21. A Deadly Insurrection

The Leadership of Moses

Moses did not have much going for him as far as leadership goes.  He insisted that he was not a good speaker, like his older brother Aaron.  Another drawback; he was of the tribe of Levi; Levi was the third son of Jacob's first wife, Leah, and she became his wife only because Laban, her father, tricked Jacob, not because Jacob wanted to marry her.  Leah never was Jacob's choice for a wife, he had eyes for Rachael only.

If Moses would have been the offspring of Leah's oldest son, perhaps he could have claimed the place of leadership because his forefather would have been Jacob's firstborn. However, that was not the case.  He wasn't even the oldest son of Jacob's favourite wife.

Furthermore, while the Israelites were busy as slaves, making bricks, suffering together, getting to know each other's likes and dislikes, Moses was living a cushy life in the palace. 

Perhaps in his school classes, he heard about the strange people who had immigrated from Canaan into Egypt almost four hundred years ago.  However, in the first forty years of his life, he was not part of their suffering, their traditions or their religion.

For the next forty years, he was in exile in Midian because he was wanted for murder in Egypt.  In Midian, he was a shepherd, married a non-Israelite woman and became a daddy. 

Actually, the only thing that Moses had in his favour, for being a leader, was that Jehovah had called him to service.  Moses did not want the position, he argued with Jehovah about it, but, in the end, Jehovah won the debate.

Now Korah ... the son of Levi, (Moses was also of the tribe of Levi) with Dathan and Abiram ... rose up before Moses with ... two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown.  

No doubt these leaders had talked among themselves; Who does this Moses think he is that he has made himself an autocrat. How do we know that Jehovah actually called him to be the ruler?  Let's go and confront him.  

So They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much (authority) upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, you are no more spiritual than every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord? Num. 16:1-3. 

Then Moses in a stance, typical for him, down on his knees, in humility, said, Here is a test. Tomorrow morning we will find out whom the Lord will choose. If the Lord has not chosen me I am willing to step down. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him. Num. 16:5.  

But you, Levites, isn't it enough for you that God has chosen your clan to be the "ombudsmen" between Jehovah and ordinary people.  Then Moses sarcastically repeats exactly the words with which they had confronted him, you take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!

Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram ... but they said, “We will not come up!  Now they were acting like spoiled children and they were ashamed that they had accused Moses; they needed to find some excuse, flimsy as it was, with which to upbraid him.  They said you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey.  Moses could have replied, when you were slaves in Egypt, you did not think of it as a land of milk and honey.  

They continued, you brought us here to kill us in the wilderness, and, anyway, why do you keep acting like a prince over us? Num. 16:12-13.

How Not to Retort in Anger

Here is a lesson for all of us: Then Moses was very angry, and said to the Lord.  Maybe the next time we get very angry, we should talk to the Lord, first.  After we have done that, and very slowly counted to ten, then we might be in a position to make a "godly" response.

Jehovah was totally fed up with all the bickering in the camp if Israel, so He said to Moses and Aaron ... “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”  

Moses and Aaron received a straight-forward command from Jehovah, but for the sake of the people, they were willing to disobey.  They fell on their faces, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation?”  

Because of that one prayer, by two men, the Lord relented of pouring His fury on all of Israel.

So the Lord relented and said, "Moses, Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’ ”   

This time Moses did as he was told to do, and most of the camp got away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little children.   

Moses said, "Yesterday I told you, Tomorrow morning we will find out whom the Lord will choose.  Here is the test: “If these men die naturally like all men, ... then the Lord has not sent me. But if ... the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up ... then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.” Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking ... that the ground split apart under them, ... and swallowed them up." Num. 16:20-31.

At the beginning of this story, we read of a few rabble-rousers and two hundred and fifty other national leaders.  Here, at the end of the story, those 250 men are acting very religious.  About them, Matthew Henry writes, those are made sacrifices to the justice of God who flattered themselves with the hopes of being priests. Had they been content with their office as Levites, which was sacred and honourable, ... they might have lived. 

It seems as if they were trying to create their own righteousness by burning sacrifices.  In our own age, the Church age, many people are still trying to impress God with their own righteous works; but only Christ, the ultimate high priest, can procure righteousness which will satisfy Jehovah.  

In retaliation for their self-righteousness and pride, a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.  This example should speak loudly to anyone who thinks he can "make it to heaven" by living a good life!  Saint Paul wrote a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, ... for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. Gal. 2:16.

Oh my, what does it take for people to learn a lesson? The very next day all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron. Had they not learned anything from yesterday's proceedings? 

They were saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord". Num. 16:41.  Was it Moses and Aaron that caused the earthquake?  Why blame them?  Was it those two men who sent down the fire from heaven?  In times of stress, it is so easy for a few leaders to sway a mob into unreasonable thinking and actions.