Numbers 16:3–11 (ESV)
3 They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”
4 When Moses heard it, he fell on his face,
5 and he said to Korah and all his company, “In the morning the LORD will show who is his, and who is holy, and will bring him near to him. The one whom he chooses he will bring near to him.
6 Do this: take censers, Korah and all his company;
7 put fire in them and put incense on them before the LORD tomorrow, and the man whom the LORD chooses shall be the holy one. You have gone too far, sons of Levi!”
8 And Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi:
9 is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, 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,
10 and that he has brought you near him, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And would you seek the priesthood also?
11 Therefore it is against the LORD that you and all your company have gathered together. What is Aaron that you grumble against him?”
That last bit really hits it. It hits a recurring thing that happens in the book of Numbers between God and the people. He has given them so much, but what He has given them gets old. They forget what a blessing it is to have their complete food supply for free every morning. They forget the flowing water going past them that is always clean and drinkable. They forget that they are no longer slaves in Egypt.
In this scenario, Moses calls out the Korahites. You guys, why are you mad? You are Levites! Like of all of the Hebrews, you have the easiest job and you get to be closest to God!
One time I was in Myanmar, Burma. Our team was going to do a vacation bible school for a bunch of kinds in an orphanage. We met and divided up all of the roles and what each person would do for the next 3 days.
“Dan, you’re going to be with all the kids leading the lessons.”
Do what now?
I just got put on babysitting duty? I knew how this worked. 50-70 kids, and I was the little VBS teacher telling stories and playing games? Come on!
I pushed back a little. It was awkward. I heard the other jobs people were assigned. Those sounded much more fitting to me.
As we left the meeting, my friend John came over to me. He was wise and blunt.
“You shouldn’t complain about the job they gave you. You’re the only one on the team with the gift of teaching. That’s why they are having you do it.”
I was not humiliated. I was humbled.
I buckled in and the next day was awesome. I taught a zillion kids about Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego. I taught those kids, in that country, to follow God no matter what. They were receptive and it was so life-giving and God-glorifying.
At one point, we were outside playing a game and I looked over at the house. There was my bro John, peeling potatoes with so much sweat rolling down his face that we’d taste it in the fries that night. He was happy for me. Smiling big, working hard, hotter than a boiling pot of oil.
The sons of Korah were given a tremendous gift. They were workers in the tabernacle, sons of Levi, a priestly family! But they wanted more. They wanted to disrupt God’s structure and have more power. The way in wasn’t in prideful revolution, but in humble submission.
Eventually, the very thing they hoped for with their pride, “For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them.” would be true. But since they wanted to go about it by putting down Moses and correcting God, they would not see it.
