Korah Rebellion

Two hundred and fifty men stand for one line for di door of di holy tent. Each one hold one bronze pan with hot coals and sweet incense. Each one sure say na im dey right. Before di day finish, di whole camp go know who God don choose.

Israel camp for di wilderness. God don rescue dem from Egypt, feed dem with manna, give dem im law. But di journey long, and people patience don short. One man wey im name na Korah gather crowd. Korah na Levite, and e be cousin to Moses and Aaron. With am na Dathan and Abiram from di tribe of Reuben, and two hundred and fifty leaders wey people know well. Dem march go meet Moses and Aaron. Una don pass una limit, Korah talk. Di whole community holy, every one of dem, and di Lord dey among dem. So why una dey put unaself above di Lord people?

Moses fall for im face. Then e stand up and answer. Tomorrow morning di Lord go show who belong to am. Bring una censers. Put fire and incense inside, and stand before di Lord. Di one wey e choose na im be di holy one. Then e turn to Korah. Na una don pass una limit, una sons of Levi! E no do una say God choose una to serve for im tent? Now una want di priesthood too? No be Aaron una dey complain against. Na di Lord. Moses send for Dathan and Abiram. Dem refuse to come. You bring us comot from land wey dey flow with milk and honey, dem talk, and na Egypt dem mean, di land where dem be slaves, to kill us for wilderness. And now you want to dey rule over us too. Moses vex well well. Lord, e pray, no accept their offering. I never take even one donkey from dem.

Morning come. Di two hundred and fifty men stand for di entrance of di tent with their censers dey smoke, and Korah don gather di whole crowd behind dem. Then di glory of di Lord appear. God tell Moses and Aaron make dem comot from di people. But di two brothers fall for their face and beg. O God, di God of di spirits of all flesh, one man go sin, and you go vex with di whole congregation? And God listen. Tell di people make dem move away from di tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Moses waka go there, and di elders follow am. Families gather their children and move back. Dathan and Abiram come out stand for di door of their tents, dem fold their arms. Moses talk so that everybody go hear. Na so una go know say di Lord send me, and say I no do dis things by myself. If dis men die like how every person dey die, di Lord no send me. But if di Lord do something new, and di ground open up…

E never finish to talk when di ground split open. Di earth open im mouth and swallow dem, with their households and their tents and everything wey belong to dem. Dem go down alive enter di pit, di earth close over dem, and dem no dey again. All around, people dey run, dem dey shout, dem dey fear say di ground go swallow dem too. And fire comot from di Lord and burn di two hundred and fifty men wey dey offer di incense. After dat, God tell Aaron son Eleazar make e gather di bronze censers and hammer dem into thin plates to cover di altar. Every time di people see dat bronze, dem go remember. Na only Aaron family God call to offer incense before di Lord.

You fit think say dat one go end di complain. E no end am. Di very next day di people complain again. Una don kill di Lord people! And one sickness wey dey kill begin spread for di camp. Moses turn to im brother. Quick! Take your censer, put fire and incense inside, and go. Make atonement for dem. And Aaron run. E run enter di middle of di crowd, di same crowd wey dey shout against am before, and e stand there with im incense dey rise, between di dead and di living. And di plague stop. Di priest wey dem reject na im save dem.

Korah no be stranger. E come from di Levite family of Kohath, di very family wey God trust to carry di ark, di table and di gold lampstand anytime di camp move. Im complain no be say e no get place. Na say e want higher one. And see one surprising footnote. Later for Numbers we read say di sons of Korah no die. Generations after, their children-children serve as singers for God house, and their name dey for di top of some psalms, including Psalm 84. One of im lines talk say, I prefer to be doorkeeper for di house of my God, pass to live for di tents of wicked people.

Korah rebellion dey for Numbers, chapter sixteen. Korah want bigger place. Aaron, di man wey e despise, run enter danger to save di same people wey turn against am. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Where you dey tempted to want another person place, instead of to dey faithful for your own?