The account of Korah's Rebellion against Moses and Aaron is filthy rich with leadership lessons. In Numbers 16 there is a face off between God's chosen leaders and a large group of ungodly leaders. The story itself could be a Hollywood film because of the twists/turns and high drama. But apart from that, it is a gold mine that gives really practical lessons for leadership.
For everybody with a Dgroup of squirrley kids, a Doxa or Flipside night where the nothing went right, this is a great chapter that makes you thankful for your problems and is good to meditate on and really chew for a while.
Background to the chapter
After God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, the journey to the promised land wasn't pretty. There was more down than up, more chaff than wheat, more manure than fruitful crop.
Picture a nightmare family road trip to Disneyland in Tim Burton style. The parents Moses and Aaron are driving a mini-van filled with many hundred thousand hungry, whiny, bratty kids (the Israelites). The air-conditioner is broken, the windows don't roll down, Timmy got car sick in the 230th row of seats, and everybody is furious because they're tired of eating McManna Happy Meals. In Numbers 14 God's pillar of fire is the TomTom navigation system that just turned the mini-van away from Disneyland (the promised land) and now they are going back to the desert. The kids in the backseat then went from being whiners to vandals and thugs. They are smashing windows, sticking gum in the ceiling mounted DVD players, pulling pig tails, duct-taping the little kids. All the while steam is shooting out of both the car's radiator and the nostrils of Moses in the driver's seat. A tire blows out on the mini-van and they come to a skidding halt in the middle of nowhere on a 100 plus degree day. Then as Chapter 16 opens Korah, with tire iron in hand, decides to fight Moses for the keys.
(Truth be told, this is also the same story of the whole human race where we are the kids and God is the driver. Each one of us has picked up the tire iron and taken a swing at our Heavenly Father by our sin. And it's only by the love, grace and sacrifice of Jesus that we actually do get the ticket to Disneyland and can leave the desert to enjoy the cool, watery Small World ride in heaven. I know the analogy breaks down here because most people would assign the Small World ride to hell.)
Here are some leadership lessons that speak to me from this chapter.
Being Outnumbered and Unpopular
Leadership sometimes means being outnumbered, going against the crowd, swimming upstream while everybody else is going down. This requires great courage. Moses and Aaron were outmanned as Korah came with 250 "well known community leaders appointed to the council" (vs2). And if these were leaders of the council, it is very likely they represented a much larger community that was equally upset with Moses and Aaron in the camp. But Moses and Aaron were being led by God. Knowing His will is a huge source of courage when facing even a rebellious mob. It is worth the price of unpopularity and being outmanned if the Lord is wearing your team's jersey. Because you know who will eventually win.
Reputation isn't King
The people who rebelled had a sterling reputation in the community (vs 3). Today they might have have been senators, mayors, or even a judge on American Idol. But reputation is worthless if not held with integrity and obedience to God. Better to be humble before God than "well known members of the council" and insolent. Moses and Aaron were members of God's council and that's the place to be.
Prayer is the First Step In Leadership
Moses' first reaction to the uprising is to fall face down before the Lord (vs4). I believe that in between vs 4 and 5 is an unrecorded prayer of help and wisdom. Moses did very few things without God's council and for years developed a habit of prayer that turned into a reflex action in this moment. Instead of blowing his top, or making a plan, or sharpening his proverbial sword, he sought the Lord in prayer and humility. As soon as we know trouble is coming down the road, it is a great time to get on our knees. In fact, before trouble arrives is a good time, and while trouble is here. Or after it passes.
Plenty is Enough
Korah was a member if the Kohathite family who God separated out and sanctified for the purpose of carrying the most holy things of the tabernacle (see Numbers 3). Korah was already in a special position of leadership among the Israelites. It's likely that thousands of Israelites watched with jealousy as they saw Korah carrying the golden lampstand in parade fashion. But Korah wasn't satisfied with his blessing and position given by God (vs9). He wanted to kill the golden goose to get the few golden eggs inside. We need to guard our hearts, learn contentment and remember that plenty is enough. Our blessings from God are too many to count and if we despise the position God's given us, we're in for a life guaranteed to be disappointing and miserable. In fact, the rebels were so consumed and twisted by greed that in their minds Egypt had become the promised land "flowing with milk and honey" (vs 13).
Love for Those You Lead
Moses had an amazing love for the rebellious people and acted to save them at the end of the chapter when God opened up a can of whoop*** on them. In vs 42-50 there's yet another rebellion and God releases a plague that starts knocking people down like bowling pins and could decimate the entire population. In an amazing act of grace and love, Moses and Aaron sprint like Usain Bolt to atone for the people's rebellion by offering incense. The plague is stopped, but only after 14,700 people died. I believe it was compassion and love for the people that drove Moses' leadership at this time. If there are rebellious students under our stewardship, we need to remember to love them deeply, pray for them always, intercede on their behalf so that that too might be covered by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.
Anybody up for Magic Mountain?
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