fire from the altar, add incense, and hurry into the congregation to make atonement for them. Aaron ran into the midst where death had already begun, offered the incense in atonement, and stood between the dead and the living until the plague was stayed after 14,700 had died besides those who perished with Korah. Moses himself did not flee but lingered before the Lord in earnest prayer for pardon, and by that intercession the people were spared from utter destruction. The smoke of Aaron's incense ascended together with Moses' prayers, showing that the atonement was wrought through intercession and prayer, and Moses' care for rebels under judgment typifies Christ's intercession for sinners. The fire had to be taken from God's altar, teaching that acceptable service must be kindled by God Himself and not by self.

Rebellion, Wrath, and Atonement

The verse belongs to the rebellion of Korah and his associates, who accused Moses and Aaron of taking authority for themselves and claimed that the whole congregation was holy and entitled to share that authority. That rebellion repeats on a narrower stage the rebellion of Satan in heaven, prompted by pride and ambition, envy and discontent, desire for self-exaltation and distrust, and worked in the minds of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Envy and jealousy caused the disaster. Murmuring against Moses and Aaron was blasphemy against God and rejection of God as leader by rejecting the men of His appointment, while the rebels were so deluded as to think themselves righteous.

The day after the destruction of Korah and his company, the congregation came to Moses and Aaron and falsely accused them of killing the people of the Lord. Though terrified, the people were not humbled. Through prejudice, the influence of Korah's company, and sympathy for wrongdoers they regarded the dead rebels as good and holy men and blamed Moses for their fate, calling men God had reproved holy and seeing Moses as responsible. So rebellion persisted even after severe judgment and was met by further deaths under God's judgment.

God manifested His glory in the cloud above the tabernacle and commanded Moses and Aaron to get up from among the congregation to consume it in a moment, and wrath went out from the Lord and a plague began. Moses directed Aaron to take a censer with fire from the altar, put on incense, and go quickly into the midst of the congregation to make an atonement for them. Aaron did as commanded and ran into the midst where the plague had already begun, put on incense and made an atonement for the people, and stood between the dead and the living until the plague was stayed. 14,700 died besides those who died about the matter of Korah, reported in round number as 14,000 dead, after which Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle with the plague stayed. The censers used in the rebellion were hallowed because they had been offered before the Lord, and their metal was made into a covering for the altar as a sign to Israel.

Intercession, Prayer, and Christ

Moses, upon whom no guilt rested, did not fear or flee and leave the people to perish but lingered in the crisis with a true shepherd's care and remained before the Lord in prayer, pleading for pardon and for the people's lives to be spared. By his intercession he stayed the arm of vengeance from making a full end of disobedient, rebellious Israel, so the people were spared from utter destruction. While he thus prayed, he directed Aaron to take fire from the altar, add incense, and go quickly into the midst of the congregation to make an atonement for them because wrath had gone out and plague had begun.

While the minister of wrath went forth and the plague did its work of death, Aaron obeyed and ran among the people and bore the incense among them, standing between the dead and the living until the plague was stayed. The smoke of the incense ascended together with the prayers of Moses in the tabernacle to God. The incense accompanying the atonement represents prayer ascending to God.

Moses' concern for the rebellious people typifies Christ's interest in and intercession for those facing judgment. The fire from the altar shows that God's work must use holy fire kindled by God, not what comes from self. Work done in self will not endure, but work done in God will.

Warning for Later Generations

The history of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, to which this command to make atonement belongs, stands on record as instruction and warning against unbelief and rebellion. It was written to admonish later generations and to teach them from Israel's failures. It was recorded for the instruction of God's people in the last days, that they should not follow that example. Within that warning history, Aaron's quick making of atonement for the congregation answers the outbreak of divine wrath.

The congregation came to Moses and Aaron the day after the destruction of Korah and his company and accused them of killing the people of the Lord, though they had the most convincing evidence of God's displeasure in the destruction of the men who had deceived them. They attributed His judgments to human or satanic agency, declaring that through the power of the evil one Moses and Aaron had caused the death of good and holy men. That act sealed their doom, for it was the sin against the Holy Spirit, by which the heart is effectually hardened against the influence of divine grace. God communicates with man through the agency of the Holy Spirit, and those who deliberately reject that agency as satanic cut off the channel of communication between the soul and heaven. Their continued murmuring after the rebels had been destroyed, blaming Moses for their deaths, shows how rejection of reproof can persist even after a clear demonstration of God's judgment. Their judgment had been shaped by sympathy for wrongdoers, so they called men God had reproved holy and saw Moses as responsible for their fate, and the same spirit appears when people resist efforts to correct wrongs among God's people.

The account calls for decisive action in an emergency. Separating evil workers from the Lord's work would have honored God. Instruction about the rebellion of Korah is appropriate at this time to keep the whole flock from being fed with errors that cause them to go astray.