Numbers 16:0 - Envy And Its Bitter Fruits

1 . They begin by blowing up the flame of envy in one another's hearts. The vicinity of the Reubenites to the Kohathites in the camp gave opportunities for this. "Woe to the wicked man, and woe to his neighbour," is a Jewish saying perhaps derived from this incident.

2 . Their sin the more serious because they were "men of renown.'' Influential sinners particularly dangerous.

3 . Korah's sin especially grievous

4 . Their conduct condemns their motives also as bad. They envied the power or privileges, perhaps even the provision, made for the priests, as being somewhat better than that of the Levites. "Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not."

5 . They bring a false charge against Moses ( Numbers 16:3 ), which recoils on themselves ( Numbers 16:7 ). God had "lifted up" Moses; they were seeking to lift up themselves.

6 . They will not avail themselves of "space for repentance" till the morrow, when God will decide. They will not "sleep over it" with any advantage to themselves.

7 . They are unmoved by the reminder that their murmuring is really against God ( Numbers 16:11 ).

8 . They meet the friendly interposition of Moses by a fresh conspiracy of grievous falsehoods: of ambition ( Numbers 16:13 ), deception ( Numbers 16:14 : "Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men?"), and responsibility for the evils they had brought on them by their own sins ( Numbers 16:13 , Numbers 16:14 : "to kill us;" "thou hast not brought us," &c.;).

9 . They persist in the most audacious defiance of God till the very last. Sketch Korah and his company with their censers at the door of the tabernacle, while Dathan, Abiram, and their kindred are recklessly waiting the issue at the doors of their tents, in spite of the warning of Numbers 16:26 . This last act of sin one element also of their punishment.

II. A FEARFUL RETRIBUTION FROM AN ANGRY GOD .

1 . The infatuation of the rebels one part of the judgment. The madness of hardened sinners their own guilt, but God's punishment (cf. Exodus 4:21 ; 1 King's 1 Kings 22:19-23 ; Acts 28:23-27 ).

2 . New, strange sins call for a new, "strange work" of judgment ( Numbers 16:31-33 ; Proverbs 29:1 ).

3 . Those who unbidden handled sacred fire in their censers perished by the fire of God. Learn hence the guilt and peril of murmuring ,against the appointments of God in regard to the methods of his government, or the means of acceptable approach to him through our Divine High Priest. Teachers and rulers in God's Church are to be honoured and followed ( 1 Thessalonians 5:12 , 1 Thessalonians 5:13 ; Hebrews 13:17 ), and Christ is to be recognized as "the head of all principality and power" ( Colossians 2:10 ), and the one and only medium of acceptance with God ( Psalms 2:12 ; John 5:22 , John 5:23 ; John 14:6 ).—P.