Therefore, G-d had to prove to them once again that selecting Moses was truly His idea. He meant it when He said, "touch not my anointed and do my servants no harm." (Psalm 105:15)
HaShem called the entire assembly of those who opposed Moshe and instructed them to bring censers with incense together before the L-rd. He then told the rest of the congregation of Israel to get away from the tents of Korach, Dathan, Abiram, and an amazing thing happened. The earth opened up and swallowed these men and all their possessions. Then the fire of HaShem consumed the rest of the two hundred and fifty opponents of Moshe.
You would think, by now, that the people had gotten the point. Moshe did not say and do these things of himself or of his mind. HaShem selected him to be His servant. But NO! The people did not learn. They complained that Moses killed the people of HaShem.
HaShem was angry with the people and instructed him to get away
from the people so He could destroy them. Moses and Aaron fell on their
faces before HaShem and Aaron ran with incense before the people. Aaron
stood between the living and the dead and stopped the plague. Fourteen
thousand people died in that plague.
The message for us today is that we must not complain against HaShem
or His servants. When someone does the works of HaShem, they are holy
and should not be spoken against.
In chapters 17 and 18, G-d selected Aaron and his descendants to be the priesthood. This was to prevent the horrors of Korach and his allies from repeating.
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