And Moses said to Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi!
Moses turns from the crowd to the men behind the rebellion — his own tribe. His single question, "Hear now, you sons of Levi," opens an appeal that runs to verse 11. It exposes what the rebellion really wanted.
Moses gives the rebels room to think again. One writer reads verses 8 to 11 as that kind of opening:
His words in verses 8 to 11 are a further appeal to their consciences. If they would listen, this gave them a chance to think again about their rebellion and to take back their foolish demands. Moses reminds Korah that he had been given a position of honour above the congregation, along with the other sons of Levi. Then he asks whether he now wants the priesthood as well… Korah's complaint was against Aaron, because he wanted Aaron's position.
Everything turns on who Korah already was, and on what he aimed at next:
What then was Korah? He was a Levite. As a Levite he had the right to minister and to teach: "They shall teach Jacob your rules and Israel your law." "The God of Israel has separated you… to bring you near to Himself, to do service in the tabernacle of the LORD and to stand before the congregation to minister to them." That is what Korah was, and that was his work. What did he aim at? At the priesthood.
Korah thought little of the place God had already given him. One writer calls this the usual form of unbelief:
Unbelief shows itself constantly in this very form. Suppose God puts an honour on a man, and the man does not receive it as from Him. Then the honour becomes only a stepping stone: he despises the God who gave it, and grasps after what God has never given. Nothing makes a heart so dissatisfied as failing to put the right value on what God has allotted to us. His will alone secures real joy and strength, and happy results to the glory of the Lord.
Korah's case sounded selfless. Moses answers the man behind it:
To a casual observer it might not have appeared that Korah was seeking anything for himself. He seemed to be contending for the rights of the whole assembly. But Moses, by the Spirit of God, unmasks the man. His excuse looked good: he was standing up for the common rights of the congregation. Behind that excuse he was brazenly seeking the priesthood for himself… You will usually find that loud talkers about the liberties, rights, and privileges of God's people are really seeking their own exaltation and advantage. Not content with doing their proper work, they are seeking an improper place.
Korah's reach for the priesthood was not a quarrel with a man. One writer names what it really was:
The sin was this: it was the ministers of God seeking also to usurp the priesthood. There was only one high priest in Israel, a picture of our one and only great High Priest, who has passed into the heavens. Rebellion against Aaron was sin against the Lord.
Another writer traces this chapter forward to Christ and to us:
What makes this chapter so solemn is that the Spirit of God applies it to the future course of Christianity… Jude points to "Korah's rebellion," and here those who depart from God perish. This was not just twisting the truth into a means of personal gain, bad as that was. It was open, deliberate revolt against the rights of Christ Himself. Moses was the apostle of the Jewish faith, as Aaron was its high priest. Christ is the apostle and the high priest of the faith we confess. So when a man claims and exercises a priesthood today, he invades a work that Jesus Christ alone can carry out, at the right hand of God.
The lesson for us is contentment with the place God gives:
Oh, to walk humbly with our God! To be content with His will! To be glad to fill a very small place and to do the most unassuming work! This is true dignity and true happiness… If Korah and his company had learnt this, their piercing cry would never have terrified the hearts of their brothers. But no; they wanted to be something when they were nothing.
- Brought near. God set the Levites apart and brought them near Himself to serve. Korah already had that honour.
- Counted small. Korah held that honour cheaply and grasped at what God never gave him. That is the root sin Moses exposes.
- Unmasked. Talk of everyone's rights hid a private ambition. Loud defenders of the people's rights usually want a place for themselves.
- Against the Lord. Reaching for the priesthood was not rivalry with Aaron. It was sin against the Lord, and today it invades the work of the one High Priest in heaven.
- Content. The cure is the opposite of Korah. Fill the place God gives you, do the work He gives you, and stay humble.
Is it too little for you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the assembly of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the work of the tabernacle of Jehovah, and to stand before the assembly to minister to them?
Korah was a Levite. He led a revolt against Moses and Aaron, and Moses answered him with a question. It asks Korah to weigh what God had already given him.
Moses meets the charge by naming a gift. One commentator traces Korah's discontent back to unbelief.
Unbelief shows itself constantly in this very form. Suppose God puts an honour on a man, and the man does not receive it from Him. Then it is only a stepping stone. He despises the God who gave it, and grasps after what He has never given. Nothing produces such dissatisfaction as a heart that puts a wrong value on what God has given us. His will alone secures real joy and strength, and happy results to the glory of the Lord.
The verse names two directions in one calling. God brought the Levite near to Himself, then set him before the people to serve them. That place carried the right to teach.
What then was Korah? He was a Levite. As such he had the right to minister and to teach: "They shall teach Jacob your rules, and Israel your law." That was Korah, and that was his sphere of work. At what did he aim? At the priesthood. "Do you seek the priesthood also?"
Korah spoke as though he were defending everyone's rights. Moses' question strips that away. It names what Korah wanted for himself.
To a casual observer it might not have appeared that Korah was seeking anything for himself. He seemed to be contending for the rights of the whole assembly. But Moses, by the Spirit of God, unmasks the man. Korah made a plausible show of standing up for the common rights of the congregation. Behind it, he was boldly seeking the priesthood for himself. Note this well. Loud talkers about the liberties, rights, and privileges of God's people are usually seeking their own exaltation and advantage. Not content with doing their proper work, they are seeking an improper place.
The service Korah reached for was not mere routine. What it pictured decides the weight of his sin.
Korah called the "flesh" holy, and so wanted to bring it into the sanctuary. This is not idolatry, but "flesh" seeking to handle the things of Christ. What is the service of the tabernacle? What are the sacrifices, the incense, everything within the consecrated place? They are all pictures of the coming Christ. So Korah's sin brings down a heavier judgment than the worship of the golden calf. God was more jealous for the honour of Christ — even when the matter was only shadows and symbols — than for His own name when Aaron joined it with idolatry.
One writer places this chapter in a line of warnings that Scripture traces from the start of human history.
This chapter is so solemn because the Spirit of God applies it to the coming course of Christendom. We all need its warning. The letter of Jude sets the beginning, the way and the end before us. "The way of Cain" is the great departure at the start of this world's moral history, where brother killed brother… "The error of Balaam" is the evil of turning the name of God into a means of earthly honour and gain, not without hypocrisy. The last is the one before us here, "Korah's rebellion," and here those who depart from God perish. This is not merely the selfish twisting of the truth into a means of advancement, driven by a covetous heart, bad as that was. It is open, deliberate insurrection against the rights of Christ Himself. Moses was the sent one of the Jewish faith, as Aaron was its high priest. Christ is the apostle and high priest of the faith we confess.
The answer to Korah's sin is simple. Each person has a place from God, and the work that goes with it.
Has God given a man his place to fill — his work to do? Who will question this? Well then, let each one know his place and fill it — know his work and do it. Nothing in the world is more senseless than trying to take another's post or do another's work… Korah had his work; Moses had his. Why should one envy another?
- Given nearness. God separated the Levites and brought them near to Himself. Moses points Korah to a gift already in his hands.
- Despised nearness. An honour not received as from God becomes a stepping stone. The man despises the Giver and grasps after what He never gave.
- Disguised nearness. Korah's talk of everyone's rights covered a private aim: he wanted the priesthood for himself.
- Invaded nearness. The tabernacle service pictured the coming Christ. To seize it was open insurrection against His rights — what Jude calls Korah's rebellion.
- Kept nearness. The safe path is to know your place and fill it, your work and do it, without envying another's.
-- that he has brought thee near, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee; and seek ye now the priesthood also?
Korah and his followers have just told Moses that the whole congregation is holy, and that the leaders have taken too much on themselves. Moses turns the argument around: God had already brought the sons of Levi near to Himself, so the real demand was for the priesthood.
Commentators point out that the Levites had a real, God-given work. Moses' question shows where Korah stepped outside it.
What then was Korah? He was a Levite. As such he had the right to minister and to teach: "They shall teach Jacob your rules and Israel your law." "The God of Israel has brought you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them." Such was Korah, and such his sphere of work. At what did he aim? At the priesthood.
Korah was not overlooked. God had given him something, and he treated it as small.
Unbelief shows itself constantly in this very form. If God puts an honour on a man, and the man does not receive it as from Him, that honour becomes only a stepping stone. He despises the God who gave it, and grasps after what God has never given. Nothing produces such dissatisfaction as a heart that fails to value what God has allotted to us. Whatever is His will alone secures real joy and strength, and happy results to the glory of the Lord.
Korah's public case sounded generous: the holiness of the whole assembly. Moses' question strips off the disguise.
To a casual observer, Korah might not have looked like a man seeking anything for himself. He seemed to be fighting for the rights of the whole assembly. But Moses, by the Spirit of God, unmasks him. Behind the convincing excuse of defending the rights of the congregation, he was boldly seeking the priesthood for himself. In most cases, loud talkers about the liberties, rights, and privileges of God's people are really seeking their own exaltation and advantage. Not content with doing their proper work, they are seeking an improper place.
Another writer asks whether Korah's concern for everyone was sincere:
Did Korah really care for all the congregation? No! He wanted to be the high priest himself. He accused Moses and Aaron of exalting themselves when it was plainly God who had exalted them. But Korah wanted to exalt himself, using his followers to this end.
Korah wanted a place God had given to Aaron alone. Commentators read that place as a picture of Christ, so reaching for it means refusing Him.
As a Levite he had special privileges connected with the tabernacle and the holy vessels. He envied Aaron and wanted to push his way into the priesthood. As a picture, it matches the refusal of Christ's sacrificial work and of His exclusive place of nearness to God. He is the only One through whom anyone can come to God. This was not rebellion against man. It was rebellion against the authority of God, and against the merciful provision by which He had spared the guilty nation.
One writer sees the same mistake repeated long after the wilderness:
They were Levites, but desired the priesthood for themselves. This was a terrible mistake, and the Christian world has repeated it. People who should have been doing Levite service have interfered with the rights of Christ. They have set themselves up as a special class of "priests," as mediators between believers and God.
The answer to Korah's sin is not to stop serving. It is to fill your own place instead of grabbing someone else's.
Has God given a man his place to fill — his work to do? Then let each one know his place and fill it, know his work and do it. Nothing in the world is more senseless than trying to take another's post or do another's work. Korah had his work; Moses had his. Why should one envy another?
- Brought near. God had already set the Levites apart and given them service near Himself. Moses' question points to a gift received, not a wrong suffered.
- Counted small. Korah's sin started in a heart that thought little of God's gift. That heart then reached for what God had never given.
- Masked. Talk of everyone's rights hid one man's bid for promotion. Commentators say this pattern repeats.
- Christ's alone. Aaron's priesthood pictures Christ's own place of nearness to God. Pushing into it is not a quarrel with men. It refuses God's mercy.
- Your own post. The remedy is not silence but contentment: know the work given you, do it, and leave another's place alone.