Numbers 16:1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: 2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: 3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?
This passage of scripture begins to recount one of the darker pages of sacred history, in which rebellion against God-ordained authority was incited by Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. After the murmuring and unwarranted, angry outbursts at the false report given by the ten unfaithful spies had subsided, The Lord then instructed the Hebrews through Moses to turn back towards the desert, for in their anger the Israelites had determined that it was better for them to return to slavery, than to trust God moving forward. Korah, who was the main instigator sought to capitalize on the ill will of the people by seeking to overthrow the human agencies God had put in charge of the wandering multitudes, and in their state of mind he found fertile soil in which to sow the seeds of discontent and unbelief.
The other princes who later joined in with him also had feelings of resentment against God and Moses already welling up in their hearts, and when the opportune moment came through the specious orchestration of satan, they too gave voice to the evil sentiments that had already taken root in their hearts. But to rebel against God-ordained authority is always dangerous, and should be avoided at all cost, even though the ruler of leader in question might be down right evil, as king Saul was. After David had been anointed king by the prophet Samuel, Saul later began to hunt him like a wild beast, and on several occasions David could have slain him. But because he had been officially anointed king by God, David refused to lay his hands on the Lord's anointed, thus showing respect for the ordinances of God, a command and a principle that is clearly stated in the word. Let's read:
Exodus 22:28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
In the instance of the rebellion of Korah and his cohorts, God gave signal evidence of His utter displeasure in such matters, and the direct judgments which came upon them are a beacon of warning to all generations, in which some people may presume to rebel against God-ordained authority. After some time was granted them for repentance, and they stubbornly persisted in a wrong course of action, they then became ripe for destruction, and the earthquake which targeted them and their families plainly teaches us that God is not pleased at all when we rise up against His ordained servants, whether they do good or evil, for the real issue at stake here is respect for authority. The mind that is recalcitrant in nature will rebel against all authority sooner or later, and this is what God sought to correct by the manifestations of the swift-coming judgments. Let's read:
Numbers 16:28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. 29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the Lord hath not sent me. 30 But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord. 31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: 32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. 33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
In our day many have taken it upon themselves to revile our current president, and many others have taken unwarranted liberties in publicly criticizing everything he does. Now while it is true that we should not as individuals be found countenancing evil, yet our protests and remonstrances should be against the evils themselves and never against the person who has been duly elected, and therefore God-ordained, as we read earlier in the book of Romans. The principles of God's kingdom do not change with the passage of time, and therefore we are required to render obedience and due respect to all God- ordained leaders, once they do not force us to violate God's law, and this injunction applies both in the temporal and spiritual realms, for it makes no difference whatsoever.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which enjoins respect for all God-ordained authority, both in heaven and upon the earth, for the disposition to submit is key to our walk with God. Let's read:
Romans 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!