Numbers 16:7, commentary and pictures

Moses answered the charge that he and Aaron exalted themselves by appointing a test for the next day in which each man would present his censer with fire and incense before the Lord so God himself would show whom he had chosen as holy and permitted to come near him. His reply that they took too much upon themselves turned their own accusation back on them, for they were Levites already separated to minister who were overreaching by seeking the priesthood also. To gather against Moses and Aaron in this matter was to gather against the Lord, since Aaron had taken no office of himself but God had placed him in it. God's work must be done by his appointment and with the holiness he requires, with sacred fire kindled by him and not with common fire of human impulse, self-exaltation and self-chosen means. All these things happened as examples and are written as a warning for instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come, lest later generations follow the same unbelief, insurrection and murmuring.

Setting of the Confrontation

Moses spoke these words to Korah and all his company after hearing their charge that he and Aaron exalted themselves and claimed priesthood and government for their own house alone while all the congregation was equally holy and favored. In anguish he fell on his face, then gave the test by which the Lord himself would show who are his and who is holy and cause the chosen one to come near to him. All were to take censers and put fire and incense in them before the Lord on the morrow, and the man whom the Lord chose would be proved holy.

The rebellion was led by Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown and respected leaders. It involved far more than its principal leaders, for it drew in prominent leaders and many beyond them. God had already separated the Levites from the congregation to bring them near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle and to stand before the congregation to minister, so in seeking the priesthood also they were overreaching. He would identify whom he had chosen for sacred service, and the man he chose would be holy and permitted to come near him.

The challengers were to offer incense before him, but only those ordained to the sacred office were permitted to minister in the sanctuary, so the test put their claim to priesthood before God. The test was set for the next day, giving them time to reflect, and Moses challenged them to accept its danger. The challenge to let God identify his chosen priest was answered by the miracle of Aaron's rod budding, blossoming, and bearing almonds, showing that God had appointed Aaron's house to the priesthood. The rod was kept as a lasting warning against rebellion and renewed complaints about that appointment, and God sustained Aaron in the holy office of high priest by terrible divine judgment in destroying Korah and his company.

Onlookers admired Korah's company as they presumptuously performed priestly duties, failing to recognize their act as an affront to God. Even after God's judgments destroyed the leaders and princes, the followers remained stubborn in their own judgment and trusted it over the leader God had appointed. They blamed Moses and Aaron for the deaths, which shows how rebellion against God's counsel can deceive people so deeply that they accuse the very leaders through whom God has acted and harden into fearful deception. Their later accusation against Moses and Aaron revealed that the rebellion had not been cured and showed the danger of presuming to oppose God's servants and of persisting even after divine judgment.

Those who joined that rebellion died before the Lord by plague. Forty years later at Kadesh the thirsting congregation wished they had died with those brethren rather than suffer and die in the wilderness with their cattle without water, seed, figs, vines, pomegranates, or drink.

Meaning of the Test

The test is one of priestly authority, in which the challengers were to take censers and put fire and incense in them before the Lord, and the man whom the Lord chose would be proved holy and permitted to come near to Him. God Himself would thereby show who are His and who is holy and cause the chosen one to draw near to Him. The closing words turn the rebels' own charge back upon them, for they had claimed that Moses and Aaron took too much upon themselves in exalting themselves and claiming priesthood and government for their house alone. That accusation of taking too much is the reproach cast upon divinely appointed leaders by those who oppose them.

The verse rebukes the sons of Levi for claiming too much by seeking the priesthood in addition to their appointed service and for claiming authority beyond what was given them. God had already separated them to bring them near to Himself to do the service of the tabernacle and to stand before the congregation to minister, so in seeking the priesthood also they were overreaching. Service to God must be carried out by His appointment and with the holiness He requires, not through self-exaltation or self-chosen means nor by presuming to direct His service. His sacred work must not be treated as common nor authority asserted from self.

Holy fire must come from God and not from human impulse, motives, and plans. The contrast between common and sacred fire teaches that God's work must be done with the sacred fire He kindles, which consumes selfishness and other corrupt traits. Work mixed with self will not stand or endure, but work done in God will stand and endure. Demanding credit and claiming equality with God's chosen leader is self-exaltation springing from self. God chose Moses for a certain work only after forty years of humble shepherd discipline pruned his impetuous ambition and self-confidence until he distrusted his own ability and trusted God alone, gave Aaron an honored part as mouthpiece for Moses, and honored Miriam with a part, yet they thought this made them equal and essential and felt honor should go to them and not all to Moses.

Rebellion Against God

To gather against Moses and Aaron was to gather against the Lord and against Jehovah, for Aaron had taken no sacred office upon himself but God had placed him in it. Those who perished with Korah were sinners against the Lord and justly suffered His wrath for their rebellion. By rejecting God's chosen instrument they rejected God as their leader and rejected Christ as their invisible leader. Though they saw Moses as merely a human leader, they believed they were serving God, yet in rejecting Him they insulted the Spirit of God, showed contempt for the word of the Lord, and brought judgment upon themselves.

Their rebellion worked out on a narrower stage the same spirit that led to Satan's rebellion in heaven. 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 Satan has worked to put that same envy and discontent and that same ambition for position and honor into men. He so worked upon Korah, Dathan, and Abiram as to arouse desire for self-exaltation and to excite envy, distrust, and rebellion. Their course follows the pattern of all rebellion, worked by satanic agencies while claimed as the Holy Spirit, working secretly and in darkness by falsehoods, enmity, evil-surmisings, and false representations to gain sympathy, as Satan did with the angels under him, imitating the first great rebel. Their course involved gaining a hearing and then sowing doubt about those whom God wanted the people to trust, while gathering sympathizers around themselves.

They were so deluded as to think themselves righteous and to regard those who faithfully reproved their sins as actuated by Satan, and in murmuring against Moses and Aaron they blasphemed God. Their stand is an example of self-deception in opposing God's work and treating truth as error, calling darkness light and light darkness. Those who rise in opposition to plain testimony become self-deceived, thinking that those on whom God has laid the burden of His work have exalted themselves above the people and that their counsels and reproofs are uncalled for.

They oppose the plain testimony God gives to rebuke wrongs among His people, including hurtful indulgences such as tea, coffee, snuff, and tobacco, because it would destroy their idols. Undecided between conviction of truth and self-indulgence, many let appetite prevail, pervert their sense of sacred things by slow poisons, and decide not to deny self. That decision raises a wall of separation between themselves and those cleansing themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. Uneasy under straight testimony, they war against it and declare the people all right and the reproving testimonies the cause of trouble. When rebellion unfurls its banner all the disaffected rally around it, and the spiritually defective, the lame, the halt, and the blind unite to scatter and sow discord.

Warning for the Last Days

All these things happened as examples and are written for instruction and admonition upon those on whom the ends of the world have come, and the case of Korah, Dathan and Abiram with 250 princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown, stands as a lesson of warning lest later generations follow their example of unbelief. The rebellion involved far more than its principal leaders and was faithfully recorded as a warning to God's people against rebellion and apostasy, and rebellion and apostasy must be named plainly. Its instruction is appropriate for the present time.

The history stands as a warning to God's people especially near the close of time, when Satan leads persons to imitate Korah, Dathan and Abiram by raising insurrection among God's people. Those who rise in opposition to plain testimony become self-deceived, thinking those on whom God laid the burden of His work have exalted themselves and that their counsels and reproofs are uncalled for. They oppose the plain testimony God gives to rebuke wrongs including hurtful indulgences such as tea, coffee, snuff and tobacco because it would destroy their idols, and being undecided between conviction and self-indulgence many let appetite prevail, pervert their sense of sacred things by slow poisons, and decide not to deny self. That decision raises a wall of separation between them and those cleansing themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord, and uneasy under straight testimony they war against it, declare the people all right and the reproving testimonies the cause of trouble, and when rebellion unfurls its banner all the disaffected rally around it while the spiritually defective, the lame, the halt and the blind unite to scatter and sow discord.

It warns against tempting Christ as some of them tempted and were destroyed of serpents, and against murmuring as some of them murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer. Such opposition does not defeat a work that is of God, for Christ came not to aid Satan in working up rebellion but to put down rebellion, and the same rebellious course now instigated by apostasy and secession is condemned. The same rebellion can recur through misinterpreting and misapplying God's words and warnings to support ideas without foundation in truth and so create confusion. People who support the rebels show blindness and deception, and God's people must take a clear stand on the Lord's side and keep away from that course of refusing the Lord's warnings, insisting on one's own judgment, and threatening separation.

That rebellion was acted over at Minneapolis in firm self-complacency and unwillingness to accept heaven-sent light, with pride, prejudice, backsliding, unsanctified independence insulting the Spirit of God, contempt for the word, blinded eyes and perverted judgment, mockery and disgust at God's word, and lightness, trifling, jesting and joking, despising not the human messenger but God's messengers and message. Those cherishing that spirit lose clear light to discern truth's preciousness until they humble pride, confess they were not actuated by God's Spirit, repent and be converted to be healed, while God places, sustains and stays with His appointed messenger. Unless they repent they walk in darkness in sparks of their own kindling, lie down in sorrow, and have the candlestick removed. The same rebellious work strengthens gainsayers, unsettles minds, shakes faith in the testimonies, and does Satan's work, and that work triumphed at Minneapolis and is being done again. To be found among them when the Son of man comes seeking faith gains nothing, and even if faith is recovered the impressions of unbelief sown in other minds cannot be removed.

The rebels were deceived and deceiving others, refusing the messages God gave through His appointed messenger and laboring to make them of none effect. They strengthened the hands and minds of many who followed and quoted them while the enemy of righteousness looked on pleased, and in the day of final accounts must meet both their own course and the result of their influence. Their work stands charged in heaven's books and must be thoroughly confessed and let go beforehand to judgment that it may be blotted out when refreshing comes and God sends Jesus. To have light and evidence yet refuse to see and acknowledge it, to lead others to distrust God's reproof, and to walk not in the Lord's light but in sparks of one's own kindling brings the same end of being left to fall into the ditch and lie down in darkness, and only falling on the Rock and being broken saves from destruction. Those who persist in resisting God's messengers and message, showing contempt for the word and insulting the Spirit of God, are left in spiritual darkness. Korah, Dathan and Abiram had forfeited any right to claim authority despite asserting great light and special favor, for sacred office or claims of divine favor do not justify resisting the light God gives or harming His servants.

Application to Church Life

The verse warns against accusing and condemning those on whom God has laid responsibility for His work, and against using claims of special zeal or light to draw people away from the agents He is leading, for such conduct divides the church. Stirring people to reject those entrusted with leadership and accusing them of deceit is a rebellious work whose outcome is disastrous. Charging God's appointed instrumentalities with taking too much upon themselves repeats that rebellion. Feeling misused and bearing false witness against brethren, speaking hasty, unadvised, self-esteeming words, questioning and doubting men whom God is teaching, guiding, and leading, and leavening the minds of others with distrust so that faith and confidence in God's instrumentalities is weakened brings about an experience similar to theirs.

Rising up against those God has appointed to do His work, assailing them and holding them up in a ridiculous light so that those who trusted them think they are no longer worthy of love and fellowship, is an offense to God like the work arising from within. Such accusing creates dissension in the church, creates false sympathy, leads others into the same error and endangers their souls, and cuts off the influence of those in whom the people have had confidence. Such accusations must not be left in silence or uncertainty but must be met openly, with justice to both the accusers and those misled by them. Accusers must be called to bring proof on every point and every charge must be carefully investigated and proved, and every unsubstantiated reproach must be lifted so the people are undeceived and the servant of God is cleared.

The verse applies to those who separate themselves from the church body, claim that their own ideas and methods will produce a purer church, accuse fellow believers, and use church members' errors to advance themselves. Refusing the Lord's warnings, insisting on one's own judgment, and threatening separation from fellow believers follows the same rebellious course, and the warning is to keep away from that course. Pride and ambitious projects can lead people to resist God-appointed leadership. Self-importance and presuming to take authority beyond one's place belong to the same spirit, as shown when managers tried to control other institutions.

It exposes criticizing and finding mistakes, talking and making it appear that mistakes exist in management when the Lord is guiding it. This is developed by those who themselves need converting and need to change their thoughts and attitude in every way in order to work successfully in Christ's lines. Persistent criticism, false accusations, and resistance to correction can bring the same kind of rebellion and its consequences into the community.

The same rebellious spirit is separation from God with no living connection to Him, so the heart is no longer under the subduing power of the Holy Spirit and the attributes of Satan are revealed in oppressing fellow men. That spirit sends forth an influence contrary to truth and justice and righteousness, manifested in workers oppressing one another and in the desire of one institution to control all others, and in men entrusted with weighty responsibilities doing despite to the Holy Spirit. The same spirit is shown by leaders without a living connection with God who oppress fellow workers and try to control other institutions, rejecting God's warnings and seeking power over others. Though warnings come from God again and again, those in this rebellion cast them aside and venture on in the same course.

The same act is repeated when those who did not toil to bring out precious points of truth but received them all prepared to their hand take the Sabbath and then turn against those who bore the cost and labor to bring the truth to them, returning ingratitude for the truth that cost them nothing but others so much. The accusation of taking too much upon themselves is the reproach of divinely appointed leaders by those who oppose them. The rebellion is an example of resisting evidence, rejecting God's appointed work, and drawing others into disaffection. God's call for decisive action against evil workers was a warning to those who resisted His Spirit and dishonored Him: the Lord's work should not have been left in their hands, and they needed a decided change of heart. Selfish and presumptuous conduct is seen by God and will be judged according to deeds.