Korah And His Followers

Korah and His Followers

Q: What happened to the men who rebelled against Moses?

• a. They were bitten by poisonous desert snakes.
• b. The people stoned them.
• c. The earth opened up and swallowed them.

Korah, who was an important Levite, and several other men stirred up 250 of the leaders against Moses. Korah was jealous of Moses’ authority, although God had also given Korah an important job.

Moses told the rebellious men to be at the Tabernacle the next morning with their incense burners, and God would show them whom he’d chosen as leader. At the appointed time, 250 men stood with their incense burners by the Tabernacle, but now there were others who had joined the rebellion. God told Moses and Aaron to step away from these other men so he could destroy them.

What happened next sounds like something from a movie, but it really happened. Moses told the rest of the people to move away from the rebellious men and their tents. Moses said if God opened up the earth so it swallowed the men, then it would prove God had chosen him as leader. Moses had hardly finished speaking when the earth split and swallowed all the men and their belongings. Then God sent fire and burned up the 250 men holding the incense burners. Since the incense burners were holy objects, they were collected and hammered into a thin sheet of metal to lay on the altar.

Many other people died shortly after this from a plague sent by the Lord because the people accused Moses and Aaron of killing God’s people. More would have died if Aaron hadn’t interceded for them.

For You

Eagerly look for what God wants you to do, and give your best. Don’t be jealous of others who may be called to greater things. God knows what he’s doing and has good things planned just for you to do.

Answer: c

The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned.   Numbers 16:32

(The Whole Story: Numbers 16)