“You have gone too far!” That was the charge they made against Moses. “We’re all God’s people . . . all holy . . . all set apart . . . the Lord is with us all. So how come you exalt yourself above the assembly of the LORD?” (Numbers 16:3 ESV). “And besides,” they would go on, “is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also make yourself a prince over us? Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards” (16:13-14 ESV). They were done . . . they were starting a movement . . . my Bible subtitles it “Korah’s Rebellion” (Num. 16:1-35) . . . I’m thinking it was blinding ambition.

What was going through their head? . . . or, as the case may be, what wasn’t going through their head? What was it that had caused them to revise recent history? Blaming Moses for bringing them out of the land of milk and honey . . . are they talking about Egypt? . . . really? . . . that was paradise? . . . that was the promised land? Had the forgotten the straw? . . . the bricks? . . . the back-breaking labor? . . . the bondage? . . . really, that was what Abraham had left his home for? . . . sign me up! . . . not so much!

And yeah! . . . they had seen Moses lead them out of the land. So, how had they forgotten the plagues? . . . how had they let slip from their mind that night of Passover? . . . what had caused them to not recall walking out of Egypt and through the Red Sea? And, had they not been there when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai, face aglow? Had they forgotten how Moses would enter the cloud of the glory of God and enter the tabernacle and have One-on-one briefings with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? . . . I’m guessin’! So, what caused them to forget everything that pointed to Moses as God’s man for God’s purposes in delivering God’s people? Blinding ambition . . . ambition which makes one blind.

Moses saw it and called them out . . . ““Hear now, you sons of Levi: is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do service in the tabernacle of the LORD and to stand before the congregation to minister to them, and that He has brought you near Him, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And would you seek the priesthood also? Therefore it is against the LORD that you and all your company have gathered together.” (Num. 16:8-11 ESV)

They wanted the priesthood . . . they wanted the top spots . . . they wanted the recognition . . . they wanted the power . . . they wanted what God had not called them to, but had appointed for others. And, in their ambition, they went stupid . . . the old synapses in the brain started misfiring . . . they had forgotten, or ignored, everything they had known and witnessed of God’s call on Moses’ life and his role in their deliverance from slavery. They failed to appreciate their calling as Levites . . . specially selected to minister in things of the tabernacle . . . called to among the few that could draw near to the presence of Jehovah . . . invited to participate in making welcome the glory of God in their midst. Instead, they wanted to offer the fire . . . they wanted to burn the incense. And, why not? . . . “We’re all holy?” . . . so they reasoned . . .

You just kind of cringe when you think of this arrogant guy . . . and his buddies, Dathan and Abiram . . . and 250 of their closest, influential friends (16:1-2) . . . deciding to go toe-to-toe with Moses. How dumb can pride make you? . . . pretty!!! And the consequences were severe . . . not just for them, but for their wives, their sons, and their little ones (16:27). The rebellion leaders, were literally swallowed up as the earth split apart beneath them and they “went down alive to Sheol” (16:33). And the other 250 who joined them in pretentiously offering fire to heaven, were all consumed with fire from heaven (16:35).

And I can’t help but ask myself, “Self, what are you going to learn from this?” Oh, to be careful of despising the call of God and wanting someone else’s call. Oh, to not grumble about the role in the Body of Christ He has asked me to play. Oh, to beware of pride-fueled ambition! To know that it can happen to me . . . confused thinking birthed from a prideful and rebellious heart. Oh, that I might be faithful to that which God has called me to . . . for His glory . . . amen.