It's interesting how one small chapter in the Bible can contain so much significance. Numbers 16 tells the story of Korah (spelled "Core" in my translation) and his sedition. This was a very powerful chapter in that it deals with the ever-present problem of schism and rebellion within a religious system. In a way it was almost relieving to read about a problem that seems so modern yet existed as far back as we can trace religion. It shows that men have always behaved the same. It shows that significant events involving schism, such as the Protestant Reformation, were not unusual or unprecedented. Moses himself had to deal with this issue! Heresies, rebellion, inner strife, and, most of all, man's pride can be seen in Korah's sedition.
It always starts with pride. Korah's main contention was that he couldn't understand why Moses got to be the ultimate authority among the Hebrews in the desert. He questioned Moses's authority, an authority that was granted by God! Korah also questioned Aaron's role as High Priest. (It's interesting to note that Korah himself was a Levite and thus was of the priestly order of the Israelites. Likewise, Martin Luther was a Catholic priest before his defection). Korah, once he had acquired followers, thus created a schism within the hierarchy established by Moses via God's commands. He created a fissure, a rift (making his death by earthquake quite symbolic) among the people of God.
One could say that it was a trying time for the Israelites, and especially for Moses and Aaron. The people had been murmuring for quite some time. They wanted to return to Egypt, they found the desert too unforgiving, they thought they were being led astray, led to their deaths. Of course Moses became a sort of target for all this malaise. As the authority among the people, Moses came to be despised by some of the more grumbling Israelites. And Korah grew the most audacious by calling his authority fraudulent! In another striking similarity, just as Luther preached that every man was his own priest, Korah criticized the highly hierarchical nature of the Levitical priesthood by saying that every man ought to possess the sanctified role that the Levite priests enjoyed. Numbers 16:3 says of Korah and his followers: "When they had stood up against Moses and Aaron, they said: Let it be enough for you, that all the multitude consisteth of holy ones, and the Lord is among them: why lift you up yourselves above the people of the Lord?" The answer to this question is obviously simple: because God said so. What other motive could Korah have had than Pride? Korah believed his own ideas to be superior to the established system God had ordained. And God dealt with him swiftly.
It's safe to say, based on Numbers 16, that God isn't interested in ambitious innovators. The order that God establishes among His people, whether it's the organization of the twelve tribes of Israel or the institution of the Catholic Church, is never going to be flawless because it is run by men. God may initiate the system, but man must carry it out, and man is flawed. Some people see this imperfect system as somehow opposed to God and therefore they take it upon themselves to create a new system. Korah establishes for us a what-not-to-do example. Korah's rebellion caused thousands to perish and created havoc among the Israelites as they struggled on their journey to the Promised Land. Rebellion also caused a war in heaven when Lucifer tried to question God's authority. And rebellion continues to cause strife among God's people, as thousands of schisms plague Christians today. Obedience and humility alone can prevent all of these divisions. Korah had neither of these things.
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