Holding Fast in the Face of Rebellion

Now Korah, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, betook himself, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—descendants of Reuben— to rise up against Moses, together with certain other Israelites, two hundred and fifty of them: chieftains of the community, chosen in the assembly, men of repute. They combined against Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and GOD is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above GOD’s congregation?” When Moses heard this, he fell on his face. Then he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Come morning, GOD will make known who is to serve, and who is holy, by granting direct access—whoever is chosen will be granted access. Do this: You, Korah and all your band, take fire pans, and tomorrow put fire in them and lay incense on them before GOD. Then the man whom GOD chooses, he shall be the holy one. You have gone too far, sons of Levi!” Moses said further to Korah, “Hear me, sons of Levi. Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has set you apart from the community of Israel and given you direct access, to perform the duties of GOD’s Tabernacle and to minister to the community and serve them? Now that [God] has advanced you and all your fellow Levites with you, do you seek the priesthood too? Truly, it is against GOD that you and all your company have banded together. For who is Aaron that you should rail against him?” Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab; but they said, “We will not come! Is it not enough that you brought us from a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, that you would also lord it over us? Even if you had brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey, and given us possession of fields and vineyards, should you gouge out the eyes of those involved? We will not come!” Moses was much aggrieved and he said to GOD, “Pay no regard to their oblation. I have not taken the donkey of any one of them, nor have I wronged any one of them.” And Moses said to Korah, “Tomorrow, you and all your company appear before GOD, you and they and Aaron. Each of you take your fire pan and lay incense on it, and each of you bring that fire pan before GOD, two hundred and fifty fire pans; you and Aaron also [bring] your fire pans.” They each took their fire pan, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and took a place at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, as did Moses and Aaron. Korah gathered the whole community against them at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.Then the Presence of GOD appeared to the whole community, and GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “Stand back from this community that I may annihilate them in an instant!” But they fell on their faces and said, “O God, Source of the breath of all flesh! When one member sins, will You be wrathful with the whole community?” GOD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the community and say: Withdraw from about the abodes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.” Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, the elders of Israel following him. He addressed the community, saying, “Move away from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing that belongs to them, lest you be wiped out for all their sins.” So they withdrew from about the abodes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.Now Dathan and Abiram had come out and they stood at the entrance of their tents, with their wives, their adult children, and their little ones. And Moses said, “By this you shall know that it was GOD who sent me to do all these things; that they are not of my own devising: if these people’s death is that of all humankind, if their lot is humankind’s common fate, it was not GOD who sent me. But if GOD brings about something unheard-of, so that the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, you shall know that those involved have spurned GOD.” Scarcely had he finished speaking all these words when the ground under them burst asunder, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all Korah’s people and all their possessions. They went down alive into Sheol, with all that belonged to them; the earth closed over them and they vanished from the midst of the congregation. All Israel around them fled at their shrieks, for they said, “The earth might swallow us!” And a fire went forth from GOD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men offering the incense.

Numbers 16:1–20 records the beginning of Korah's rebellion. Moses' response is striking — he fell on his face. This posture of humility before God models what genuine faith looks like when our calling, our security, or our theology is questioned.