This was placing the matter in the proper hands. Moses gives great prominence to the sovereign rights of Jehovah.—“The Lord will show,” and, “The Lord will choose.” There is not a syllable about himself or Aaron. The whole question hinges upon the Lord’s choice and the Lord’s appointment. The two hundred and fifty rebels are brought face to face with the living God. They are summoned into His presence, with their censers in their hands, in order that the whole matter may be thoroughly gone into and definitely settled before that grand tribunal from which there can be no appeal. It would, obviously, have been of no possible use for Moses and Aaron to attempt to give judgment, inasmuch as they were defendants in the cause; but Moses was blessedly willing to have all parties summoned into the divine presence, there to have their matters judged and determined.
This was true humility and true wisdom. It is always well, when people are seeking a place, to let them have it, to their heart’s content; for, most assuredly, the very place after which they have foolishly aspired will be the scene of their signal defeat and deplorable confusion. You may sometimes see men envying others in a certain sphere of service, and longing to occupy that sphere themselves. Let them try it; and they are sure, in the end, to break down and retire covered with shame and confusion of face. The Lord will surely confound all such. There is no use in man trying to do it; and hence it is always best for such as may happen to be the objects of envious attack just to fall on their faces before God, and let Him settle the question with the malcontents. It is most sad when such scenes occur in the history of God’s people; but they have occurred, they do occur, and they may occur again and again; and we feel assured that the very best plan is, to let men of a restless, ambitious, disaffected spirit run to the full length of their tether, and then they are sure to be pulled up. It is, in point of fact, to leave them in the hands of God, who will most surely deal with them in His own perfect way.
“And Moses said unto _Korah_, ‘Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi: Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them? And He hath brought _thee_ near unto Him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee; and _seek ye the priesthood_ also? For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?’” (Ver. 8-11.)
Here we are conducted to the very root of this terrible conspiracy. We see the man who originated it, and the object at which he aimed. Moses addresses Korah, and charges him with aiming at the priesthood. Let the reader carefully note this. It is important that he should have this point clearly before his mind, according to the teaching of Scripture. He must see what Korah was, what his work was, and what the object of his restless ambition was,—he must see all these things if he would understand the true force and meaning of Jude’s expression—“The gainsaying of Core.”
What, then, was Korah? He was a Levite, and as such, he was entitled to minister and to teach.—“They shall teach Jacob Thy judgments, and Israel Thy law.”—“The God of Israel hath brought you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them.” Such was Korah, and such his sphere of work. At what did he aim? _At the priesthood._—“Seek ye the priesthood also?”
Now, to a cursory observer it might not have appeared that Korah was seeking any thing for himself. He seemed to be contending for the rights of the whole assembly. But Moses, by the Spirit of God, unmasks the man, and shows that, under the plausible pretext of standing up for the common rights of the congregation, he was audaciously seeking the priesthood for himself. It is well to note this. It will most generally be found that loud talkers about the liberties, rights, and privileges of God’s people are, in reality, seeking their own exaltation and advantage. Not content with doing their proper work, they are seeking an improper place. This is not always apparent; but God is sure to make it manifest, sooner or later, for “by Him actions are weighed.” Nothing can be more worthless than seeking a place for one’s self. It is sure to end in disappointment and confusion. The grand thing for each one is, to be found filling his appointed place, and doing his appointed work; and the more humbly, quietly, and unpretendingly, the better.