“Korah” (Jude 11b)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/05/2025 9:05 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                                   Focus: “Korah”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                              Reference:  Jude 11b

            Message of the verse: “and perished in the rebellion of Korah.”

            Now we have been looking at some of the examples of the apostates that Jude is bringing up, and in this evening’s SD we will be looking at the last one, Korah.  We find him in the book of Numbers, chapter 16, and in there we find out that he is a cousin of Moses.  That makes him a Levite and a Kohathite, so Korah had significant duties in the tabernacle and this can be seen in Numbers 1:50-51; 3:6-8; 18:3; Deut. 10:8; and we can compare 1 Chronicles 15:2).  The problem was when Korah was not chosen to be a priest, he became irate.  No in order to show his contempt, Korah enlisted Dathan and Abiram, along with 250 other men to join him in a rebellion against Moses’ leadership. 

            Let us look at Numbers 16:3 which records Korah’s disingenuous indictment against Moses:  “They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?’”  Now in his pride, Korah disputed the idea that the people needed a leader and mediator, someone who could speak for God and also teach them His truth (Ex. 4:10-17).  Korah openly rebelled against the authority that God had given Moses, and he actively rallied others to support his spiritual mutiny. In a much smaller way this was what happened when Lucifer became Satan and took one third of the angels with him.

            Now God, however, responded by terminating the rebellion of Korah in an abrupt and decisive fashion, such that all the apostate rebels would perish.  Numbers 16:32-35 says,

“32 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions. 33 So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34 All Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, "The earth may swallow us up!" 35 Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.”

 

Tragically, the consequences of the rebellion extended beyond the families of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and the 250 men.  MacArthur concludes “in the aftermath of God’s judgment, man of the Israelites—having grown sympathetic to Korah’s position—grumbled against Moses and Aaron.  As a result, God sent a plague that killed an additional 14,700 Israelites (Num. 16:41-50).  The plague’s widespread devastation marked Korah’s extensive influence among the people.  Many of today’s false teachers also have significant followings, composed of people who will share their judgment (cf. 1 Tim. 1:1-4).  Yet, like Korah and his supporters, all apostate rebels will eventually experience God’s wrath (cf. Mark 3:29; John 15:6; Heb. 1026-31; Rev. 20:10-15).”

 

8/5/2025 9:26 PM