Jude, verse 11.
HISTORICALLY, “the gainsaying of Korah” was prior to the great error of Balsam; but morally, it follows it: for Balsam’s doctrine prepares the way either for the denial of the Lordship and Priesthood of Christ, or else for presumptuous intrusion into both these offices. There are those who assert the license of human will― “who have said, With our tongue will we prevail: who is lord over us?” (Psa. 12:44Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us? (Psalm 12:4).) These are described by Jude, as “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (vs. 4.) Those who deny the Lordship of Jesus into which He is exalted, because “He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2.) will, on the same ground, deny His Priesthood, as the only way of approach to God. Denying the Lordship of Jesus, they are led to refuse all subordinate authority, “defiling the flesh, despising dominion, and speaking evil of dignities.”
But the gainsaying of Korah is reached from the very opposite quarter, that is, by men intruding themselves into the place of the Lordship and Priesthood of Christ. This easily follows the error of Balsam, who fain would have been promoted to great honor. And it is this which appears to be especially prefigured in the history of Korah and of his companions.
It had pleased God distinctly to call Aaron and his sons to the Priesthood. “Take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto Me in the Priest’s office.” (Ex. 28) According to this order, Aaron held a distinct place from his sons; they were priests, but Aaron was the High Priest. But on Christ being rejected on earth, God called Him up to His right hand, to the office of Great High Priest in heaven, saying unto Him, “Sit Thou at My right hand.” “Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedek.” This was His call as the Apostle testifies (Heb. 5:5, 65So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. 6As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. (Hebrews 5:5‑6)), not to ministry, but to Priesthood. He was anointed with the Holy Ghost at His baptism by John (Matt. 3), tempted of the devil (Matt. 4), and then commenced His gracious ministry on earth, going about doing good, which ended in His rejection by man, but in His exaltation by God. “We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and not man.” But as Aaron had his sons, who were priests, so Christ has His brethren, ever needing Him as their Great High Priest; but, nevertheless, themselves consecrated by Him as Priests unto God and His Father. (Rev. 1:5, 65And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5‑6).) “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one.” (Heb. 2:1111For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, (Hebrews 2:11).)
The Scripture recognizes four orders of Priesthood. 1. That of Melchisedek. 2. That of Aaron. 3. That of Christ. 4. That of all believers in Christ. It is well to have the three last orders before the mind, in considering the actual and typical character of the gainsaying of Korah.
Korah was a Levite. The Levites were brought into certain nearness to God to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them. (Num. 16:99Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them? (Numbers 16:9).) But Korah was not satisfied with this; he affected the Priesthood also. (vs. 10.) In order to this, Korah associated with himself Dathan and Abiram, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben. Reuben was Jacob’s first-born; but God had set aside the right of primogeniture, and had chosen Moses of the tribe of Levi, to be leader of His people Israel. Korah could not well intrude into the place of Aaron, without first undermining the authority of Moses. So the conspiracy is formed against Moses and Aaron. “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?” (vs. 3.) Moses vindicates the authority of Aaron and his priesthood, by treating the pretensions of Korah and the Levites as rebellion against God― “For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?” (vs. 11.) Dathan and Abiram openly defy the authority of Moses. “We will not come up: Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?” (vs. 13.) Korah takes the lead, but is readily followed by the sons of Reuben; and thus united together in rebellion against God’s priest, and God’s king in Jeshurun, they perish together in the same awful catastrophe.
Such is the gainsaying of Korah; but what is it as applicable to ourselves? what is its antitype under the present dispensation? Christ is God’s High Priest in heaven. God hath made the same Jesus that was crucified both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:3636Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36).) Believers in Jesus are on earth “a royal priesthood.” It is no intrusion into Christ’s office to assert that all the congregation of the Lord is holy, for He Himself has sanctified them by His blood. He has by the same blood consecrated them as Priests and Kings unto God and His Father. It is no intrusion for them through His blood to enter into the Holiest of all. Where then is room for the gainsaying of Korah? There is the ministry of the New Testament; and the glory of this ministry is so great, the ministry of life instead of death, of righteousness instead of condemnation, of permanent and solid blessing instead of that which was transient, that the suited vessel to bear such a treasure is a poor earthen vessel, in order that the excellency of the power may manifestly be of God. Notwithstanding the real glory of this ministry, the desire sheaved itself early in those who had this ministry, to make themselves a distinct order from their brethren by affecting to be a Priesthood, distinct from the common priesthood of all believers, so as to make themselves necessary as Priests to render valid to men the mercies which God Himself freely bestows, and necessary “for men” in things pertaining to God. The changing the ministry of reconciliation into a priesthood, however modified, answers to the gainsaying of Korah, because it is virtually an intrusion into Christ’s Priesthood. This change was necessarily followed by making the gospel a modified law, and reducing it to a system of ordinances, taking Judaism for its pattern instead of its contrast. The assumption of an order of Priesthood, distinct from that of all believers, must be offensive unto God, inasmuch as it dishonors the one offering of the body of Jesus Christ, as the sure ground of confidence for a sinner to approach God with acceptance. It is the assertion of a principle, as if the sinner needed the mediation of a Priest to bring him unto God, or to bring the sacrifice and offering of Christ unto him; when Christ Himself has said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto Me.” And again, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” “The word is nigh thee, even in thy month and in thy heart, that is, the word of faith which we preach.” Now the idea of a mediating Priest, in other words, a distinct order of men to do something for us God ward, or to render valid something from God to us-ward, tends to obscure the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, as the only immediate object of salvation. The glory of God is now seen “in the face (that is, in the person and work) of the Lord Jesus Christ,” and the god of this world craftily obscures this glory by means of setting up a human priesthood. The very thought of needing the intervention of others, cuts into the shade the glory of the Priesthood of Christ, as that which is able to carry the believer safely through his course here unto glory, according as it is written, “He is able to save to the uttermost [that is, right through from beginning to the end,] those who coma to God through Him.”
But intrusion into the Priesthood of Christ can hardly be without intrusion into His Lordship also. Those who affect a priesthood will soon lord it over God’s heritage-imposing on them doctrines and practices of which Christ and His Apostles have said nothing. High as an Apostle was in authority, he could say, “Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpless of your joy.” And the lordly priesthood of corrupt Christendom has largely vindicated to itself “the gainsaying of Korah,” by teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, and forcing a system of worship on men’s consciences which God has not commanded.
The way of Cain, the error of Balsam, and the gainsaying of Korah, have no doubt a strong moral connection. Will-worship, worldly preferment, and man superseding Christ, must appear to the least thinking spiritual mind as characterizing corrupt Christianity. These three characteristic principles were at work in the Apostles’ days, and are still at work, and will work on till the mystery of iniquity is consummated in the revelation of “the man of sin;” and we may well tremble when we think of those who perished in the gainsaying of Korah, of what is the irreversible doom of Babylon, and of the Beast, and of the False Prophet. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balsam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.”
What a solemn responsibility rests on the saints to maintain all the prerogatives of Christ inviolate, and to resent any intrusion into His offices, as the most flagrant in. So that in contrast with “the woe” denounced above, we may know the full blessing of being able to say, “Now unto Him that is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen!”