The Bible Story Vol 2_w.pdf - Herbert W. Armstrong

followed Kora h and who had brought their cense rs to see if God would
choose them as priests. T here were many among them who had begun to
regret going along with Korah. But when they witnessed the dreadful end
of their champion, they were filled with te rror. Most of them fell in with
the shocked people st reaming away from the scene of destruction.
Even though they were soon scattered among thousa nds of others , all
two hundred and fifty men suddenly met death by bolts of fire, shooting
down from the sky. (Verse 35.)
Later, God told Moses that one of Aaron's sons , Eleazar, should
gat her up all the censers car ried by those destroyed men because the
censers had been consecrated for priestly service .
"T he metals in those cense rs have been hallowed for service to Me,"
God explained. "Save them so that they will be used in forming special
plates with which to cover th e altar of burnt offerings. T hen let those
plates be a remind er to the people that no one except the descend ants of
Aaron is to offer incense before Me. Anyone who does otherwise will be
subject to the fate of Korah and those who followed him with their foolish
ambitions." (Verses 36-40; II Chronicles 26:14-21; and Hebrews 5:4.)
Many of the Israelites who had fled from the scene of ter ror didn't
sto p un til they had reached the bases of the mountains that were not far
distant. Most of them gradually returne d to their te nts that same night,
however, after it seemed evident that there probably wouldn't be anot her
horr ible opening of the grou nd. Nevertheless, there was little sleep that
night for many who vivid ly remembered the terrible events of that day .
Nex t Morning . . .
Next morning, however, the general attitude of the people began to
swing bac k to that of their usual rebellion. There were st ill many who
wanted to see Moses and Aaron lose lead ership. They spread ta les that
the earthqua ke and the sky fire of the day before were brought about by
some kind of te rrible magic. They blamed Moses and Aaron for using the
magic to kill all those who had died.
T his foolish gossip caught on like fire in a windy field of dry grass.
By afternoon a sullen and growing crowd was milling around close to
Moses' tent. Moses was dismayed when he came out of his tent and the
crowd began to shout.
"You have murd ered thepeop le who shou ld have been put in God's
service!" they cha nte d. (Numbers 16:41.)
T he attitude of the peop le in the crowd showed that at least part of
them actually doubted that the events of the day before were entirely
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