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by
Doug Ward |
In their Exodus from Egypt the children of Israel were led
by Moses, his brother Aaron, and their sister Miriam from the tribe of Levi (Mic
6:4). Later, during Israel's years in the wilderness, some other prominent
Levites came to resent God's choice of human leaders. Moses's cousin Korah, in
particular, desired greater influence. He may have felt slighted when he was
passed over for chief of the clans of Kohath. That honor went instead to Elizaphan, another cousin (Num 3:30).
Korah,
with a group of Levites, joined some disgruntled Reubenites
in a revolt against Moses and Aaron. God quickly ended the revolt, incinerating
the Levites and causing the ground to swallow up the leaders of the rebellion,
including Korah (Num 16). The entire families of the Reubenites
Dathan and Abiram were
buried (Dt 11:6). Scripture notes, however, that "the sons of Korah did
not die" (Num 26:11).
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Family
Traditions |
The sons of Korah never forgot how God had graciously spared their
lives. According to one tradition, when the earth opened to engulf the rebels,
the sons of Korah were lifted up into the air, safely out of harm's way.
Afterward they provided encouragement to the righteous by relating the story of
their deliverance from death (Midrash Psalms 46.3).
Later
Korahites included the prophet Samuel (1 Ch 6:33-38),
whose father Elkanah was named after one of Korah's sons (Exo 6:24). Perhaps Samuel's mother Hannah had
in mind the experience of her husband's ancestors when she declared, "The
Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol
and raises up" (1 Sa 2:6).
King
David made Samuel's grandson Heman one of those in
charge of the service of song at the tabernacle (1 Ch 6:31-38). His sons
continued in this capacity after him (1 Ch 25), both composing and singing
songs.
Eleven
canonical psalms (Ps 42, 44-49; 84, 85, 87, 88) are associated with "the
"sons of Korah." These psalms feature motifs associated with Korahite history, such as the grave, deliverance from
death, and the opening of the earth in judgment.1
For
example, the inevitability of death is a major theme in Psalm 49. This wisdom
psalm, directed to "all inhabitants of the world" (v 1), three times
mentions Sheol, the grave and abode of the dead. The Korahite psalmist observes that it is folly to trust in
wealth. No one can buy his way out of the grave (vv
5-10) or take any riches with him (vv 16-17).2
Despite
all the talk of death, the major message of Psalm 49 is one of hope for the
upright, who will ultimately triumph (v 14). The psalmist proclaims in v 15,
"But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me." The Hebrew word for "receive" has the
sense of "take up," as the sons of Korah were said to have been taken
up into the air when their father fell into the pit. In context, this verse is
talking about resurrection, anticipating New Testament passages like 1 Th
4:16-17.
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Further
Hints of Resurrection |
Korahite family history is also reflected
in Psalm 46. In light of that history, the psalmist knows that God will be
there to help his people in times of trouble. "Therefore we will not fear
though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the
sea," he proclaims in verse 2. As the sons of Korah had been protected
from the judgment on their father, so the righteous will be protected from future
judgments that take place.
Psalm
46 pictures God enthroned at Zion. When enemies attack, they are stopped in
their tracks as the earth melts before them. Jerusalem, meanwhile, stands
unmoved (vv 4-7), safely above the furor as the sons
of Korah had been hundreds of years before.
There
are similar images in Psalm 48, a psalm that concludes with another hint of
resurrection. The Korahite psalmist encourages the
congregation to "tell the next generation that this is God, our God
forever and ever. He will guide us forever" (vv
13-14). An ESV footnote explains that another traditional translation of the
final sentence of verse 14 is, "He will guide us beyond death." The
midrash on Psalm 48 renders it, "He will guide us through two
worlds"-this world and the world to come. As in Psalms 46 and 49, the
message is that God will not abandon his people, even after they die.
The
miracle that preserved the sons of Korah seems to have been imprinted upon the
family's collective consciousness, giving them an acute and lasting awareness
of God's power and love. That awareness shines through in the Korahite psalms, communicating confidence in God's
continual presence and protection.
When
we reflect upon how God has rescued us through the death and resurrection of Jesus
the Messiah, we can join the Korahites in praising
God with that same awareness and confidence. “For our citizenship is in
heaven,” we declare with the apostle Paul, “and from it we await a
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his
glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to
himself” (Phl 3:20-21).
1For a fascinating
discussion of these psalms, see David C. Mitchell, " `God Will Redeem My
Soul from Sheol': The Psalms of the Sons of
Korah," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Vol 30.3
(2006):365-384.
2Here
it is interesting to note that Korah himself is said to have been wealthy. See
Mitchell, p. 368, for references.
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