Rebellion, envy, pursuit of power: Lessons from the life of Korah (Numbers 16–18)

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Here are other Bible passaged referenced in this study:

• Leviticus 10 (the incident with Nadab and Abihu)
• John 15:18-19 (“you are not of the world”)
• Genesis (the account of Joseph)
• Exodus 19 (the people as a holy nation)
• Exodus 32 (the golden calf incident)
• Numbers 3 (the placement of the Levite families)
• Hebrews 3-4 (the concept of entering God’s rest)
• Psalm 95:6-11 (“They tried Me, though they had seen My work. … Therefore I swore in My anger, truly they shall not enter My rest.”)
• 1Samuel 15 (Saul’s disobedience)
• Acts 5 (Ananias and Sapphira)
• Romans 15:4; 2Timothy 3:16-17 (the ongoing relevance of the Torah)

Outline of the recorded study:

• Korach’s rebellion and its consequences (0:00 in the recording)
• Biblical lessons on leadership, envy, and generosity (6:21)
• Giving and sharing blessings with others (13:39)
• Financial wisdom and thankfulness (19:12)
• Spiritual lessons from biblical stories and their relevance to modern life (24:20)
• Leadership and rest in the context of biblical Israel and its relevance to modern-day believers in Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) (31:08)
• Following God’s laws and judgments in the Torah (36:11)
• Should we be judging others based on past actions and reputation? (43:44)
• Messianic era and its promised abundance (50:39)
• Biblical figures and their roles in the Tabernacle (56:20)
• Moses’ leadership and the rebellion of Korah (1:02:39)
• God’s dwelling place and leadership (1:08:50)
• Being a dwelling place of God and serving in that temple (1:15:47)

Gratitude in a World of Desire

““If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” (John 15:18–19 NAS95)

We must guard against envy, jealousy, and coveting positions, authority, and esteem. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be ambitious or strive for excellence. It’s not about lacking motivation to improve our lives. Rather, we should avoid desiring something good at the expense of others. We shouldn’t want to take away what someone else has, whether it is their spouse, car, house, or job. It’s not a sin to want a spouse, car, house, or job, but it is a sin to want something that belongs to another.

We should also praise God for what we do have, rather than complain about or yearn for what we don’t have. We should always be thankful for the blessings and mercy we have not earned.

We should keep our hands open to be a blessing to those around us who are less fortunate, so that they don’t covet or envy others because their needs are being met.

Cultural Influence: Drawing from Pure Wells

Korah’s responsibility was to carry the most holy items of the tabernacle. The priests would first wrap these sacred items in blue cloth. Only after the priests had completed this task could Korah and his fellow Kohathites pick up and transport the holy furniture. They were essentially the movers of these sacred items. Although they could handle the holy furniture, they were not allowed to touch the most sacred parts directly, which frustrated Korah. They were close to the holy items, but not close enough. The blue fabric wrapped around the sacred furniture served as a vivid reminder of their proximity yet separation from the holy things.

The other rebels, Dathan and Abiram, were from the tribe of Reuben and lived near the Kohathites. This illustrates how easily bad ideas can spread through close proximity. Be mindful of what you absorb from the surrounding culture, as it could be spiritually harmful. It’s like digging a well: we should draw from wells with clean water, not those with contaminated water. However, if we find ourselves with a well that has less-than-perfect water, we must use proper filtration and treatment to make it nourishing rather than poisonous.

The Torah teaches us to respect authority and welcome correction. We should not trash talk or undermine parents, leaders, or others. Sometimes we have to just let it go and let Heaven handle the vengeance and correction. We do our best to seek reconciliation, but if that’s not possible, let it go and let God deal with it.

Let your ego hit the floor

“and that He has brought you near, Korah, and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking for the priesthood also?” (Numbers 16:10 NAS95)

The Apostle James warns us bluntly that we should not aspire to be teachers.

“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” (James 3:1 NAS95)

It’s not always good to be the king, but everyone was the king, what would come of that? Mayhem because nothing would get done. If everyone looks to lead and no one accepts the task of following, the community grinds to a halt.

Korah and his fellow Levite rebels coveted Aaron’s position so intensely that they made their own incense pans and brought them to the Tabernacle, known in Hebrew as the “mishkan,” to burn incense before God. According to Jewish tradition, Korah and the other rebels approached the Tabernacle dressed in blue garments, the same color and material as the cloths used by the priests to cover the most sacred items for transport.

Korah and his friends truly believed that by dressing in blue tunics, making their own incense burners, and burning incense before God, they could claim the priesthood for themselves. However, simply wearing the trappings of the position did not make it theirs, much like wearing a crown and a purple robe does not make one a king.

Defiance and Its Spiritual Implications

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”” (Numbers 16:23–24 NAS95)

When this happened, God separated Korah, Nathan and Abram from the rest of the people. In English, God warns the people to “Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.” The word that is translated here as “dwellings” is actually the Hebrew word “mishkan” which is the exact same word God uses to describe His own Tabernacle, His own abode on earth.

Korah and the rest of the rebels were not unique in their lack of access to the holy things; the vast majority of the people of Israel also did not have direct access to them. However, Korah took this personally. Their decision to rebel against God affected not only themselves but also their entire families.

A similar lesson can be drawn from what happened to the people of Israel after the 12 spies returned to the camp. The 10 spies who brought back a negative report influenced not only the tribes they represented but the entire community. As a result, God decreed that none of the 10 tribes would enter the Promised Land. Even the two tribes represented by the faithful spies were affected, as they too had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years and die there. Only Joshua and Caleb, the leaders of the two faithful tribes, survived from that first generation to accompany the second generation into the Promised Land. This incident teaches that the actions of a few can have far-reaching consequences for many.

However, now, in this reading, Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab of the tribe of Reuben specifically say, “We will not come up!”

Eye of the beholder

““Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, but you would also lord it over us?” (Numbers 16:13 NAS95)

The first generation perished in the wilderness because they rejected God’s provision. They failed to see the daily blessings of food and water as gifts from Him and lacked faith. They slandered God by saying that entering the promised land would doom their children to death, yet they were the ones who died in the wilderness while their children entered the land 40 years later.

““Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”” (Numbers 16:14 NAS95)

Dathan and Abiram took God’s words describing the Promised Land as the land of rest and the land flowing with milk and honey and blaming Moses for the fact that God did not allow them to enter the land rather than acknowledging that it was their own lack of faith that shut them out of the Promised Land.

The people of the land planted those vineyards, and God was ready to give them to His people. However, when they refused to enter as God commanded, they denied themselves the good land and blamed Moses and Aaron for their lack of faith. God had promised they would inherit vineyards they did not plant, but due to their unbelief, the first generation never saw those vineyards.

Korah’s Rebellion: Poisoning Unity

““Each of you take his firepan and put incense on it, and each of you bring his censer before the LORD, two hundred and fifty firepans; also you and Aaron shall each bring his firepan.”” (Numbers 16:17 NAS95)

Incense in the censer was symbolic of a covering for the priest approaching God’s presence. What covering do these priest wannabes have? Moses is telling them to put their money where their mouth is so to speak.

The tabernacle was not set up to be a social club or a meeting hall to hang out and shoot the breeze. The purpose of the tabernacle is to be a place where the congregation would come with the single purpose to connect with Heaven. Korah was sowing division in the camp by poisoning the minds of the people against the High Priest and the prophet.

Moses and Aharon were accused of elevating themselves but twice they fell on their faces in front of God, exhibiting humility and appealing to God for mercy. Korah accused them of elevating themselves, but they were God’s servants.

When the Lord chose the leader, wisdom comes with leadership.

The Dwelling Place of God: Becoming Living Tabernacles for the Holy Spirit

At the end, God sent the “mishkan of Korah” into the belly of the earth. As a result, they were all swallowed up and buried by the earth. God Himself buried them, just as He would bury Moses 40 years later. None of the people of Israel had to make themselves unclean to bury them.

Korach was correct that the entire congregation was set apart from the nations — holy. But he missed what truly set Israel apart and the Mishkan apart, the actual Presence of Elohim.

We see how the “Word became flesh and mishkan-ed among us” (John 1:14) brought humanity the Presence in a more elevated way than previously in Israel’s history. “But He was speaking of the temple of His body.” (John 2:21 NASB 1995)

And indeed, the promise of the Spirit of God for all believers would bring to fruition what Korah hinted at. We do not have to visit a temple or a tabernacle to have God’s Spirit with us; God dwells with us wherever we are. We don’t visit God once a week and then do whatever we want the other six days of the week. He has His Spirit dwelling with us all the time, and we take Him with us to find the lost and confused.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1Cor. 6:19 NASB 1995)

We talk about Korah and how he was a part of the family of Levites tasked to maintain the temple and serve in His house. The tabernacle did not belong to Aaron, or Korah or the Levites. The tabernacle belonged to God.

In our day, all over the world, every nation has embassies and consulates in other countries, which are treated as foreign territory under international law. For instance, the United States maintains an embassy in Beijing, China, which serves as a sanctuary for many Chinese and North Koreans seeking refuge. Outside the US embassy, Chinese soldiers stand guard and typically prevent most refugees from entering. However, those who manage to enter are safe from pursuit because the embassy is recognized as American soil, not Chinese.

When Paul says that we are not our own, but rather ambassadors of God, he implies that our homes should function as consulates of Heaven where refugees from the dominion of Satan can seek sanctuary. We are to live as foreigners sojourning in the land, awaiting the redemption of our souls.

We have this wonderful blessing of being called sons and daughters of the kingdom. And thus, we have this deposit of God’s Spirit within us that we can take wherever we are.

Summary: Tammy