The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 63 – Section 64
SECT. LXIII.
COrah, Dathan and Abiram, and On with 250 others of prime note and authority among the Iſraelites, riſe up now againſt Moſes and Aaron, envying Moſes the Government, and Aaron the Prieſthood.
Corah it ſeems was the Ringleader, and firſt Mover of this Sedition, which is therefore called the gain-ſaying of Corah, Jude v. 11. & 23. He was a Levite, and Coſin-German to Moſes and Aaron. For Amram the Father of Moſes and Aaron and Izhar the Father of this Corah were Brothers, the Sons of Kohath, Exod. 6.18. The Jewiſh Writers ſay, That this Corah had long ſince taken offence that Elizaphan was by Moſes preferred to be Prince of the Families of the Kohathites, ſee Numb. 3.30. whereas Elizaphan was deſcended of the youngeſt Brother Ʋzziel, and He was of Izhar who was elder than he: which grudge, though it lay buried for a time in his breaſt, yet now it brake forth, and nothing leſs than the Prieſthood will content him and his Abettors. As for Dathan, Abiram and On they were all deſcended from Reuben, and therefore poſſibly under the pretence of Reuben's Birthright, they were the more eaſily drawn to oppoſe Moſes, as ſuppoſing that the Government belonged to them, and not to him. Theſe Conſpirators now come to Moſes and Aaron, and in an high and proud manner tell them, They took too much upon them, ſeeing all the Congregation were holy, and therefore might approach to God, and offer their own Sacrifices themſelves, as well as they; and they ſaw no reaſon that the Prieſthood ſhould be tied to Aron's Poſterity only. Then the Reubenites, under pretenſe of Reuben's Birthright, ſeeking (as 'tis probable) to wreſt the Supream Magiſtracy from Moſes to themſelves; they alſo Charge both Moſes and Aaron for taking too much upon them, and ask them, Wherefore they lifted themſelves above the Congregation? Moſes at this carriage of theirs was exceedingly troubled, and withdrawing himſelf (as it ſeems) into privacy, He fell down on his face before the Lord in prayer, ſeeking direction from Him what he ſhould do on this important occaſion, and there it was revealed to him what he ſhould ſay unto Corah and his Accomplices. Moſes accordingly coming out to them, tells them, That on the morrow God would decide this Controverſie, and ſhew who were His, and who were the Men that He had ſeparated to the Prieſts Office, and would allow to come near, and to miniſter unto him. He bids them therefore to come to morrow with their Cenſers, and to put fire in them, and Incenſe upon them, and come with them before the Lord (ſeeing they thought themſelves ſo fit for the Prieſthood) and then they ſhould ſoon ſee who it was that God had choſen to be a Prieſt (u)V. 7. Erit ſanctus] i. e. ſegregatus ad ſacerdotium.unto him, by accepting his Incenſe, and they ſhould know to their Coſt that not He and Aaron, but that they (the Sons of Levi) had taken too much upon them, in aſpiring to the Prieſthood. What (ſays he) ſeems it a ſmall thing to you, Ye Children of Levi, that God hath ſeparated you from the reſt of the people of Iſrael, to bring you near to Himſelf to do the Service of the Tabernacle, as Aſſiſtants to the Prieſts, to ſtand before the Congregation to miniſter for them; that is, to do in their name and ſtead what they themſelves were otherwiſe bound to have done in the Service of God? What! is all this ſo ſmall a thing in your eyes, that it will not content you, but you muſt have the Prieſthood alſo? And what is Aaron (I pray you) and what hath he done, or what hath he aſſum'd to himſelf that the Lord hath not freely given him? Therefore if you murmur againſt him, you murmur againſt God himſelf. See Exod. 16.7, 8. After this firſt attempt of theirs was over, it ſeems, Moſes ſent for Dathan and Abiram, poſſibly thinking to deal with them privately, and to perſwade them to deſiſt from this wicked undertaking. But they do not only refuſe to come, but return him a bitter and ſcornful anſwer. They ſcoff at his promiſe of bringing them into a Land flowing with Milk and Honey, and giving them Fields and Vineyards. They tell him, He had indeed brought them out of ſuch a Land as did really flow with Milk and Honey (which was Egypt) and had brought them into a dry and barren Wilderneſs, and here He had made himſelf a Prince and a Ruler over them. And did he now think to put out their eyes, and the eyes of thoſe that joyned with them in this Complaint, that they ſhould not ſee and perceive the wrongs and injuries he had done them? Moſes at this was very wroth, and prayed unto the Lord, ſaying, I pray thee, O Lord, accept not the Incenſe which theſe wicked Conſpirators ſhall offer before thee to morrow; but declare by thy refuſing of it, that thou diſalloweſt this their rebellion. As for me, thou knoweſt I have not uſurped Authority over them; neither have I abuſed my Authority in the leaſt by doing them any manner of wrong. I have not taken the vileſt Beaſt, no not ſo much as an Aſſe from any of them, neither can they juſtly Charge me with any injury I have done them.
On the next morning Corah having gathered together not only his 250 Accomplices, but the people in general to be Spectators of the buſineſs in hand, (perſwading them 'tis like that God would own their Cauſe, and give Judgment on their ſide) and theſe 250 having (as it ſhould ſeem) got ſuch Conſers as they could provide, ſince the time Moſes had appointed this way for the deciding of this Controverſie, they came with them to the door of the Prieſts Court, whither the people uſed to bring their Sacrifices. 'Tis true the appointed place for the Prieſts to burn Incenſe was within the Tabernacle, at the Altar of Incenſe; but this was an extraordinary occaſion, and a means enjoyned for the diſcovery of the Lords will, whither theſe men or only Aaron and his Sons (as formerly) ſhould enter into the Tabernacle to execute the Prieſts Office. Corah having aſſembled his Confederates, and the generality of the people before the Tabernacle, and not finding Dathan and Abiram there, as it ſhould ſeem, went to their Tents to talk with them, [ſee Ch. 26.10.] and probably from them He went to his own Tent, before Moſes and the Elders came to the Tabernacle, as preſently they did. In the mean time the 250 Conſpirators on the one ſide, taking fire from the Altar, and putting it into their Cenſers, and laying Incenſe thereon, and Aaron (near to whom Moſes ſtood) doing the like on the other, God now ſignifies his approach, and the actual manifeſtation of his Preſence, by the deſcending of the Cloud which uſed to hover over the Tabernacle to the door(x)See verſ. 42. of this Chap. and Ch. 12.5. thereof. And the Lord ſpake to Moſes and Aaron ſaying, Separate your ſelves from among this Congreation, that I may conſume theſe Conſpirators, and all that joyn with them in a moment. Then Moſes and Aaron fell upon their faces before the Lord, and ſaid, O God, the God of the Spirits of all Fleſh, who formeſt the ſpirit of man within him, [Zach. 12.1.] and ſeeſt and knoweſt the ſpirits and hearts of all men, and art able to diſcern between thoſe that ſin obſtinately, and thoſe that are only ſeduced by others, and drawn hither only to ſee what would be done. Shall one man ſin, (viz. Corah the chief Incendiary) and wilt thou be wroth with the whole Congregation? Upon this interceſſion the Lord was pleaſed to ſpare the people that would depart from theſe Rebells. And then imparting to Moſes what He intended to do, commands him to warn the Congregation to get away from the Tents of Corah, Dathan and Abiram. Moſes accordingly roſe up (many of the Elders of Iſrael accompanying him) to denounce the Judgment of God againſt theſe Conſpirators; and he warns the Congregation to depart from the Tents of theſe wicked men, and to get far from them, and to touch nothing of theirs (as judging all that they have execrable and accurſed) leſt they periſh(y)V. 26. Leſt you be conſumed in all their ſins] that is, leſt you be deſtroyed in the Judgment that will fall upon them for all their ſins; the cauſe is here put for the effect. in the Judgment, which was ready to fall upon them for their great Sins and Provocations. The people accordingly did ſo, and fled from the Tents of theſe men, but Dathan and Abiram impudently came out, and ſtood in the doors of their Tents with their Wives and Children, as if they intended to out-face Moſes, and ſcorned the Judgment he threatned againſt them. Moſes then ſayed, Hereby ye ſhall know that the Lord hath ſent me, and hath appointed me to take upon my ſelf the Government of this people, and hath conferred the Prieſthood on Aaron and his Sons, and that I have not done theſe things on my own head; If theſe men die the common and ordinary death of other men, then the Lord hath not ſent me. But if the Lord by his Almighty Power do work a new and hitherto-unheard of Miracle, ſo that the Earth open her mouth and ſwallow them up quick, then you muſt needs acknowledge that I am innocent, and that theſe men have highly provoked the Lord. Moſes having made an end of ſpeaking, the Earth immediately opened her mouth and ſwallowed up*An undoubted evidence of Gods concurrence with the miniſtry of Moſes, and withall an undoubted aſſurance of the divine truth of Moſes's Writings. theſe Rebels, and all that appertained to them that were there preſent. And the ſame (it ſeems) happened (and probably at the ſame time) to Corah and his Family, as appeareth Numb. 26.10. only ſome of his Children (who as 'tis like joyned not in their Fathers ſin, or if they did, ſoon repented of it, and gave over, and departed from their Fathers Tent, at Moſes's warning,) were ſpared. And of their Race came ſuch as either compoſed ſome of the Pſalms, or at leaſt were famous Singers in the Temple, and Samuel alſo the great Prophet and Judge in Iſrael was of that Race, ſee 1 Chron. 6.33. to 38. Thus periſhed the Ringleaders of this Rebellion. All the Iſraelites that were near them, fled at the Cry of them, fearing leſt the Earth ſhould ſwallow up them alſo. And as a further addition to the dreadfulneſs of this Judgment, there came fire out from the Lord and conſumed their 250 Confederates, who had offered Incenſe, and uſurped the Prieſts Office. They are puniſhed with fire, as by fire they had offended, ſee Levit. 10.2. Moſes now by Gods Command appointeth Eleazar the Son of Aaron to gather up the Cenſers from among the aſhes of the dead bodies of theſe men that were burnt and conſumed, and to ſcatter the fire that was in them without the Court of the Tabernacle, as ſhewing that God rejected it and their Service, and abhorred their Sacrifice. And he tells him, That the Cenſers of theſe Sinners againſt their own Souls were now hallowed, (z)Sanctificata dicuntur quia ex deputatione Dei ſervire deinceps debebant divina gloriae illuſtrandae.having been preſented before the Lord by his Commandment, and he orders him to make broad Plates of them for a covering of the Altar (a)A parte anteriori altaris ponebantur ut a populo conſpici poſſint.of Burnt-Offerings, which was covered with Plates of Braſs before, ſee Exod. 27.2. And the leſs need there was of them, the fitter they were to be a ſign of Gods Judgment againſt preſumptuous Conſpirators, and of his vindicating and clearing the innocency of his faithful Servants, and to be a Memorial to the Children of Iſrael, that all Iſraelites and Levites, excepting Aaron's Sons, are to be reckoned as Strangers in reſpect of the Prieſts Office, and may not aſpire to it leſt they periſh, as Corah and his Confederates did. However the very next morning after thoſe diſmal Judgments had been executed, all the Congregation of the people that were inclined to this Faction (whoſe lives Moſes had ſaved the day before, by praying to the Lord for them,) murmured againſt Him and Aaron, and peremptorily told them, That they had killed the Lords people. Moſes and Aaron being thus injuriouſly charged, looked up to God, as having no other Refuge or Shelter to fly unto; and immediately behold the Cloud deſcended upon the Tabernacle, as a ſign of the approach and actual manifeſtation of the glorious Preſence of God, and that he intended to ſpeak ſomething unto them. Moſes and Aaron preſenting themſelves before the Lord, the Lord bad them get them up preſently from among this rebellious Company, that he might conſume them in a moment. But they fell on their faces, and interceeded with the Lord for them. God by his Spirit informs Moſes, That he had ſent a Plague among them, and directs him what courſe to take for the ſtopping of it. Hereupon he calls to Aaron to take his Cenſer, and to put fire into it from off the Altar, and to put Incenſe thereon, and to run quickly and make atonement for the people, and to ſtand between the living and the dead, (b)Incenſe was only to be offered upon the Altar of Incenſe in the Tabernacle, but this was done upon an extraordinary occaſion, and by an extraordinary warrant of divine Inſpiration.for he tells him, Wrath was gone out from the Lord, the Plague was begun. And Aaron did as Moſes commanded him, yet the Plague ran ſo ſwiftly among the people (like fire in a field of Corn) that before Aaron could interpoſe himſelf to make atonement [wherein he was a Figure of Chriſts Interceſſion] there fell fourteen thouſand and ſeven hundred of thoſe rebellious Murmurers, [ſee 1 Cor. 10.10.] and then the Plague was ſtayed, and Aaron returned to Moſes to the door of the Tabernacle, to acquaint him how he had ſped, and to return thanks unto the Lord, who had ſo graciouſly accepted the work of his hands.
Numb. 16. whole Chapter.
SECT. LXIV.
THat none might for the future preſume to uſurp the Office of the Prieſthood, or aſpire to it beſides Aaron and his Sons; God was pleaſed to enjoyn Moſes to take of each Prince, of the twelve Tribes, a Rod or Staff, ſuch as they did uſually carry in their hands (which were it ſeems according to the Cuſtom of thoſe times made of Almond-Tree) and to write every Princes Name on his Rod, and to write Aaron's Name upon the Rod of the Tribe of Levi. He tells him, That the mans Rod whom he did chooſe to ſerve him in the Prieſthood ſhould bloſſom, and the reſt remain dry. And God orders Moſes to lay all the Rods up in the Tabernacle, in the moſt holy place, before the Ark of the Teſtimony, where the Lord did uſe by glorious ſigns to teſtifie his Preſence, and make known his Will unto them, ſee Exod. 25.22. For upon ſuch extraordinary occaſions we need not doubt but Moſes uſed to go into the moſt holy place. Accordingly next morning Moſes went in thither, and he found that the Rod of Aaron had ſhot forth branches, and ſome of them had buds on them, and ſome bloſſoms, and others yielded Almonds; but all the reſt of the Rods remaining dry as they were before. Then Moſes brought out all the Rods, and ſhewed them to the Children of Iſrael, and the Princes took every man his Rod, and found them dry ſticks as before, but Aaron's Rod flouriſhed, and had brought forth Buds, Bloſſoms and Fruit; by which Miracle they were convinced that God had choſen Aaron and his Sons to be the only Prieſts that ſhould ſerve Him at the Altar. And hereupon God orders Moſes to lay up Aaron's Rod again in the moſt holy place, before the Ark, to be kept there *See Apoſtol. Hiſt. on Heb. 9.6.as a Teſtimony againſt any ſuch Children of Rebellion as ſhould ever after preſume to uſurp the Office of the Prieſthood: And by this means alſo he might prevent the murmurings and complainings of the people, which if they went on in they would thereby bring certain deſtruction upon their own heads. The people hearing theſe things, and being exceedingly terrified with this threatning, and the remembrance of thoſe late dreadful Judgments that had carried away ſo many among them, they cry out unto Moſes, Alas we die, we periſh, we all periſh; that is, we ſee we are in continual danger of being ſwept away with terrible Judgments. And as men terrified are wont to conceive their danger to be greater than indeed it is; they now apprehend that it would be exceeding dangerous for them to come near the Tabernacle, or to be preſent at any Worſhip or Service there performed; and ſeem to fear that God would not withdraw his Indignation from them, until he had deſtroyed and conſumed them all.
Ch. 17. whole Chapter.