Then Moses became angry. He did not answer them, but prayed to God instead. Many times man’s rebellion forces God to step forth in judgment. The Israelites tempted God ten times and doubted Him five times. But God tolerated and forgave all of them. Yet when rebellion broke out this time, God stepped forth to judge. He said, “Separate yourselves from among this assembly that I may consume them in a moment” (v. 21). God must remove rebellion from among His people. Moses and Aaron fell down before God and prayed, “Shall one man sin, and will You be angry with all the assembly?” (v. 22). God answered Moses and Aaron’s prayer and judged only the company of Korah. Not only did the Israelites have to hearken to God’s appointed authority, but God Himself also testified before the Israelites that He accepted their word.
Rebellion is a principle from Hades. When they rebelled, the gates of Hades were opened. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed Korah, Dathan, Abiram, their households, and all their goods. They fell into Hades alive. The gates of Hades cannot prevail against the church. But a spirit of rebellion can open the gates. The church is not victorious because there are rebellious ones within her. When there is no rebellion, the earth cannot open its mouth. All kinds of sins release death. Only submission to authority will shut the gates of Hades and release life.
When the rebellious ones spoke against Moses for not leading them into the land flowing with milk and honey, and for not giving them the inheritance of fields and vineyards, their words were somewhat true. They were then in the wilderness and were, indeed, not yet in the land flowing with milk and honey. Please note that whenever men act and judge according to doctrine or according to what they see with their physical eyes, they are taking the way of reason. But those who submit to authority will enter Canaan by faith. The way of the spirit can never be taken by those who argue and reason. Those who by faith take the leading of the pillars of cloud and of fire and take the leading of Moses, the deputy authority, will enjoy the fullness of the Spirit. The earth opens its mouth for the rebellious ones. This is the way of death leading them quickly to Hades. Those who do not submit to authority have clear eyes, but they only see the desolation in the wilderness. Only those who are apparently blind, who probe forward by faith, ignoring the present desolation, can enter into Canaan. Those on the spiritual pathway see the future promise of blessing by the eyes of faith. Therefore, one must meet authority, be restricted by God, and be led by His deputy authority. If a man sees only his father, brothers, or sisters, he does not know what authority is, and has not yet met God. In any case, the matter of authority is an inward revelation rather than an outward teaching.
In Numbers 16 there are two rebellions. In verses 1 through 40 we have the rebellion of the leaders, whereas in verses 41 through 50 we have the rebellion of the whole assembly. A spirit of rebellion is contagious. The judgment on the two hundred fifty was not enough to warn the whole assembly. They saw with their own eyes fire coming forth from God to consume the two hundred fifty incense burners. Yet they still rebelled. They even accused Moses of killing them. Moses and Aaron could not open the earth; it was God who opened it. Moses could not consume people with fire; it was the fire that proceeded from Jehovah God that judged the people. Some men only see through their own eyes. They do not see that all authority is of God. Such people are very bold; they are not afraid even when they see judgment, because they do not have the knowledge of authority. This is a very dangerous matter. When the whole assembly attacked Moses and Aaron, the glory of God appeared, proving that authority is from God. God came forth to judge. A plague broke out, and 14,700 died. Moses was quick in his spiritual sensation; he immediately ordered Aaron to take the censer, put fire in it, and place incense on it to make propitiation for the assembly. Aaron stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.
God can bear His people’s ten murmurings in the wilderness. But He cannot bear His authority being offended. God can bear many sins and can even pardon them. Once rebellion appears, however, God cannot tolerate it, for rebellion is according to the principle of death. It is according to the principle of Satan. For this reason, the sin of rebellion is more serious than any other kind of sin. Whenever someone opposes authority, God immediately comes in to judge. How solemn a matter this is!
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