And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.
After making atonement for the people Aaron came back to Moses at the entrance of the tent, and the deadly plague was halted. He had hastened with his censer into the middle of the congregation and stood between the dead and the living, with the rising incense as intercession for Israel. The staying of the judgment came through united pleading, for Moses lingered as a true shepherd and entreated God not to make a full end of the murmurers while Aaron made atonement at his direction, yet not before fourteen thousand seven hundred lay dead besides those destroyed with Korah. The uprising against Moses was rebellion against God Himself, working out on a narrower stage the same pride, ambition, envy and desire for self-exaltation that prompted Satan's rebellion in heaven. By calling the destroyed rebels holy martyrs and charging God's judgments to Satan, the people hardened their hearts and cut off communion with heaven, and the record stands as an admonition to those living at the end of the world not to follow Korah in unbelief, murmuring and rebellion.
What the Verse Records
Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation after making atonement for the people, and the plague was stopped. His return marks that his intercession had stood between the dead and the living and had brought the plague to an end. The staying of the plague after that God-appointed mediation proves enduring, accepted work, for work done in self will not endure while work done in God will stand.
He stopped the plague by hastening with a censer into the midst of the congregation and standing between the dead and the living, with the smoke of the incense ascending as intercession. The staying came through united intercession after God threatened to consume the murmuring congregation in a moment. Moses, on whom no guilt rested, did not flee but lingered like a true shepherd and pleaded that wrath would not make a full end of Israel, and at his direction Aaron made atonement while Moses's prayers ascended from the tabernacle.
The plague was stopped only after fourteen thousand seven hundred lay dead, besides those who died in connection with Korah, as evidence of the guilt of murmuring and rebellion. That number is given in one account as fourteen thousand. The verse closes a continued rebellion, for the day after the destruction of Korah and his company the people came to Moses and Aaron accusing them of killing the people of the Lord, and this false accusation was followed by further deaths.
Rebellion Against God Himself
The uprising of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram against Moses was rebellion against God, for by rejecting the men of God's appointment they rejected God as their leader. It worked out upon a narrower stage the same spirit that led to Satan's rebellion in heaven, where pride and ambition prompted Lucifer to complain of the government of God and to seek the overthrow of the order established in heaven, and since his fall his object has been to infuse the same envy and discontent and the same ambition for position and honor into the minds of men, working thus upon Korah, Dathan, and Abiram to arouse desire for self-exaltation and to excite envy, distrust, and rebellion. In murmuring against Moses and Aaron they blasphemed God, yet they were so deluded as to think themselves righteous and to regard those who faithfully reproved their sins as actuated by Satan.
After seeing God's judgment the people returned to their tents but were not humbled, for their prejudice remained and they blamed Moses rather than accepting that the rebels had been wicked and Moses was righteous. They called the men swallowed by the earth martyrs, because their judgment had been shaped to sympathize with wrong and to reject God's reproof, and witnessing God's judgment did not correct their mistaken view but made them more firmly set against Moses. Though they had the most convincing evidence of God's displeasure at their course in the destruction of the men who had deceived them, they attributed God's judgments to Satan, declaring that through the power of the evil one Moses and Aaron had caused the death of good and holy men. This act sealed their doom, for it was the sin against the Holy Spirit, by which man's heart is effectually hardened against the influence of divine grace and the channel of communication between the soul and heaven, through which God communicates with man by the Holy Spirit, is cut off.
Warning for the Last Days
The sixteenth chapter of Numbers stands as an example written for instruction and admonition to those living at the end of the world. It holds up the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram as a warning to God's people not to follow their example of unbelief. Their uprising against Moses was rebellion against God Himself. The same warning forbids following them in rebellion, temptation, and murmuring.
The chapter draws the line between self-kindled fire and the holy fire of God's own kindling, teaching that only God's fire is safe to use. Work done in self will not stand or endure, while work done in God will endure and stand. The staying of the plague after Aaron's God-appointed mediation proves that enduring, accepted work and vindicates the work God appoints. That vindication is seen when the plague ended after Aaron returned to Moses at the tabernacle.
The chapter shows the need for decisive action against evil workers in connection with separating them from the Lord's work. Its instruction is appropriate at this time to keep the whole flock from being fed errors that would cause them to go astray. The staying of the plague marks the end of the rebellion of Korah.
After making atonement for the people Aaron came back to Moses at the entrance of the tent, and the deadly plague was halted. He had hastened with his censer into the middle of the congregation and stood between the dead and the living, with the rising incense as intercession for Israel. The staying of the judgment came through united pleading, for Moses lingered as a true shepherd and entreated God not to make a full end of the murmurers while Aaron made atonement at his direction, yet not before fourteen thousand seven hundred lay dead besides those destroyed with Korah. The uprising against Moses was rebellion against God Himself, working out on a narrower stage the same pride, ambition, envy and desire for self-exaltation that prompted Satan's rebellion in heaven. By calling the destroyed rebels holy martyrs and charging God's judgments to Satan, the people hardened their hearts and cut off communion with heaven, and the record stands as an admonition to those living at the end of the world not to follow Korah in unbelief, murmuring and rebellion.
What the Verse Records
Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation after making atonement for the people, and the plague was stopped. His return marks that his intercession had stood between the dead and the living and had brought the plague to an end. The staying of the plague after that God-appointed mediation proves enduring, accepted work, for work done in self will not endure while work done in God will stand.
He stopped the plague by hastening with a censer into the midst of the congregation and standing between the dead and the living, with the smoke of the incense ascending as intercession. The staying came through united intercession after God threatened to consume the murmuring congregation in a moment. Moses, on whom no guilt rested, did not flee but lingered like a true shepherd and pleaded that wrath would not make a full end of Israel, and at his direction Aaron made atonement while Moses's prayers ascended from the tabernacle.
The plague was stopped only after fourteen thousand seven hundred lay dead, besides those who died in connection with Korah, as evidence of the guilt of murmuring and rebellion. That number is given in one account as fourteen thousand. The verse closes a continued rebellion, for the day after the destruction of Korah and his company the people came to Moses and Aaron accusing them of killing the people of the Lord, and this false accusation was followed by further deaths.
Rebellion Against God Himself
The uprising of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram against Moses was rebellion against God, for by rejecting the men of God's appointment they rejected God as their leader. It worked out upon a narrower stage the same spirit that led to Satan's rebellion in heaven, where pride and ambition prompted Lucifer to complain of the government of God and to seek the overthrow of the order established in heaven, and since his fall his object has been to infuse the same envy and discontent and the same ambition for position and honor into the minds of men, working thus upon Korah, Dathan, and Abiram to arouse desire for self-exaltation and to excite envy, distrust, and rebellion. In murmuring against Moses and Aaron they blasphemed God, yet they were so deluded as to think themselves righteous and to regard those who faithfully reproved their sins as actuated by Satan.
After seeing God's judgment the people returned to their tents but were not humbled, for their prejudice remained and they blamed Moses rather than accepting that the rebels had been wicked and Moses was righteous. They called the men swallowed by the earth martyrs, because their judgment had been shaped to sympathize with wrong and to reject God's reproof, and witnessing God's judgment did not correct their mistaken view but made them more firmly set against Moses. Though they had the most convincing evidence of God's displeasure at their course in the destruction of the men who had deceived them, they attributed God's judgments to Satan, declaring that through the power of the evil one Moses and Aaron had caused the death of good and holy men. This act sealed their doom, for it was the sin against the Holy Spirit, by which man's heart is effectually hardened against the influence of divine grace and the channel of communication between the soul and heaven, through which God communicates with man by the Holy Spirit, is cut off.
Warning for the Last Days
The sixteenth chapter of Numbers stands as an example written for instruction and admonition to those living at the end of the world. It holds up the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram as a warning to God's people not to follow their example of unbelief. Their uprising against Moses was rebellion against God Himself. The same warning forbids following them in rebellion, temptation, and murmuring.
The chapter draws the line between self-kindled fire and the holy fire of God's own kindling, teaching that only God's fire is safe to use. Work done in self will not stand or endure, while work done in God will endure and stand. The staying of the plague after Aaron's God-appointed mediation proves that enduring, accepted work and vindicates the work God appoints. That vindication is seen when the plague ended after Aaron returned to Moses at the tabernacle.
The chapter shows the need for decisive action against evil workers in connection with separating them from the Lord's work. Its instruction is appropriate at this time to keep the whole flock from being fed errors that would cause them to go astray. The staying of the plague marks the end of the rebellion of Korah.