Numbers 16

Ah, the rebellion of Korah - I remember this story from High School (I went to a private Christian school, and courses in Biblical history were standard fare). The number of times that the Israelites themselves or members of their community attempted to rebel, complain, or otherwise disrespect the God that saved them from slavery amazes me; that Moses stuck up for them in spite of it all even more so. On this occassion, though, Moses called for God to destroy Korah and his followers (verses 28-30).

One thing I remember reading before, but which struck me particularly when going over the chapter tonight, was that the entire families of those who strayed were consumed with them: as the text describes it, they "stationed themselves in the entrances of their tents with their wives, their children, and their toddlers" (v 27) and then "the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, along with their households" (v 32). Having a young child of my own it is hard to swallow that mistakes I make could affect his very life - but that is how the world works.