The cause of the rebellion was the struggle for position and power. In verses 9 and 10 Moses said, "Is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the assembly of Israel to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of Jehovah, and to stand before the assembly to minister to them; and that He has brought you near to Him, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And will you seek the priesthood also?" The priests had the priesthood, the priestly service, and the Levites had the Levitical service next to them and were serving the priests. But, as Moses' word indicates, the rebels were struggling for power and for a higher position.
In verse 3, the rebels made an accusation against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have gone too far! For all the assembly is holy, every one of them, and Jehovah is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the congregation of Jehovah?" This shows that the root, or the factor, of this rebellion was the struggle for power. Through the centuries, many problems among Christians have been caused by the struggle for position and power. In society this power struggle is everywhere—in the schools, in the government, and in corporations. In the work place, people play politics in order to gain more power and position. The same thing happened among God's people in ancient times and has been repeated again and again among Christians through the centuries.
In 16:4-11, 15-18 we see the reaction of Moses.
"When Moses heard it, he fell on his face" (v. 4). This indicates that in his reaction to this rebellion, Moses was humble.
Although Moses was humble in falling on his face, he did not give up his God-given position as God's deputy authority (vv. 5-11, 16-18). He rebuked Korah and all his company and charged them to be present before Jehovah with their censers, saying that Jehovah would make known who was His and who was holy and would cause him to come near Him. This indicates that in a struggle for power the only one who can judge and expose the real situation is God Himself. Moses did not fight back; rather, he brought the rebels and the ones against whom they rebelled to God. As God's deputy, or delegated, authority, Moses referred this case to God as the highest authority for His speaking, exposure, and judgment.
Moses was very angry and prayed, "Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one ass from them, and I have not ill-treated one of them" (v. 15). Moses' prayer concerning God's not accepting their offering was serious. It is not easy for a servant of God to pray in this way. Here it seems that Moses was forced to vindicate himself, but God did not condemn him for this.