Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/220

 the Lord  will  make  known  who  they  are  that  belong  to  Him. Prepare, then,  and  stand  each  with  his  censer  on  one  side,  and Aaron will  stand  on  the  other.”

On the  following  day,  when  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  men were to  appear  before  the  Lord  with  their  censers,  Moses  ordered the leaders  of  the  revolt  to  come  forth  from  their  tents. But they impudently replied:  “We  will  not  come.”  Then  Moses  went himself to  their  tents,  accompanied  by  Aaron,  and  told  the people to  separate  themselves  from  those  wicked  men,  lest  they should perish  with  them. Moses said:  “If  these  men  die  the common death  of  men,  the  Lord  did  not  send  me;  but  if  the earth, opening  her  mouth,  swallow  them  down,  and  they  go down  alive  into  hell,  you  shall  know  that  they  have  blasphemed the Lord.”

Hardly had  Moses  ended  these  words,  when  lo! the earth opened under  the  feet  of  these  hardened  sinners,  and  swallowed them up,  with  their  tents,  and  all  that  belonged  to  them,  and  they went down  alive  into  hell. At the  same  time  fire  came  down from heaven  and  destroyed  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  who had taken  sides  with  Core,  Dathan  and  Abiron.

After this,  the  Lord  spoke  to  Moses,  saying:  “Speak  to  the children of  Israel,  and  take  of  every  one  of  them  a rod,  by  their kindreds, of  all  the  princes  of  the  tribes,  twelve  rods,  and  write the name  of  every  man  upon  his  rod;  and  lay  them  up  in  the Tabernacle of  the  Covenant. Whomsoever of  these  I shall choose, his  rod  shall  blossom.”  Moses  did  as  the  Lord  had commanded.

Next day,  when  Moses  entered  into  the  Tabernacle,  he  found that the  rod  of  Aaron  had  budded  and  blossomed. He then brought out  all  the  rods  of  the  children  of  Israel,  and  each  one received back  his  own  rod. But the  rod  of  Aaron  he  placed  in the  Ark  of  the  Covenant.