Question 1

Who was Korah and why did he rebel against Moses and Aaron?

Accepted Answer

Korah was a Levite, related to Moses and Aaron, who already had a special role in serving around the tabernacle. He joined with Dathan, Abiram, and 250 well-known leaders to challenge Moses and Aaron. They said that all the people were holy and accused Moses and Aaron of lifting themselves up over the congregation. Behind their words was jealousy of Aaron’s priestly role and discontent with the place God had already given them. Their rebellion shows how pride and envy can twist good truths and turn them against God’s order.

Question 2

What did Korah mean by saying "all the congregation are holy"?

Accepted Answer

When Korah said that all the congregation were holy and the Lord was among them, he used a truth in the wrong way. God had indeed set Israel apart as His people. But Korah used this to argue that no one should have a higher role, and that Moses and Aaron had taken too much on themselves. He ignored that God Himself had chosen Moses to lead and Aaron to serve as priest. The verse shows how people can use spiritual language to cover self-seeking plans.

Question 3

How did Moses respond to the rebellion in this passage?

Accepted Answer

When Moses heard the accusations, he fell on his face. That shows his humility and his turning to God in prayer instead of defending himself first. He then said the Lord would show who belonged to Him and who was holy, and set up a test with censers and incense. Moses reminded the Levites that God had already brought them near for service and asked why they were seeking the priesthood also. He did not claim power for himself, but kept pointing back to God’s choice and God’s judgment.

Question 4

Why did the earth open its mouth and swallow Korah, Dathan, and Abiram?

Accepted Answer

Moses said that if these men died like others, then the Lord had not sent him. But if the Lord did a new thing and the earth opened and swallowed them alive, it would show they had provoked the Lord. Right after he spoke, the ground split, the earth opened, and they and all that belonged to them went down alive. This was a clear sign that their rebellion was not just against Moses, but against God. It was a public warning about fighting against what God has set in place.

Question 5

What is the meaning of the fire that consumed the 250 men with censers?

Accepted Answer

The 250 men brought their censers with fire and incense to stand before the Lord, trying to claim a priestly role that was not given to them. Fire came out from the Lord and consumed them. Their censers, however, were taken and hammered into plates to cover the altar, because they had been offered before the Lord and were now set apart. That metal covering became a sign to Israel that no one outside Aaron’s line should come near to offer incense, so others would not end up like Korah and his company.

Question 6

Why did God send a plague on the congregation the next day?

Accepted Answer

The next day, instead of fearing God’s judgment, the whole congregation complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.” They sided with the rebels, even after seeing what had happened. When the crowd gathered against Moses and Aaron, the glory of the Lord appeared, and God said He would consume them. A plague began among the people as His wrath went out. The plague showed that sharing in a sinful attitude toward God’s order brings real danger, even for those who were not leaders in the rebellion.

Question 7

How did Aaron "stand between the dead and the living" to stop the plague?

Accepted Answer

Moses told Aaron to take a censer, put fire from the altar in it, add incense, and quickly go among the congregation to make atonement, because the plague had begun. Aaron obeyed, ran into the middle of the people, and stood between those who had already died and those still alive. While he offered incense, the plague stopped. This picture shows the priest’s role of standing in the gap, pleading for mercy when judgment has started. It highlights both the seriousness of sin and God’s willingness to stop His hand when there is true intercession.

Question 8

What does this passage teach about God’s view of pride and rebellion?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God takes pride and rebellion very seriously, especially when people fight against the roles He has clearly set. Korah and his followers were not just disagreeing with Moses; they were pushing against God’s choice. Their ambition made them despise the good work God had already given them. The sudden, severe judgments from the earth and the fire, along with the later plague, are strong warnings. At the same time, God listens when Moses and Aaron fall on their faces and plead for the people, showing that He is just and also ready to show mercy.

Question 9

How can believers today apply the lessons from Korah’s rebellion?

Accepted Answer

This passage urges people to check their hearts when they feel envy or resentment toward leaders God has put in place. Instead of grasping for roles God has not given, we are called to value the place and work He has assigned to us. It also encourages a humble response to conflict, like Moses falling on his face and leaving the outcome with God. For those in leadership, Moses and Aaron are examples of praying for those who oppose them and seeking mercy for others, even when wrongly blamed.

Numbers 16:1

Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:

Korah’s Rebellion

Moses Separates the People

The Earth Swallows Korah

The Censers Reserved for Holy Use

Murmuring and Plague

Korah’s Rebellion

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Numbers 16:1

Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:

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Korah’s Rebellion

Moses Separates the People

The Earth Swallows Korah

The Censers Reserved for Holy Use

Murmuring and Plague

Korah’s Rebellion

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