This chapter is based on Numbers 16 and 17.
(EP 277)
The judgments visited upon the Israelites served for a time to restrain their murmuring and insubordination, but the spirit of rebellion was still in the heart. Now a deep-laid conspiracy was formed to overthrow the authority of the leaders appointed by God Himself.
(EP 277.1)
Korah, the leading spirit in this movement, a cousin of Moses, was a man of ability and influence. He had become dissatisfied with his position and aspired to the dignity of the priesthood. For some time Korah had been secretly opposing the authority of Moses and Aaron, though He had not ventured upon open rebellion. He finally conceived the bold design of overthrowing both the civil and the religious authority. Dathan and Abiram, two princes, readily joined in his ambitious schemes and determined to divide with Korah the honors of the priesthood.
(EP 277.2)
The feeling among the people favored Korah. In the bitterness of their disappointment, their former doubts, jealousy, and hatred returned, and again their complaints were directed against their patient leader. They forgot that they were under divine guidance, that the presence of Christ went before them, and that from Him Moses received directions.
(EP 277.3)
Unwilling to die in the wilderness, they were ready to believe that it was not God but Moses who had pronounced their doom. Although the marks of God’s displeasure at their perverseness were still before them, they did not take the lesson to heart.
(EP 277.4)
He who reads the secrets of all hearts had given His people warning and instruction as might have enabled them to escape the deception of these designing men. They had seen the judgment of God on Miriam because of her jealousy and complaints against Moses. The Lord had declared: “With him will I speak mouth to mouth.”“Wherefore, then,” He added, “were ye not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” Numbers 12:8. These instructions were not intended for Aaron and Miriam alone, but for all Israel.
(EP 277.5)
Korah and his fellow conspirators were of the number who went up with Moses into the mount and beheld the divine glory. But a temptation, slight at first, had been harbored until their minds were controlled by Satan. They first whispered their discontent to one another and then to leading men of Israel. At last they really believed themselves actuated by zeal for God.
(EP 278.1)
They were successful in alienating two hundred and fifty princes. With these influential supporters they felt confident of greatly improving upon the administration of Moses and Aaron.
(EP 278.2)
Jealousy had given rise to envy, and envy to rebellion. And they deceived themselves and one another into thinking that Moses and Aaron had themselves assumed the positions they held, that these leaders had exalted themselves in taking the priesthood and government. They were no more holy than the people, and it should be enough for them to be on a level with their brethren, who were equally favored with God’s presence and protection.
(EP 278.3)
Korah and his associates enlisted the support of the congregation. The charge that the murmurings of the people had brought the wrath of God was declared a mistake. They said that the congregation were not at fault, since they desired nothing more than their rights; but Moses was an overbearing ruler; he had reproved the people as sinners when they were a holy people.
(EP 278.4)
Korah’s hearers thought they saw clearly that their troubles might have been prevented if Moses had pursued a different course. Their exclusion from Canaan was in consequence of the mismanagement of Moses and Aaron. If Korah would be their leader and encourage them by dwelling upon their good deeds instead of reproving their sins, they would have a very prosperous journey; instead of wandering in the wilderness they would proceed directly to the Promised Land.
(EP 278.5)
Korah’s success with the people increased his confidence. He claimed that God had authorized him to make a change in the government before it should be too late.
(EP 279.1)
But many were not ready to accept Korah’s accusations against Moses. His patient, self-sacrificing labors came up before them, and conscience was disturbed. It was therefore necessary to assign some selfish motive; the old charge was reiterated, that he had led them out to perish in the wilderness that he might seize their possessions.
(EP 279.2)
As soon as the movement gained sufficient strength to warrant an open rupture, Korah publicly accused Moses and Aaron of usurping authority. “Ye take too much upon you,” said the conspirators. “Seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?”
(EP 279.3)
Moses had not suspected this deep-laid plot, and he fell upon his face in silent appeal to God. He arose calm and strong. Divine guidance had been granted. “Even tomorrow,” he said, “the Lord will show who are His, and who is holy and ... whom He hath chosen will He cause to come near unto Him.” Those who aspired to the priesthood were to come each with a censer and offer incense at the tabernacle. Even the priests, Nadab and Abihu, had been destroyed for venturing to offer “strange fire” in disregard of a divine command. Yet Moses challenged his accusers, if they dared enter upon so perilous an appeal, to refer the matter to God.
(EP 279.4)
Singling out Korah and his fellow Levites, Moses said, “Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord ...? And He hath brought thee near to Him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also? for which cause thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord. And what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?”
(EP 280.1)
Dathan and Abiram had not taken so bold a stand as had Korah; and Moses summoned them to appear before him, that he might hear their charges against him. But they insolently refused to acknowledge his authority: “Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us? Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up.”
(EP 280.2)
Thus they declared that they would no longer submit to be led about like blind men, now toward Canaan, and now toward the wilderness, as best suited Moses’ ambitious designs. He was represented in the blackest character of a tyrant and usurper. The exclusion from Canaan was charged upon him.
(EP 280.3)
Moses made no effort at self-vindication. He solemnly appealed to God in the presence of the congregation and implored Him to be his judge.
(EP 280.4)
On the morrow, the two hundred and fifty princes, with Korah at their head, presented themselves with their censers, while the people gathered to await the result. It was not Moses who assembled the congregation to behold the defeat of Korah and his company, but the rebels, in their blind presumption, had called them together to witness their victory. A large part of the congregation openly sided with Korah.
(EP 280.5)
Korah had withdrawn from the assembly to join Dathan and Abiram when Moses, accompanied by the seventy elders, went down with a last warning to the men who had refused to come to him. Moses, by divine direction, bade the people, “Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.” The warning was obeyed, for an apprehension of impending judgment rested upon all. The chief rebels saw themselves abandoned by those whom they had deceived, but they stood with their families in defiance of the divine warning.
(EP 281.1)
Moses now declared in the hearing of the congregation: “Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. If these men die the common death of all men ... then the Lord hath not sent me. But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit, then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord.”
(EP 281.2)
As he ceased speaking, the solid earth parted and the rebels went down alive into the pit, with all that pertained to them, and “they perished from among the congregation.” The people fled, self-condemned as partakers in the sin.
(EP 281.3)
But the judgments were not ended. Fire flashing from the cloud consumed the two hundred and fifty princes who had offered incense. These men were not destroyed with the chief conspirators. They were permitted to see their end and to have opportunity for repentance; but their sympathies were with the rebels, and they shared their fate.
(EP 281.4)
The entire congregation were sharers in their guilt, for all had, to a greater or lesser degree, sympathized with them. Yet the people who had permitted themselves to be deceived were still granted space for repentance.
(EP 281.5)
Jesus, the Angel who went before the Hebrews, sought to save them from destruction. The judgment of God had come very near and appealed to them to repent. Now, if they would respond to God’s providence, they might be saved. But their rebellion was not cured. They returned to their tents that night terrified, but not repentant.
(EP 282.1)
They had been flattered by Korah until they really believed themselves to be a very good people, wronged and abused by Moses. They had fondly cherished the hope that a new order of things was about to be established in which praise would be substituted for reproof, and ease for anxiety and conflict. The men who had perished had spoken flattering words and professed great interest and love for them, and the people concluded that Moses had by some means been the cause of their destruction.
(EP 282.2)
The Israelites had proposed to put both Moses and Aaron to death. Yet that night of probation was not passed in repentance and confession, but in devising some way to resist the evidence which showed them to be the greatest of sinners. They still cherished hatred of the men of God’s appointment and braced themselves to resist their authority.
(EP 282.3)
“On the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord.” And they were about to proceed to violence against their faithful, self-sacrificing leaders.
(EP 282.4)
Divine glory was seen in the cloud above the tabernacle and a voice spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment.”
(EP 282.5)
Moses lingered, in this fearful crisis manifesting the true shepherd’s interest for the flock of his care. He pleaded that God might not utterly destroy the people of His choice.
(EP 282.6)
But the minister of wrath had gone forth; the plague was doing its work of death. By his brother’s direction, Aaron took a censer and hastened into the midst of the congregation to “make an atonement for them.”“And he stood between the dead and the living.” The plague was stayed, but not until fourteen thousand of Israel lay dead.
(EP 283.1)
Now the people were compelled to believe the unwelcome truth that they were to die in the wilderness. “Behold,” they exclaimed, “we die, we perish, we all perish.” They confessed that they had sinned in rebelling against their leaders and that Korah and his company had suffered the just judgment of God.
(EP 283.2)
Do not the same evils still exist that lay at the foundation of Korah’s ruin? Pride and ambition are widespread and open the door to envy and striving for supremacy. The soul is alienated from God and unconsciously drawn into the ranks of Satan. Like Korah and his companions, many are thinking, planning, and working so eagerly for self-exaltation that they are ready to pervert the truth, falsifying and misrepresenting the Lord’s servants. By persistently reiterating falsehood, they at last come to believe it to be truth.
(EP 283.3)
The Hebrews were not willing to submit to the directions and restrictions of the Lord. They were unwilling to receive reproof. This was the secret of their murmuring against Moses. All through the history of the church, God’s servants have had the same spirit to meet.
(EP 283.4)
Rejection of light darkens the mind and hardens the heart, so that it is easier to take the next step in sin, to reject still clearer light, until at last habits of wrongdoing become fixed. He who faithfully preaches God’s word, condemning sin, too often incurs hatred. Soothing their consciences with deception, the jealous and disaffected sow discord in the church and weaken the hands of those who would build it up.
(EP 283.5)
Every advance made by those whom God has called to lead His work has been misrepresented by the jealous and faultfinding. Thus it was in the time of Luther, of the Wesleys, and other reformers. Thus it is today.
(EP 284.1)
Korah and his companions rejected light until they became so blinded that the most striking manifestations of power were not sufficient to convince them; they attributed them all to human or satanic agency. The same thing was done by the people. Notwithstanding the most convincing evidence of God’s displeasure they dared to attribute His judgments to Satan, declaring that Moses and Aaron had caused the death of good and holy men. They committed the sin against the Holy Spirit. “Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man,” said Christ, “it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him.” Matthew 12:32. It is through the Holy Spirit that God communicates with man; and those who deliberately reject this agency as satanic, have cut off the channel of communication between the soul and Heaven.
(EP 284.2)
If the Spirit’s work is finally rejected, there is no more that God can do for the soul. The transgressor has cut himself off from God; and sin has no remedy to cure itself. “Let him alone” (Hosea 4:17) is the divine command. Then “there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” Hebrews 10:26, 27.
(EP 284.3)