Korach - Characteristics of Rebellion
Numbers 16:1 - 1832
Korah’s Rebellion!
Korah, H7141, קרח qôrach: bald, without a covering, covering removed.
Korach’s rebellion was planted and put into the SONS OF ADAM at the beginning‼
In the Garden, the seeds of REBELLION and DISORDER are planted.
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Satan/Serpent 1st strategy was to attempt to question truth, and supplant God’s Order.
2nd – Satan denied the truth. (Genesis 3:4) “you will not surely die”. And he gave her a false truth, “you will be like God”.
The final argument Satan used – was to cast doubt on God. (They did not die, that day)
God says: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof leads to… death.”
Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25
The realms of doubt, deception and vain imaginations.
Do you see what Satan is implying?
God doesn’t want what is best for you…
He’s jealous of you.
He knows you are fine…
And you’ll be just like Him.
Psalm 24:6 Am I speaking to…
This is the generation of those who seek Him??
Say. “That’s ME!!
Characteristics of Korah and the Spirit of Rebellion:
1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is like the sin of sorcery, (witchcraft, soothsaying, divination), stubbornness like the crime of idolatry. Because you have rejected the Word of ADONAI, he too has rejected you as king.
Some Characteristics of Korach’s Spirit:
Seeking the overthrow of a leader.
Disrupting the leader’s ability to effectively lead.
Grumbling against a leader or his methods.
Causing dissension or division among the flock.
A spirit of defiance.
Keeping a backlog of un-confessed offenses in the body.
Spiritual blessing and activity of the Holy Spirit seems to be missing.
Pride - in the form of actively seeking a place of leadership in the "spotlight".
Suggesting that a leader is not needed or is unworthy to lead.
Enticing others to follow rebellious suggestion, thus forming a consensus.
Counseling contrary doctrines opposed to the Word.
Unwillingness to repent, individually or collectively.
Refusing to be counseled when in error.
Confusion – Dis-order and Disorientation in the congregation.
Observations of those who operate in the Spirit of Korah:
They are well liked, persuasive, charismatic, seem anointed (ie: Absalom, King David’s son, tried to steal the throne).
An irony that what they say is somewhat accurate & sounds normal in the natural, but their underlying motives are deceitful and wrong.
Most times they are spiritual in what they say but are often hyper-spiritual or have a religious spirit. This “spirituality” is a cover to cause
People to not question their motives or methods. Test All Things.
Wanting other’s to submit to them, but are unwilling to submit to authority (i.e., husbands expecting wives to submit but are not submitted themselves, & are hypocritical and abusive of scriptural teachings on submission).
They do not like change, wanting to restore the old order of things.
Some claim submission to the pastor, but not to delegated authority. If you can’t submit to delegated authority, you can’t submit to God.
They lack understanding of the workings of God.
They are discontent with their position.
They are jealous of others in positions: Korah was jealous of Aaron. 10. Although persuasive, Moses reminds Korah and his followers they are really speaking against God.
They are critical of but not accountable to an assembly. They are inconsistent to the assembly
Numbers 16:14 ”…We will not come up!"They have a tendency to draw back or quit when they don’t get their way, have control, or are challenged.
2 Corinthians 10:12 For we do not count ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
Various Methods and Actions of Korah’s Spirit:
THEY WILL… gather others to rise up against a leader.
…campaign for their own ideas and recruit others to help them. Before approaching leadership they will create a consensus of opinion in their favor, so that if their idea is not chosen, the leader will appear foolish. They try to create an atmosphere of intimidation, putting a leader in a corner, making it difficult to say no.
They are critical of leaders’ weaknesses or lack of “success” in church. This rebellion came before Moses was told by his father-in-law, Jethro (who was trying to help him), that he was doing too much (Exodus 17-18). Moses then made changes in leadership structure and positioned himself to become a better leader.
They place themselves and their counsel above leadership and the assembly. They will often meet in unsponsored home groups or dinner parties, fellowships, using this as a platform for their agenda, knowing there will be no accountability in this setting.
Consequences:
A Strong introspection of an attitude and or motives. You may be the one that causes a church split.
Unless there is deep repentance, IT WILL leads to …
They may become a Spiritual hindrance to church growth and maturity.
And they may become a critical voice in opposition to leadership,
And they may become so troublesome and worthless to the body of Yeshua, the rest of their life they may grow bitter.
Did KORACH violate this principle??...Matthew 7:1,2 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you."
His heart and ours, it’s a Fact…Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
The beginning of KORACH’S REBELLION…James 4:11 Brothers, do not speak against one another. He that speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against Torah and judges Torah. And if you judge Torah, you are not a doer of Torah but a judge.
Korach wanted recognition, a worldly trait; I John 2:15
Did KORACH have these?? Galatians 5:22-23
But we can do this…2 Peter 1:5-10 …for if you are doing these matters you shall never stumble at all,
His Mature ones realize that even when life doesn’t turn out the way we want it to…
God still cares…
God still loves us…
God still has a Good Plan for our lives. His Eternity is ours!
As Romans 8:28 tells us "… all things WORK together for the good of those who love God, who have been called according to his purpose."
That is Absolute Truth… nothing else matters as long as we cling to that reality.