This Sunday, we’ll be looking at the Old Testament as a whole and why it can be challenging for modern readers. Often, we think of “the God of the Old Testament” as angry, quick to judgment, and full of wrath – especially for anyone who wasn’t an Israelite. That doesn’t seem very nice! What about all those people groups in the Promised Land? Did they deserve to die? And our, supposedly, loving God wanted to exterminate them all?

I think we ask questions like that because deep down we’re wondering whether or not we can trust God. Sunday morning we’ll consider the peoples of the Promised Land and specifically look at how God dealt with them. And crucially, we’ll consider how too many of them dealt with God.

Here, I’d like to briefly consider a story that was often used to prove that the God of the Old Testament was mean and ill-tempered. It’s the story of Korah’s Rebellion in Numbers 16.

If you google, “Korah’s rebellion coloring page” you’ll get multiple results of Sunday school type coloring sheets used to teach children this story. The moral of the story is frequently told as, “Disobey God and He’ll make the ground swallow you alive!” To an extent, there is truth in that statement. The ground does open up, at God’s command, and swallow Korah’s family alive for their rebellion. However, that’s not even close to the full story, nor is “God can’t wait to punish you!” close to the story’s lesson. The fact that many churches portray God in this fashion is disturbing.

Don’t get me wrong, Numbers 16 does contain a disturbing truth. But it has nothing to do with our God.

Just to refresh your memory: Korah’s family, and a couple of other families, were all members of the tribe of Levi. They were workers of holy purpose within the Tabernacle. They had a special place of honor within God’s people, but they had become jealous of Moses and Aaron. Out of this jealousy they rebel against the order God had put in place and begin to do whatever they want instead. In verses 1-3, they rallied around themselves 250 leaders from the congregation, who also agreed with the idea that God was wrong in how He had set things up. Things needed to change and they were going to do it on their terms! (I might add a passionate “Dad-gum it!” in there for emphasis.)

Moses and Aaron try to keep these leaders from rebelling in verses 8-12, but the men refuse to listen. They wouldn’t even come meet with Moses or Aaron, because their problem wasn’t really with Moses or Aaron. Their act of rebellion was actually an ultimatum to God. Their way, or the highway… Exodus 6 recounts that Korah and his buddies were first-hand, eyewitnesses to what God did when Pharoah and all of Egypt placed an ultimatum before God, yet they would not be deterred.  

In verses 16-19, Moses let the entire congregation know that in the morning they would gather for worship. The 250 would offer incense, alongside Aaron who would also offer incense, and the Lord would decide for Himself who was right. So, they all go home for the night to sleep on it. Can you imagine the conversations? Every wife within Korah’s extended family had to be saying some version of, “You idiot! Do not go before the Lord in rebellion! You know what will happen! Are you kidding me?!”

In the morning, the leaders are undaunted. Every one of them came to offer incense! What is shocking in this story isn’t the angry, judgmental God… It is just how stubbornly rebellious His people can be.

But God doesn’t want anyone caught up in Korah’s rebellion that shouldn’t be there. He tells Moses to warn the people in verse 24, “Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abriam.” Moses tells everyone to “touch nothing from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing that belongs to them, lest you be swept away in all their sin.”

Several moments and verses pass, and after the people are given yet another warning, the ground beneath them opened up and swallowed everyone in their camp alive.

Everyone – that is – who stayed in rebellion. It most definitely appears that more than a few members of Korah’s camp decided to flee from the wrath to come. These not only continued Korah’s name, they continued to serve as Levites. And we’re told they were even inspired by the Holy Spirit to write sections of our bibles. Psalms 42-49 and 84-88 were all written by individuals who descended from those who heeded God’s warning and turned from their rebellion. We would not have “As the deer pants for the water…” if it were not for their act of repentance and God’s mercy toward them.

“Disobey God and He’ll make the ground swallow you alive!” That was true with respect to Korah and his men, but it’s far from the main point of this passage. The truth is – we are all rebellious. We all come to God with our ultimatums. Each one of us sits as a little Pharoah over the throne of our lives. Even though He repeatedly offers opportunities for us to repent, the shocking part of this story is that we repeatedly refuse Him. Pharoah got 10 plagues, each an opportunity to repent over the course of several weeks. The 250 rebellious Israelites got a night and morning to think it over.

If God’s number one hobby was judgment, seems like He’d act a little more quickly. If He favored the Israelites over and against all others, seems like their rebellion wouldn’t suffer the same consequences non-Israelites received. No, the more you read through the Old Testament the more you realize God isn’t the problem… we are!

So, what about you?  Do you think the God of the Old Testament is angry and mean? Come this Sunday and we’ll look at Joshua 9 and consider this question more in depth together.

Do you have an ultimatum you’re placing before God? Watch out, we’re kind of tricky. We can place very good-sounding, well-meaning ultimatums before Him. “I’m not asking for much, just…” Remember, surrendering your ultimatum does not necessarily mean giving up whatever that is. God may, in fact, grant whatever that request is. But, a repentant heart, a humble heart, ultimately says, “Lord, you know what I want with respect to that thing. Do what you wish. I will love You no matter what.”