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Numbers 16:36-50
BETWEEN THE LIVING AND THE DEAD - Mar 11, 2022 -
Numbers 16:15-35
MOVE AWAY FROM THE TENTS OF THESE WICKED MEN - Mar 10, 2022 -
Numbers 16:1-14
IT IS AGAINST THE LORD - Mar 09, 2022 -
Numbers 16:36-50
GOD UPHOLDS THE PRIESTLY OFFICE - Nov 10, 2016 -
Numbers 16:1-14
REBELLING AGAINST THE SOVEREIGN LORD - Nov 08, 2016 -
Numbers 16:1-35
REBELLION AGAINST GOD'S SERVANT - Jan 01, 2000 -
Numbers 16:36-50
AARON SAVES THE PEOPLE - Jan 01, 2000
GOD HELPS PEOPLE TO MAKE A CHOICE
Key verse: 16:28
NIV
15 Then Moses became very angry(A) and said to the Lord, “Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey(B) 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.(C) 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.(D)” 18 So each of them took his censer,(E) 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(F) at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the Lord(G) appeared to the entire assembly. 20 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 21 “Separate yourselves(H) from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.”(I)
22 But Moses and Aaron fell facedown(J) and cried out, “O God, the God who gives breath to all living things,(K) will you be angry with the entire assembly(L) when only one man sins?”(M)
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(N) followed him. 26 He warned the assembly, “Move back from the tents of these wicked men!(O) Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away(P) because of all their sins.(Q)” 27 So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.(R) Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children(S) and little ones at the entrances to their tents.(T)
28 Then Moses said, “This is how you will know(U) that the Lord has sent me(V) 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.(W) 30 But if the Lord brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth(X) and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead,(Y) then you will know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.(Z)”
31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart(AA) 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them(AB) and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the realm of the dead,(AC) 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(AD) and consumed(AE) the 250 men who were offering the incense.
Cross references
- Numbers 16:15 : S Ex 4:14
- Numbers 16:15 : 1Sa 12:3
- Numbers 16:16 : S ver 6
- Numbers 16:17 : Eze 8:11
- Numbers 16:18 : Lev 10:1
- Numbers 16:19 : ver 42; Nu 20:2
- Numbers 16:19 : S Ex 16:7; Nu 14:10; 20:6
- Numbers 16:21 : ver 24
- Numbers 16:21 : S Ge 19:14; S Ex 32:10
- Numbers 16:22 : S Nu 14:5
- Numbers 16:22 : Nu 27:16; Job 12:10; 27:8; 33:4; 34:14; Jer 32:27; Eze 18:4; Heb 12:9
- Numbers 16:22 : S Lev 10:6
- Numbers 16:22 : S Ge 18:23; S Job 21:20
- Numbers 16:25 : S Ex 19:7
- Numbers 16:26 : Isa 52:11
- Numbers 16:26 : S Ge 19:15
- Numbers 16:26 : Jer 51:6
- Numbers 16:27 : S ver 12
- Numbers 16:27 : ver 32; Jos 7:24; Isa 13:16; 14:21
- Numbers 16:27 : S Ex 33:8
- Numbers 16:28 : 1Ki 18:36
- Numbers 16:28 : Ex 3:12; Jn 5:36; 6:38
- Numbers 16:29 : Nu 24:13; Job 31:2; Ecc 3:19
- Numbers 16:30 : Ps 141:7; Isa 5:14
- Numbers 16:30 : ver 33; S Ge 37:35; 1Sa 2:6; Job 5:26; 21:13; Ps 9:17; 16:10; 55:15; Isa 14:11; 38:18
- Numbers 16:30 : S Nu 14:11; S Eze 26:20
- Numbers 16:31 : Isa 64:1-2; Eze 47:1-12; Mic 1:3-4; Zec 14:4
- Numbers 16:32 : S Ex 15:12
- Numbers 16:33 : S ver 30; S Ecc 9:10
- Numbers 16:35 : S Nu 11:1-3; 26:10; Rev 11:5
- Numbers 16:35 : S Lev 10:2
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
15 And Moses was very angry and said to the Lord, (A)“Do not respect their offering. (B)I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed one of them.”
16 And Moses said to Korah, “Be present, you and all your company, (C)before the Lord, you and they, and Aaron, tomorrow. 17 And (D)let every one of you take his censer and put incense on it, and every one of you bring before the Lord his censer, (E)250 censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer.” 18 So every man took his censer and put fire in them and laid incense on them and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19 Then Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. (F)And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.
20 And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 21 (G)“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them (H)in a moment.” 22 And they (I)fell on their faces and said, “O God, (J)the God of the spirits of all flesh, (K)shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?” 23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Say to the congregation, Get away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
25 Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 And he spoke to the congregation, saying, (L)“Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with all their sins.” 27 So they got away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood (M)at the door of their tents, together with their wives, their sons, and their little ones. 28 And Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been (N)of my own accord. 29 If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, (O)then the Lord has not sent me. 30 But if the Lord creates something new, and (P)the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they (Q)go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord.”
31 (R)And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart. 32 And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and (S)all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods. 33 So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and (T)they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34 And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!” 35 And (U)fire came out from the Lord and consumed (V)the 250 men offering the incense.
Read full chapterCross references
- Numbers 16:15 : [Gen. 4:4, 5]
- Numbers 16:15 : 1 Sam. 12:3; [Acts 20:33; 2 Cor. 7:2]
- Numbers 16:16 : Ex. 16:9; 1 Sam. 12:3, 7
- Numbers 16:17 : ver. 6, 7
- Numbers 16:17 : ver. 35
- Numbers 16:19 : See Lev. 9:23
- Numbers 16:21 : ver. 45; [Gen. 19:17, 22; Jer. 51:6; Rev. 18:4]
- Numbers 16:21 : Ex. 33:5; Ps. 73:19
- Numbers 16:22 : ver. 45; ch. 14:5; 20:6
- Numbers 16:22 : ch. 27:16; Job 12:10; Eccles. 12:7; Isa. 57:16; Zech. 12:1
- Numbers 16:22 : [Gen. 18:23-25; 2 Sam. 24:17]
- Numbers 16:26 : [Gen. 19:12-14; Isa. 52:11; 2 Cor. 6:17; Rev. 18:4]
- Numbers 16:27 : [Ex. 33:8]
- Numbers 16:28 : [Jer. 23:16; Ezek. 13:2, 17]
- Numbers 16:29 : [1 Kgs. 22:28]
- Numbers 16:30 : [Gen. 4:11]
- Numbers 16:30 : ver. 33; Ps. 55:15
- Numbers 16:31 : ch. 26:10; 27:3; Deut. 11:6; Ps. 106:17
- Numbers 16:32 : [ch. 26:11; 1 Chr. 6:22, 27]
- Numbers 16:33 : Jude 11
- Numbers 16:35 : [ch. 11:1]; Lev. 10:2; Ps. 106:18
- Numbers 16:35 : ver. 17
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
First, Moses was a prayerful shepherd (15-27). Moses came to God. He was finding strength and direction from God, leaving things in the Lord's hands. Korah and his followers came with censers, just as the Lord had instructed. They stood by the gate to the court where they could be seen by all the people. The people would learn an important lesson. Moses and Aaron sensed that God was going to destroy all of those involved. They did not want this to happen. Being true shepherds, they pleaded in prayer for the people. Second, the people had to choose whom they would follow (28-35). Korah and his followers were swallowed up by a huge sinkhole. Another 25
men were burned up by fire that came from their censors. It was an act of judgment that could have only come from God. The very public outcome of this test would give the rest of the Israelites an opportunity to make a decision to follow the Lord. Like the Israelites from ancient times, we need to be ready to choose to follow the Lord.
Prayer: Lord, Grant me the insight, wisdom and strength to choose to follow you.
One Word: The choice is clear...follow the Lord