“Rebellion of Korah: The Rest of the Story”

Numbers 16: 46: “Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the Lord, the plague has begun!’” The rebellion of Korah is over; the earth has swallowed up Korah, Abiram, and Dathan, and fire from heaven has consumed the two hundred fifty co-conspirators. Behold, an angry God! End of story. No, when all the people blame Moses for the carnage caused by the mutiny and a plague is consuming them, God’s fire from the altar consumes the incense and spares the people who deserve the same fate as the others. Behold, the goodness and severity of God (Romans 11: 22); that’s the rest of the story!