Numbers Chapter 16
Chapter 16 is full of rebellion. Rebellion against God and rebellion against God’s hand-picked leaders Moses and Aaron. This rebellion started in the heart of a man who was of the Kohathite family of the Levites. Korah was a Levite of the family of Kohath and therefore his family was specially chosen by God to tend to the most holy articles of the tabernacle and to the needs of the priests. In Korah’s mind, Moses and Aaron were not men suited for leadership, and he thought that he could do a much better job. He thought Moses was just power hungry and leading and judging the people for his own glory.
Korah must have been an outspoken man because joining him in the rebellion were two other men, Dathan and Abiram, who came from the tribe of Reuben. The rebellion spread even further as 250 men joined from the congregation of Israel. And the thing that struck me with the rebellions that occurred in this chapter and the rebellion in the last chapter is the way Moses went in prayer to God. Yes, Moses was angry and hurt that the people kept coming at him, but he still wanted to intercede on their behalf, and he wanted to stay the hand of God’s wrath. The people had no idea how many times Moses prayed on their behalf, I’m sure. And that is the second thing that struck me while reading this; that God defended Moses. God stood up for Moses when so many turned against him.
Let's Reflect
1. What was the first thing that Moses did when he heard about the accusations brought against him by Korah?
2. God had told Moses that He would make it clear who was holy and who was not. Korah had said the whole of Israel was holy. This was definitely a time when Israel was not holy, and they needed a strong Godly leader. What would be the test that would show which man was chosen by God to be the leader?
3. Moses had heard things spoken against his brother also. In verse 11 how did Moses defend his brother Aaron?
4. Then Moses called for Dathan and Abiram to come and speak with him to, but they refused. What false accusations did they say about Moses?
5. Moses’ instructions stood. They were all to assemble at the Tabernacle with censors in hand, including the 250 men who sided with these 3 ring leaders of the rebellion. When Korah brought them all to the Tabernacle, God wanted Moses and Aaron to stand back away from the people. Why?
6. Moses and Aaron both fell to their knees in prayer as seen in verse 20. The answer they got was one that is difficult to read but merciful to the whole of Israel. What happened to the 3 leaders of the rebellion?
7. We do see that Moses had some support as he went out to announce that the congregation should get away from the tents of the 3 leaders. These men had been appointed by God to be spiritual encouragers to Moses, and they did just that by standing with him at this moment. Who was it that stood with Moses? See verse 25. See also Numbers 11:16
8. The leaders of the rebellion went down into Sheol (another name for grave). These leaders thought they were opposing the leadership of Moses and Aaron. What did their deaths actually prove according to verse 30?
9. The 250 men who had rebelled against Moses and Aaron thought they were going to escape judgement because they ran away from the tent sites of the 3 leaders, but they did not escape God’s judgement. What happened to them?
10. God was going to require a memorial to be made so that this day of judgement on rebellion would not be forgotten. What was the memorial that God asked Eleazar to retrieve from the dead bodies? How did they become a memorial?
11. You would think that the spirit of rebellion would have ended there, but who rebelled against Moses and Aaron on the very next day?
12. There was about to be a mob killing of Moses and Aaron, but God would not have allowed that. God was going to take them all out. What did Moses and Aaron do first?
13. Moses instructed Aaron to act quickly to ask for atonement on behalf of the people by running through the congregation with a censor in hand burning with incense. Where does the Bible say that Aaron stood?
14. How many people had to die that day because of their rebellious hearts against God? But think about the thousands and thousands who were spared. God is merciful.
