Korah’s rebellion is recorded in Numbers 16 and stands as a solemn warning against pride, rebellion, and the rejection of God’s appointed leadership. Korah, a Levite of the family of Kohath, led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, claiming equal authority in the congregation.
Korah, along with Dathan and Abiram of the tribe of Reuben, gathered 250 leaders of the congregation, men of renown, and confronted Moses and Aaron. They said, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy… Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” (Numbers 16:3). Their accusation challenged not only Moses’ leadership but also God’s choice of Aaron and his descendants as priests.
Moses responded by falling on his face and proposing a test: each man would take a censer, place fire and incense on it, and present it before the Lord. The Lord would then show whom He had chosen (Numbers 16:5–7). The next day, all 250 men stood at the tabernacle with censers. Moses warned the congregation to separate themselves from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
Then God caused a miraculous judgment. The earth opened up and swallowed alive Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their households, and fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men offering incense (Numbers 16:31–35). This act demonstrated that the priesthood and leadership were not matters of self-appointment but divine selection.
Despite this, the next day the congregation accused Moses and Aaron of killing the people of the Lord. As a result, a plague began, and only through Aaron’s intercession with incense did it stop—after 14,700 people had died (Numbers 16:41–50).
The rebellion was ultimately a rejection of God’s order. Jude 11 warns against the way of Cain, the error of Balaam, and the rebellion of Korah, highlighting it as a type of dangerous spiritual insubordination.
Korah’s rebellion teaches that spiritual authority must come from God, not personal ambition. It reveals the seriousness of challenging divine appointments and underscores the need for humility and reverence before God’s established leadership.
