MOVE AWAY FROM THE TENTS OF THESE WICKED MEN

Numbers 16:15-35 / Keywords 16:26

He warned the assembly, "Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins."

16:15 Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, “Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them.”

16 Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before the Lord tomorrow—you and they and Aaron. 17 Each man is to take his censer and put incense in it—250 censers in all—and present it before the Lord. You and Aaron are to present your censers also.” 18 So each of them took his censer, put burning coals and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 19 When Korah had gathered all his followers in opposition to them at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the Lord appeared to the entire assembly. 20 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 21 “Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.”

22 But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, “O God, the God who gives breath to all living things, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?”

23 Then the Lord said to Moses, 24 “Say to the assembly, ‘Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”

25 Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 He warned the assembly, “Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.” 27 So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children and little ones at the entrances to their tents.

28 Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: 29 If these men die a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me. 30 But if the Lord brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead, then you will know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.”

31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. 34 At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!”

35 And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

1. Praying, Moses proposed a solution that would make it clear whom God had selected as priests and leaders of the assembly. This was not a conflict between Moses and Korah; the opposition had rebelled against God. God decided to destroy the entire assembly, saving only Moses and Aaron (20-21).

 

2. Moses and Aaron interceded for the assembly and God heard their prayer (22). God himself dealt with each of the rebels who treated him with contempt: swallowing the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram as a warning sign (26:10), and consuming the 250 community leaders with fire (35). The rest of the assembly was spared, if they distanced themselves from the wicked men, not being caught up in their sin (26). We too are tasked with discernment with whom we ally (1Ti 5:22).

 

3. There is a story of grace in the midst of judgment. Although Korah rebelled, his sons did not follow his example (26:11). The sons of Korah wrote Psalm 42 – “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God...”. God wants to love a thousand generations (Ex 20:5-6). Each one has this chance to choose to hate or to love God.

 

Prayer Father, you are holy, and call us to be holy. Grant us humble hearts and a clear decision to love you, and be separate.

One Word Love God and don’t share in others’ sin