Chapters 16 and 17 record the rebellion of
Korah. Korah was a Levite who was not content to
minister in the Tabernacle; he wanted to serve as a
Priest as well (verse 10). Of course, this attitude was
direct rebellion against the Word of God as given by
Moses, since it was God who made the Tabernacle
appointments. Korah was not content to rebel alone; he
gathered 250 princes of Israel, as well as three men
from the tribe of Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn son. In
name, number, unity, and attitude, these rebels seemed
to have a strong case against Aaron and Moses. It
appears that Korah and his followers defied Aaron, while
Dathan, Abiram, and On questioned the authority of
Moses.

Moses and Aaron did not defend themselves; they
let God do the defending. Moses instructed Korah and his
250 men to bring censors (pots for burning incense) to
the Tabernacle where God would demonstrate who was right
in the dispute. He called for Dathan and Abiram to come,
but they defied Moses’ authority and refused to obey. In
verse 25 Moses goes to them. Note how the men blamed
Moses for their failure to enter the Promised Land
(verses 13,14), when in reality it was their own
unbelief that blocked the way. For these men to rebel
against Moses meant rejecting the Word of God, for he
was God’s prophet; and to rebel against Aaron meant
rejecting the work of God on the altar, for he was God’s
Priest. Men and women should be very careful about
rebelling against the authority of government and the
church. We must realize that the “king’s heart is in the
hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it
whithersoever he will.” No leader, whether he be
president, governor, pastor, or whatever, is in a
position he may fulfill without God allowing him to be
there. With one twinkle of an eye God can remove
presidents from office and pastors from the leadership
of a church; through sickness, death, or whatever. Never
be guilty of trying to run God’s business for Him, but
believe, in every situation, that He is in full control.
Satan is the prince of the power of the air, and the
ruler of this world, but he is God’s unwilling servant.
He can do nothing without God’s permission.

There are several practical applications to be
learned from today’s reading: (1) The servant of God
need not defend himself. If his work and walk are what
they ought to be, God will step in and defend him. Read
Psalm 37 very carefully. This is my favorite chapter in
the Bible and, if applied to your life daily, it will
completely change your life. (2) Rebellion against
authority is a dangerous sin. We see it on every hand
today and we wonder how long it will be before God will
step in with judgment. (3) In Christ we have all the
authority we need. When a person receives Christ as his
own personal Saviour, he becomes joint heirs with Him,
part of the family of God (John 1:12). What other
authority could anyone ask for?