Korah's Rebellion

Dear people of God, many of us carry a very casual attitude when it comes to finding faults with the servants of God and refuse to submit to the authority God sets over us through the pastors and the preachers in the kingdom of God.

I have personally come across many attitudes of people who say, that we are all equal in the sight of God, a member in the church sitting in the audience is equally important as the pastor who is standing at the pulpit and sharing the word of God.

Dear people, please realise that such attitudes are only rebellion.

God has a special anointing over those He calls to be His servants in His kingdom.

These people are called to minister the flock and carry out the commands God puts in their hearts.

The word of God clearly warns us about such rebellious attitudes of people in the book of Jude.

And such people are compared to Korah of the Old Testament, who rebelled against the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

Let us first read from the book of Numbers from Old Testament to understand how Korah's attitude was towards Moses and Aaron and how God dealt with him.

Then we will read from the book of Jude in the New Testament to understand what has been foretold about such of people who behave like Korah.

'' Numbers 16: 1- 3 Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi and certain Reubenites - Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peliath - became insolent and rose up against Moses.With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council.
They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, '' You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, everyone of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord's assembly? ''

'' Numbers 16:20 - 24 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, '' Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.''
But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, '' O God, God of the spirits of all mankind, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?'' Then the Lord said to Moses, ''Say to the assembly, 'Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.' ''

'' Numbers 16 :31 - 33 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with thier households and all Korah's men and all their possessions.They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community.''

In the above Scriptures, we can see how Korah was arrogant and reckless when it comes to honoring the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

Korah feels that Moses and Aaron should not set themselves separate, above the Lord's assembly, and he reasons that everyone is holy and God is with everyone as He is with Moses and Aaron.

And therefore he doesn't want to submit to the leadership God has appointed over the Israelites through them.

Dear people, this is purely pride and arrogance, and must say, ignorance !

God has a very special anointing over people whom He sets up as leaders in His church.

And we are expected to submit to the leadership and honor the leading of God and respect the people God sets over us.

For we are no one to judge others' servants. God, who called them to serve, will deal with them, in case if there is anything they are faultering at.

However, we should be very careful not to grumble or rebel against our leaders and elders of the church.

If there are matters that you do not understand, you should not become abusive over those leaders or pastors, and start finding faults with them. One should never be slanderous about God's servants just because some matters are too complicated to understand.

If you are unable to understand, then this could be at times only due to lack of knowledge, because the mysteries in the Word of God need heavenly wisdom and knowledge in order to understand and be able to comprehend.

Our human wisdom and knowledge are certainly not sufficient.

When you find certain things which seem really difficult to understand, it is always nice to approach the pastor to help you understand and explain you more clearly, but one should never grumble against God's servants.

The word of God clearly says that whatever little understanding such grumblers and faultfinders get by their instincts, without any reasoning, is what actually destroys them.

Word of God says that these kind of people are only destroyed in Korah's rebellion.

Let us now read from the book of Jude, and when we read these Scriptures, let us focus on the mentioning of Korah.

We have read in the above, from the book of Numbers, the kind of rebellion Korah was involved in.
These Scriptures in Jude speak about certain people who are rebellious and do not submit to the authority of Jesus.

And Korah's rebellion is quoted as one of the attributes that can be identified in such of these people.

If anyone is not willing to submit to the authority, and is grumbling against the leaders, then we need to take warning from these Scriptures that this kind of attitude is only leading towards destruction, and the word of God says, it is only a rebellion.

Let us read from Jude :

'' Jude 1 :3,4 Dear friends although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.
For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you.

Jude 1: 8 - 13 In the very same way these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings.

But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, ''The Lord rebuke you!''
Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals - these are the very things that destroy them.
Woe to them ! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Baalam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion.

These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm - shepherds who feed themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted-twice dead.
They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest of darkness has been reserved forever. ''

'' Jude 1: 16 These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.''

So, dear children of God, do not let your hearts deceive you, for there are many people who tend to begin their own fellowships and groups only to elevate themselves.

This they do, not because they are called by God to start a fellowship, but because they are led by their instincts which always find faults with the leaders of the church.

These are the shepherds who are boastful about themselves.

Word of God says such people are like clouds without rain, blown by the wind...

They are fruitless autumn trees...

Wild waves foaming up shame and they are wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackest of darkness..

Therefore, precious people of God, let us be warned by the word of God and be very careful when it comes to respecting the leadership.

May the grace of God abound us and grant us wisdom and humility to honor the leadership He sets over us.

God bless you.