|
Soon after the spies returned,
there was a new rebellion among the Israelites. Three men (Levites),
named Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, spoke to Moses and Aaron, and asked why
they took so much power and command among the people, and why Aaron was
High Priest, and had so much honor. Moses fell on his face when he
heard this, and asked help from God to answer these wicked men; and then
he said, "God will tell us who are His; He will show whom He chooses
to be His High Priest. Come to-morrow, all of you; take censers, and
put incense in them, and let God show us whom He will choose. You
sin against the Lord in being so proud, and rebellious. He has done
much for you; and has honored you by letting you do His service in the
tabernacle; why do you seek the priesthood, which He has not given
you?" Then Moses was very much troubled, and he went and told
his sorrows to God. The
next day, Korah and all his people took their censers and put fire in
them, and incense, and stood at the door of the tabernacle. Then the
glory of the Lord appeared, and He spoke with a loud voice, and told all
the people to go away from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and
Abiram. All the people moved away, and the three wicked men came and
stood at their tent doors, with their wives and children. Then Moses
said, "God will now show whom He has chosen, and who are His people,
and who have rebelled against Him. He will do a new thing; He will
open the earth, and these wicked men shall go down alive into the pit, and
perish." As Moses spoke, the ground shook, and the earth
opened, and swallowed up Korah, and Dathan, and Abiram, and their wives,
and children, and tents, and all they had. All went down alive into
the great pit, and the ground closed again, and shut them in. Then
God sent a dreadful fire, which burnt up the wicked men who were the
friends of Korah. All the people feared very much, and fled when
they heard the cry of those wicked men. But were the Israelites now
humbled before God? No; the next day they murmured again, and said
to Moses and Aaron, "You have killed the people of God!"
Then the glory of the Lord appeared, and He spoke to Moses, and told him
to go away quickly, that He might destroy the people in a moment.
But Moses and Aaron fell down on their faces, and prayed to God. And
then Moses told Aaron to go and make an atonement for the people, and to
pray God to spare them. The plague now began among the Israelites;
Aaron took a censer, and put incense in it, and fire from the altar, and
ran boldly into the midst of the people. It was a sad sight!
Many were dead already, and more were dying; but Aaron loved the people so
much that he did not think about his own safety: he only wished to
save them. He stood between the living and the dead, praying to God
for His sinful people, and the plague ceased. When
we read this story we should remember what our great High Priest has done
for us. We have all sinned against God, as the Israelites did, and
deserve to die, to perish everlastingly. But Jesus has made an
atonement for us, to turn away God's anger; and He intercedes for us with
the Father. God heard Aaron's prayer, and the plague was
stayed. Aaron saved many by his intercession; and Christ is able to
save all those "who come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to
make intercession for them." Hebrews 7:25.
|
