E.
Rebellion — a more serious failure
16:1—17:13
1.
The cause of the rebellion and the reaction of Moses
16:1-18
Num. 16
:1
16:1
Now aKorah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with
bDathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, the sons of Reuben, took
men
Num. 16
:2
16:2
And rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel,
1two hundred fifty leaders of the assembly, who were summoned to the meeting, well-known men.
Num. 16
:3
16:3
And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, You take too much upon yourselves, for all the assembly are
aholy, every one of them, and Jehovah is
bamong them. Why then do you
1exalt yourselves above the congregation of Jehovah?
Num. 16
:4
16:4
And when Moses heard
this, he
afell on his face.
Num. 16
:5
16:5
And he spoke to Korah and to all his company, saying,
1In the morning Jehovah will make known
awho is His and who is holy, and will bring him near to Himself; even the one whom He will
bchoose He will bring near to Himself.
Num. 16
:6
16:6
Do this: Take
acensers for yourselves, Korah and all
1your company,
Num. 16
:7
16:7
And put fire in them, and put incense on them before Jehovah tomorrow; and the man whom Jehovah chooses, he
shall be holy. It is you who take too much upon yourselves, O sons of Levi!
Num. 16
:8
16:8
And Moses said to Korah, Hear now, O sons of Levi:
Num. 16
:9
16:9
Is it a small thing for you that the God of Israel has
aseparated you from the assembly of Israel to bring you near to Himself to do the
bservice of the tabernacle of Jehovah and to stand before the assembly to minister to them?
Num. 16
:10
16:10
Or that He has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And do you seek the priesthood also?
Num. 16
:11
16:11
Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against Jehovah; but Aaron,
awhat is he that you
bmurmur against him?
Num. 16
:12
16:12
Then Moses sent
word to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab; but they said, We will not come up!
Num. 16
:13
16:13
Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with
amilk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, but must you also
blord it over us?
Num. 16
:14
16:14
Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with
amilk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards.
1Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!
Num. 16
:15
16:15
Then Moses became very angry and said to Jehovah, Do not
aregard their offering. I have not taken a single
bdonkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them.
Num. 16
:16
16:16
And Moses said to Korah, You and all your company be present before Jehovah, both you and they along with Aaron, tomorrow.
Num. 16
:17
16:17
And let each of you take his censer and put incense on them, and each of you present his censer before Jehovah, two hundred fifty censers; you also and Aaron shall each
present his censer.
Num. 16
:18
16:18
So each took his censer and put fire in them and laid incense on them, and they stood at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron.
2.
God's judgment
16:19-50
Num. 16
:19
16:19
Thus Korah gathered the whole assembly against them at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and the
aglory of Jehovah appeared to the whole assembly.
Num. 16
:20
16:20
Then Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
Num. 16
:21
16:21
aSeparate yourselves from among this assembly, so that I may consume them in a moment.
Num. 16
:22
16:22
But they
afell on their faces and said, O God, the God of the
1bspirits of all flesh, will one man sin and You be angry with the whole assembly?
Num. 16
:23
16:23
Then Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
Num. 16
:24
16:24
Speak to the assembly, saying, Get away from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
Num. 16
:25
16:25
Then Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.
Num. 16
:26
16:26
And he spoke to the assembly, saying, Depart now from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing which belongs to them, or you will be swept away with all their sins.
Num. 16
:27
16:27
So they got away from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the entrance of their tents, with their wives and their children and their little ones.
Num. 16
:28
16:28
And Moses said, By this you shall know that Jehovah has
asent me to do all these works, for it is not of myself.
Num. 16
:29
16:29
If these
people die as all human beings die, or if what befalls all human beings befalls them, then Jehovah has not sent me.
Num. 16
:30
16:30
But if Jehovah brings about a
anew thing, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they descend alive into
1Sheol, then you will understand that these men have despised Jehovah.
Num. 16
:31
16:31
And as soon as he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them was split open.
Num. 16
:32
16:32
So the earth opened its mouth and
aswallowed them up, along with their households and everyone who belonged to
bKorah and all
their possessions.
Num. 16
:33
16:33
So they and all that belonged to them
1descended alive into Sheol; and the earth
aclosed over them, and they perished from the midst of the congregation.
Num. 16
:34
16:34
And all Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, The earth may swallow us up too!
Num. 16
:35
16:35
And afire came forth from Jehovah and
1bconsumed the two hundred fifty men who presented the incense.
Num. 16
:36
16:36
Then Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
Num. 16
:37
16:37
Tell aEleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take the censers up out of the burning and scatter the fire about; for they are holy.
Num. 16
:38
16:38
The censers of those who have sinned against their own lives, let them be made into beaten plates for a
acovering of the
1altar, for they presented them before Jehovah and they became holy. So they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.
Num. 16
:39
16:39
And Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which those who were burned had offered; and they beat them out as a covering of the altar,
Num. 16
:40
16:40
As a reminder to the children of Israel that no stranger who is not of the seed of
aAaron may come near to
bburn incense before Jehovah, so that he does not become like Korah and his company, just as Jehovah had spoken to him through Moses.
Num. 16
:41
16:41
But on the next day the whole assembly of the children of Israel
1amurmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, You have caused the people of Jehovah to die.
Num. 16
:42
16:42
But when the assembly gathered against Moses and against Aaron, they looked toward the Tent of Meeting, and there the
acloud was, covering it; and the
bglory of Jehovah appeared.
Num. 16
:43
16:43
And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting.
Num. 16
:44
16:44
Then Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
Num. 16
:45
16:45
aGet away from the midst of this assembly that I might consume them in a moment. And they
bfell upon their faces.
Num. 16
:46
16:46
And Moses said to Aaron, Take the censer and put
afire in it from the altar, and lay incense
on it, and carry it quickly to the assembly, and make
1bexpiation for them. For wrath has gone forth from Jehovah; the plague has begun.
Num. 16
:47
16:47
And Aaron took
it as Moses had said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And indeed the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made expiation for the people.
Num. 16
:48
16:48
And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was
astopped.
Num. 16
:49
16:49
Now those who
adied by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died on account of Korah.
Num. 16
:50
16:50
So Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting when the plague had been stopped.
