Num. 16:1-40
Full Lesson HERE
INTRODUCTION. Sometime after the spies had given their evil report, Korah, a Levite, and Dathan, Abiram, and On from the tribe of Reuben, gathered together with 250 of he
princes of Israel. These men rebelled against Moses and Aaron, charging them with exalting themselves above the assembly of the Lord (children of Israel).
Moses asked Korah and the Levites if it were not enough that God had separated them for the service of the tabernacle, did they seek the priesthood also? Dathan and Abiram
accused Moses of making himself a prince over them and failing to bring them into the
promised land.
Moses proposed a test of leadership with the rebels. He told Korah and his company to
meet him and Aaron at the door of the tent of meeting (tabernacle) the next day, each with a censer and incense as an offering before the Lord-250 princes with censers besides Korah and Aaron, each with his censer.
The next day Korah and his company came to the tent of meeting with all the congregation, but Dathan and Abiram refused to come, standing at the door of their own tents. The glory of the Lord appeared to all the children of Israel. The Lord directed Moses to warn the congregation to remove themselves from Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
Moses then told the people that they would know the Lord had sent him to be their leader. If the rebels died a common death, then the Lord had not sent him (Moses), but if the Lord caused some new thing, if the ground opened up and swallowed the rebellious men, then the people would know that these men had rejected the Lord.
Immediately the ground opened and swallowed up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram alive, their households and all their goods. Then fire came forth from the Lord and devoured the 250 princes who had offered their incense. Nevertheless, the sons of Korah did not die (Num. 26:9-11 ).
The Lord directed Moses to tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron, to gather all the censers that belonged to the 250 princes who had sinned. Since the princes had presented their centers and incense before the Lord, the censers were holy. Therefore, the censers should be hammered into plates as a covering for the altar. This would be a memorial for the children of Israel and a reminder that no one except the descendants of Aaron should offer incense to the Lord.
Comments