Monday - Numbers 16 - The Quick & the Dead

In the KJV, the opposite of being dead is being quick. In fact, the same word translated "quick" in II Peter 4:1 & I Peter 4:5 are translated "live" or "alive" in over 100 other NT passages. Now, in this chapter there are only two groups... the quick and the dead. Of course, the truth is that those are the only two groups in any situation, in any place, at any time in history or in eternity.

Here's the story. Jude 1:11 says that there were many people who died during the uprising led by Korah.   Korah had a legitimate place in God's program for Israel. He was a Kohathite. But, Korah got jealous. Along with a sizable number of leaders in Israel, he stood up in opposition his ordained leaders. His accusation against them was actually rather absurd: "You take too much upon you!" Perhaps Moses could have been accused of various faults, but this certainly was not a valid charge. Moses had just surrendered much of his responsibility to 70 elders.  Not only that, He had been responsible for setting up chiefs in every tribe (including the father of Korah’s primary collaborators; Dathan and Abiram - see Numbers 1:9 & 2:7). Above all of that, Moses had expressed his desire that all of Israel be exalted (Numbers 11:29).

Moses' initial response to Korah was rather mild. But then he prayed in angry imprecation for God to judge them (Numbers 16:15). God caused the ground to open up under Korah and his closest companions... swallowing everything and everybody close to him. Then, as the ground closed in over them, God killed (by fire) the 250 leaders who had joined Korah in his nonsense.