What lessons can we learn from the fate of Korah's followers? Setting the Scene Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and 250 leaders challenged Moses and Aaron, claiming equal right to priestly service. The Lord affirmed His choice by causing the earth to open under the rebels and by consuming the 250 men with fire (Numbers 16). Their bronze censers became a permanent reminder of what happens when people approach God on their own terms. Key Verse: Numbers 16:38 “As for the bronze censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives, hammer them into sheets to overlay the altar, because they were presented before the LORD and have become holy. They are to remain a sign to the Israelites.” Lesson 1: Holiness Cannot Be Approached on Our Own Terms • Only those God appoints may come near in sacred service (Numbers 16:5). • Trying to “make ourselves holy” apart from God’s way ends in judgment. • Compare: Leviticus 10:1–2 (Nadab and Abihu); Hebrews 10:31. Lesson 2: God-Appointed Authority Must Be Honored • Moses and Aaron did not seize power; God placed them (Numbers 16:28–30). • Resisting legitimate authority equals resisting God Himself (Romans 13:1-2). • 1 Samuel 15:23 calls rebellion “the sin of divination,” underscoring its seriousness. Lesson 3: Rebellion Infects a Community • The 250 leaders drew the whole congregation into murmuring (Numbers 16:41). • Sin rarely stays private; it spreads like leaven (Galatians 5:9). • Jude 11 warns modern believers against “the rebellion of Korah.” Lesson 4: Sin’s Consequences Are Certain and Severe • “Men who sinned at the cost of their lives” (Numbers 16:38) is literal history. • The censers’ bronze plating on the altar kept the lesson in view for every generation—God’s judgment is no empty threat. • 1 Corinthians 10:11-12—these events were “written down as warnings for us.” Lesson 5: God’s Judgment Is Also Mercy • The bronze plating turned instruments of sin into a call to repentance—a visual sermon of grace after judgment. • Even while judging, God provided intercession: Aaron ran with incense and “made atonement for the people” (Numbers 16:46-48). • This points to Christ, our greater High Priest, who “always lives to intercede” (Hebrews 7:25). Putting It Together Korah’s followers teach that God’s holiness is non-negotiable, His chosen order is to be respected, rebellion harms many, and sin brings sure judgment. Yet, the very ashes of judgment became a sign of grace. By remembering their fate, we are invited to submit humbly, walk in reverence, and cling to the One Mediator who can safely bring us near to the living God. |
    |