Civil Government: Power, Nations, and Constitutional Order: War in the Gates

The Essence of Rebellion - Part 1

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Civil Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2014-05-18

Synopsis: John Weaver examines the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On in Numbers 16, arguing that rebellion against God begins with sedition—sowing discontent and dissatisfaction with God's providence. He distinguishes rebellion against lawful authority from resistance to tyranny, emphasizes the seriousness of treason against God's law order, and applies the passage by warning against pride, gossip, and discontent, urging humble submission to God's ordained positions.

[John Weaver] So I want you to open your Bibles to Numbers chapter 16. Numbers chapter 16. And let's read probably just the first 11 verses. Actually, I would encourage you when you get home to read all of Numbers chapter 16 and read it in preparation for next Sunday's message as well, because the message today is titled The Essence of Rebellion. And it's going to be part one today in part two next Lord's Day. Today, I'm going to try to basically lay a foundation, probably only end up covering only one point. But I want you to pay close attention to the first 11 verses of number 16. This is a well-known passage.

[John Weaver] Now Korah, the son of Ishar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Pilate, sons of Reuben, took men. And they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel, 250 princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown. And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said unto them, You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Wherefore, then, lift up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord.' And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face. And he spake unto Coran, and to all the company, saying, Even to-morrow the Lord will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto him. Even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him. This do. Take you censors, Coran, and all his company, and put fire therein, and put incense in them before the Lord to-morrow.

[John Weaver] And it shall be that the man whom the Lord doth choose, he shall be holy. You take too much upon you, you sons of Levi. And Moses said unto Korah, Here I pray you, you sons of Levi, see me that 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. And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren, the sons of Levi, with thee, And seek ye the priesthood also? For which cause both thou and all this company are gathered together against the Lord?

[John Weaver] And what is Aaron that you murmur against him? And if you would turn to Numbers chapter 26, Numbers chapter 26, and let's just look at verses 9 through 11. Numbers 26, beginning there with verse 9, the Bible says, And the sons of Eliab, Nimuel, and Dathan, and Baram, This is that Dathan and Abiram which were famous in the congregation who strove against Moses and against Aaron and the company of Korah when they strove against the Lord. And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died. What time the fire devoured 250 men and they became a sign notwithstanding the children of Korah died not. We have in Numbers chapter 16 the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram and Korah and on.

[John Weaver] Rebellion is indeed a very serious sin, and I must point out it is also a very awful judgment. It is a sin that merits and brings forth the death penalty. And it is a death penalty not only against an individual, but also against a family, a society, a church or a nation. If you would hold Numbers chapter 16, but look in your Bibles very quickly to 1 Samuel chapter 15, And notice if you would what Samuel told King Saul, because King Saul rebelled against the commandment of the Lord. In 1 Samuel chapter 15 verses 22 and 23. You remember God had commanded Saul to take care of all of the Amalekites. And of course, what did Saul do?

[John Weaver] He spared Agag the king and the best of everything contrary to God's command. And so, in verse 22 of 1 Samuel 15, Samuel said, and he's talking of Saul, Hath the Lord his great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fad of rams.

[John Weaver] Now watch what he declares. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. Now he says very plainly, rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Well, in the Bible, both witchcraft and idolatry merited and brought forth the death penalty. You have to remember that rebellion and treason are primarily against God and his law order. See, when we talk about treason, We understand treason against a civil order, but we do not understand treason against God.

[John Weaver] Any society that allows its foundation to be undermined will soon discover that it will exist no more. In fact, all you have to do is look around at what is happening in America today, how we've allowed our foundations to be undermined and we have ceased to exist concerning what we were when this nation was founded, even what we were 50 years ago. Because once you allow the foundations to be attacked and destroyed, then everything crumbles beneath it.

[John Weaver] You have to understand that God is sovereign and his law word is supreme. It is the foundation, God's law is the foundation of his society and the support of his people. So let's ask this question. Why does God demand the death penalty for treason? Well, the average man understands the reason for the death penalty when you're talking about treason against the state. But most never equate treason against God. Do you understand that no law order can survive if it does not defend its foundations? And so when one attacks God and His law, he is guilty of treason and therefore the death penalty is demanded. You have to consider that the only alternatives to God's law order are humanistic law orders at war against a biblical faith. Statist law orders always lead to despotism, totalitarianism, and tyranny. Anarchistic law orders always lead to self-assertion and autonomy.

[John Weaver] It's kind of like the passage in Judges 17, verse 6. And you'll also find it, I think, in Judges 21, where the Scripture says, there was no king in Israel in those days. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes. So, I want you to understand that when you reject God's law order, the only alternative is a humanistic law order, and you're either going into statism, which is totalitarianism and tyranny, or you're going into anarchism, which is going to be absolutely total chaos.

[John Weaver] Now, every or each society, power, authority, and government have laws or has laws that deal with rebellion. Often these laws are sometimes broken down into sedition, rebellion, conspiracy, and treason. And they all demand the death penalty. Let me just read to you very quickly the United States Constitution, Article 3, Section 3. It says this, treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them or adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.

[John Weaver] No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act or on confession in open court. The Congress shall have the power to declare the punishment of treason.

[John Weaver] Now you have to ask yourself this question. What constitutes treason in a culture? What constitutes treason in a society? Is treason an act of rebellion against the state? Or is treason an act of rebellion against God and His law order? I want you to understand that all idolatry is treason and rebellion is treason to God. If you try to tell me, well, treason is to the state. Well, let me ask you a question.

[John Weaver] What if the enemy of the citizen? What if the enemy of the Christian turns out to be the state? turned traitor against his own constitutions. I don't have to point out how multitudes of governments have murdered their own people in order to protect the state. What did Stalin do to over 20 million? Mao Zedong, Idi Amin, Castro. I mean, you have to understand Yeah, governments do go rogue.

[John Weaver] They could care less about law. And a tyrant is going to do any and everything he can to protect his own power and his own position, even at the expense of his own people. But when you talk about treason and you understand sedition, and all this is important to understand Numbers chapter 16, Most governments condemn sedition as well as treason. Now legally, there is a difference between sedition and treason. Yet what I want to show you, I'm going to show it to you civilly, but I want you to see spiritually and scripturally that all rebellion really begins with sedition. Do you realize that as far back in our country as 1798, there have been men tried for sedition against the United States. In fact, there were the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, which were thankfully repealed. Section 1 dealt with the fact of aliens over here creating trouble and turmoil, and Section 1 just simply said that such aliens could be deported at the President's statement and request, and well, I have no problem with that.

[John Weaver] If you read on, here is another act in addition to the act entitled, An Act for the Punishment of Certain Crimes against the United States. I want you to listen to just a few paragraphs here. being enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America and Congress assembled, that if any persons, not just aliens now, but if any persons shall unlawfully combine or conspire together with intent to oppose any measure or measures of the government of the United States, which are, shall be directed by proper authority, to impede the operation of any law of the United States or intimidate or prevent any person holding a place or an office under any government of the United States from undertaking, performing, or executing his trusted duty.

[John Weaver] He goes on and I mean, it spells out what can be done to each of us. Now this was still under the Alien and Sedition Acts. Listen if you would to section two. I didn't read all of that. But here's section two. And be it further enacted that if any person shall write, print, utter, or publish or shall cause or procure to be written, printed, uttered, or published, or shall knowingly and willingly assist or aid in writing, printing, uttering, or publishing, any false and scandalous and malicious writings against the Government of the United States, or either the House of the Congress of the United States, or the President of the United States, with intent to defame the said Government, or either House of the said Congress, or said President, or to bring them, or either of them, into contempt or disrepute.

[John Weaver] By the way, we don't have to do that. They do that themselves. OK, or shall excite against them and goes on and stirring up the people. And then it tells what the fine and the punishment is to be. So the alien sedition acts. Basically, we're not only talking about dealing with aliens who came over here and started problems. But our own people who happen to be discontented.

[John Weaver] With what was going on in Washington, and going on by the politicians. President Theodore Roosevelt said on May 17, 1918, this was reported in the Kansas City Star, listen to what Roosevelt said, and I want you to think about what President Theodore Roosevelt said in light of what is happening today in our politically correct situation. He said, and I quote, is merely the most important among a large number of public servants.

[John Weaver] He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the nation as a whole. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts And this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth.

[John Weaver] should be spoken about him or anyone else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant about him than anyone else. Wow. Wow. You tell the truth about the president today and man, you're going to be visited by the FBI or the Secret Service. But Roosevelt hit it on the head, he said it is morally reasonable to stand by not only the President but any public official when that public official is wrong and wicked.

[John Weaver] Now, we're talking about rebellion. I want you to see something. I want you to see that rebellion actually often begins with sedition. I told you that legally there is a difference between sedition and treason. But I want you to understand that sedition will lead to rebellion and rebellion will lead to treason. And I'm not necessarily talking about treason against the United States right now. I'm ultimately going to be talking about treason against God. But I want you to listen to four quick paragraphs. Here is a site, a legal site, that distinguishes for us the difference between sedition and treason. In law, sedition is overt conduct such as speech, an organization that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution or incitement of discontent or resistance to lawful authority. Sedition may include any commotion, though not aimed at direct and open violence against the laws.

[John Weaver] Seditious words and writings are seditious libel. A seditionist is one who engages in or promotes the interests of sedition. Typically, sedition is considered a subversive act, and the overt acts that may be prosecutable under sedition laws vary from one legal code to another. While the history of these legal codes have been traced, there is also a record of the change in the definition of the elements constituting sedition at certain points in history. This overview has served to develop a sociological definition of sedition as well within the study of state persecution. The difference between sedition and treason consists primarily in the subjective ultimate object of the violation to the public peace. Sedition does not consist of levying war against a government, nor of adhering to its enemies, giving enemies aid, or giving enemies comfort. Nor does it consist, in most representative democracies, of peaceful protest against the government, nor of attempting to change the government by democratic means, such as direct democracy or constitutional convention. Sedition is the stirring up of rebellion against the government in power."

[John Weaver] Wow. Treason is the violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or state, giving aid to enemies, or levering war against one's state. Sedition is encouraging one's fellow citizens to rebel against their state, whereas treason is actually betraying one's country by aiding and abetting another state. Sedition laws somewhat equate to terrorism in public order laws. Wow.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to note what was just said. Sedition is the stirring up of rebellion against the government in power. Wow. Do you realize there have been a number of sedition trials in the United States? The first one is the Matthew Lyon trial in 1798, the Thomas Cooper trial in 1800, the James Callender trial in 1800, the William Dunn Trial in 1918, the Christian Front Sedition Trial in 1940, the Minneapolis Sedition Trial in 1941, the Great Sedition Trial of 1944, the Fort Smith, that is Fort Smith, Arkansas Sedition Trial of 1988, and the Ohio Sedition Trial of 1989.

[John Weaver] So that's not too long ago. What I want you to see is how even civil governments are concerned with sedition, because they are saying that sedition leads to rebellion, and rebellion leads to treason. It's not so much the civil aspect that I want you to see, it's the spiritual aspect, and we're going to see this exactly in Numbers chapter 16.

[John Weaver] Now, before I begin today, I want to remind you of several truths, and that is this. First of all, Although we're talking about rebellion, and I don't care if you talk about rebellion civilly or spiritually. Here it is. Rebellion can only be to lawful authority. If there is no lawful authority, it is not rebellion. It is merely resistance. So I could look at Janet and say, Janet, go get me a glass of tea. And she could say, wait a minute now, brother. You ask me, I'll be glad to do it, but don't go commanding me.

[John Weaver] Well, I can't command her. I'm not her head. I'm not her husband. And if she and if she resisted me, that was not rebellion on her part. That's just resistance to someone who's trying to be a tyrant and order her around. I have no authority over her like that. Henry said he doesn't either. I'm teasing. Henry didn't say that. But the point I'm trying to make is Rebellion can only be to lawful authority. If there is no lawful authority, there cannot be any rebellion. It was Benjamin Franklin who said, rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.

[John Weaver] In fact, that was the motto that he came up with and attached to his seal. In fact, Thomas Jefferson liked that motto so well, he put that motto on his seal, that rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.

[John Weaver] Now, I also want to point out the obverse or the reverse. Do you realize also that submission to tyrants is rebellion to God? Submission to tyrants is rebellion to God. In this country, first and foremost, the Bible is our law word. OK, you remember even when the apostles And the disciples were commanded by those in authority not to preach any more in the name of Jesus Christ. They said in Acts chapter five and verse twenty nine, then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than man. And that's true.

[John Weaver] Now, whether we like it or not, whether we agree with it or not, it's beside the point. But in this country, the Constitution is supposed to be a rule of law for the government. You remember it was Jefferson who said, bind them down with the chains of the Constitution. I want to read something to you very quickly. I want to read you just a couple of quotes from the Supreme Court. And then I want to read you just several quotes from American jurisprudence. Marbury versus Madison. All laws, rules and practices, which are repugnant to the Constitution are null and void." That's a Supreme Court case. Here's what the 16th American Jurisprudence says. Listen to this. The general rule is that an unconstitutional statute, though having the form and the name of law, is in reality no law.

[John Weaver] but is wholly void and ineffective for any purpose, since unconstitutionality dates from the time of its enactment, and not merely from the date of the decision, so branding it. An unconstitutional law in legal contemplation is as inoperative as if it had never been passed. Such a statute leaves the question that it purports to settle just as it would be had the statute not been enacted. Since an unconstitutional law is void, the general principles follow that it imposes no duties, confers no rights, creates no office, bestows no power or authority on anyone, affords no protection, and justifies no acts performed under it. A void act cannot be legally consistent with a valid one. An unconstitutional law cannot operate to supersede any existing valid law. Indeed, insofar as a statute runs counter to the fundamental law of the land, it is superseded thereby.

[John Weaver] Listen to this, I'm still reading. No one is bound to obey an unconstitutional law, and no courts are bound to enforce it. And then here's another Supreme Court ruling, Norton v. Shelby County. An unconstitutional act is not a law. It confers no rights. It imposes no duties. It affords no protection. It creates no office. In its legal contemplation, it is as an operative as though it had never been passed.

[John Weaver] Now, I read all that just to tell you this. Executive orders, rules, regulations, administrative decisions, laws, statutes, Acts of Congress or decisions of judges, even decisions of judges by the Supreme Court of the United States cannot void the rights given to us by God Himself. There can be no law that will supersede God's law. And so what you and I have to be is what our law says is to be a belligerent claimant of rights. So if you do not belligerently claim your rights, the court system today view you as giving them up.

[John Weaver] John Locke said this, listen carefully, whenever the legislators endeavor to take away and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them slavery under arbitrary power, they, the legislators, put themselves in a state of war with the people who are therefore absolved from any further obedience. Wow. So you just think of all these laws that are being passed to deprive us of our life, liberty, and property, and what is happening? The Congress of the United States The president, the executive office, even the judicial office are placing themselves in a state of war against the people.

[John Weaver] So you have to remember, as I go into this, that rebellion can only be to lawful authority. Where there is no lawful authority, it is not rebellion, it is resistance. The lawful power in this country is first and foremost the Bible, secondly it would be the Constitution, or I might say the people themselves, for we the people did ordain this. Resistance to tyranny is a duty and responsibility because resisting evil and wickedness is submission to God and His law.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to see one thing today, just one point. I want you to see in Numbers chapter 16 that sedition leads to rebellion. I'm going to explain this. Look in Numbers chapter 16 and verse 1. This is an amazing, amazing verse. Number 16, verse 1.

[John Weaver] Now Korah, the son of Ishar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan, and Abiram, the sons of Goliath, and all the sons of Pilate, sons of Reuben, took men. Are you listening? Rebellion always begins with sedition. Someone must sow the seeds of discord, and someone must incite and draw others into the circle of discontent.

[John Weaver] Now, interestingly enough, after these individuals are named in chapter 16, verse 1, you see the last two words, these men did what they took men. The Bible tells us that Korah and Dathan and Abiram and on took men. You know what the word took literally means? It literally means to catch by the hand, to carry along, to fetch and to lead.

[John Weaver] Now, when you read this, you look in verse two, and they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel, 250 princes of the assembly. Now, you have to ask yourself this question. Is it possible that 250 men, independently and on their own, would just happen to come to the same conclusion as Cora, David, and Byram and all? No. They took men. They solicited them. They led them.

[John Weaver] They brought them to their position. Now, this conspiracy And Numbers chapter 16 was extremely formidable. And the reason it was so formidable was not because. Regular people were not involved. But because princes were involved, so this is no ordinary rebellion. It's not the dregs of society that are rebelling against Moses, Neron and the Lord. It's the princes. It's the rulers. Wow. These people had high office. They were dignitaries. They were undoubtedly rich.

[John Weaver] You know, we have an old saying, usually we say something like, this blood is thicker than water. What we mean by that is, you know, families are going to stick together. It's just like, you can read in the paper, here are husbands and wives, or a husband and wife, fighting like cats and dogs. I mean, they may even have knives or whatever fighting against each other. And here comes the cops to break up the fight. And what does the husband and wife do? Both turn on the cops. Well, when it comes to rebellion, that's not necessarily so. Blood is not necessarily thicker than water. What do I mean?

[John Weaver] I want you to look back at verse one. Now, Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi. Now, remember, Korah is a son of Kohath, the son of Levi. So Korah, then, is a Levite. And I want you to note how he is identified. Look in verse one. Now, Korah, the son of Izhar. So we're given his father's name. I want you to look in your Bibles to Exodus chapter six. Exodus chapter six. And look, if you would, please, very quickly. At verse 18, Exodus chapter six and verse 18. Here it is, Exodus six, verse 18, and the sons of Kohath. Now we're finding out who Kohath's children are. Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uziel. And the year of the life of Korah, Kohath were 133 years. So notice if you would, Amram and Izhar are brothers. Korah is the son of Izhar. I don't know if you realize this or not, but Amram, Ishar's brother, was the father of Moses and Aaron and Miriam. Amram married Jochebed. Exodus chapter 6 and verse 20.

[John Weaver] So Korah then happens to be a first cousin to Moses and Aaron. Korah probably found himself or believed himself to be slighted and injured in some way. in order that he might lead this rebellion against his own cousins. And by the way, On is named in verse one. After this, he's no longer mentioned. So probably he dropped out of this conspiracy. I don't know. But Dathan and Abiram and On were Reubenites. And they were probably involved in this rebellion.

[John Weaver] because their birthright had been taken away from them. You remember, don't turn there, but in Genesis chapter 49 verses 3 and 4, Jacob said this about Reuben. He said, Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of my dignity, and the excellency of my power. Unstable as water thou art, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up to thy father's bed, then defilest thou it, and he went up into my couch. So, Reuben, had sexual intercourse with his father's concubine, and so he was disinherited. Reuben was actually the firstborn. So he lost the birthright, but he not only lost the birthright, he now lost the primogeniture of all the tribes of Israel. He's no longer the leader of the twelve tribes. So these are Reubenites.

[John Weaver] Korah may also have been upset with the fact that his cousin was elevated above the Koaphites. If you look in Numbers chapter 3 and verse 19, very quickly, Numbers chapter 3 and verse 19, look what the Bible says. Numbers chapter 3 verse 19, And the sons of Kohath by their families Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uziel. So there's the four brothers again. Now skip down if you would please to verse 30. The Bible says in verse 30, And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohaites shall be Elisaphan the son of Uziel. So now all of a sudden Korah is not even the head of the house. Now another cousin is the head of the house of the Kohaites.

[John Weaver] So, we've got a problem. You say, how in the world do you think the Reubenites and the Koathites got together in this rebellion? Well, did you know that the Koathites camped next to the Reubenites? I'm not going to ask you to turn there, but Numbers chapter two in verse 10, the sons of Kohath camped on the south side of the camp. And when you get the number three in verse twenty nine, the Reubenites camped on the south side of the camp, too. So they were just right gem up right next to each other.

[John Weaver] So that made it easy then for Korah to go in and take these men by the hand. It was Korah who stirred up all the others. God condemns Korah as the leader of this rebellion, which began with his dissatisfaction, pride, and arrogance. He is singled out as one of the three great errors that we are to avoid. Let me tell you, in Jude 1 and verse 11, if you want to turn there very quickly, Jude 1 verse 11, right before the book of Revelation, the little book of Jude, Look in the book of Jude, Jude 1 and verse 11. Look what the Bible says. Jude 1 verse 11. So here are three errors that we are admonished to avoid. The first one is the way of Cain.

[John Weaver] What is the way of Cain? The way of Cain is humanism. It's to worship God in the way that you think you ought to worship God or any way that you desire. Abel brought forth the sacrifices that God demanded. Cain didn't. He brought the food to the ground. Why? He said, I don't see why my worship can't be acceptable. I don't see why I have to do what God says to do. So the way of Cain is just the way most people do. They're not interested in worshiping God scripturally in spirit and in truth. They just want to do their thing and get it on. That's it. That's the way of Cain. The era of Balaam is seeking rewards and placing money above God in his service. In 2 Peter, don't turn there, but in 2 Peter 2 and verse 15, the Bible says,"...which have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Besor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness." Why was Balaam willing to go to Balak when God told him not to?

[John Weaver] because of a reward that was continually increased if he would come and curse Israel. So he says, you better watch out for the way of Cain. You better avoid the error of Balaam. And then he talks about those who perished in the gainsaying of Kor.

[John Weaver] Now, the word gainsaying there means an opposition, a contradiction, a rebellion. So God is here warning then about the way of Cain, the heir of Balaam, and the rebellion of Korah. So Korah evidently was the leader. He was the instigator of this plot. Korah is singled out over and over in the Bible as the instigator of this rebellion. For instance, look in your Bibles very quickly. Numbers chapter 16, if you'll go back there, Numbers chapter 16 at verses 5 and 6. Numbers 16 verses 5 and 6.

[John Weaver] Now, to whom is Moses speaking? Well, look in verse 5, And he spake unto Korah, and to all of his company, saying, Even tomorrow the Lord will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto him, even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him. This do take you censors Korah. and all his company. If you look in Numbers chapter 26 and verse 9. Numbers 26 and verse 9.

[John Weaver] And the sons of Uliah, of Nimuel, and Dathan and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram which were famous in the congregation who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah. When they strove against the Lord. Look at Numbers 27 and verse 3. Numbers 27, verse 3, Here the daughters of Zelophehad said, Our fathers died in the wilderness. Our father died in the wilderness and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah. But he died in his own sin and had no sons. So Korah then is singled out as the leader of this rebellion against God. Here's the point I want to make today, sedition always leads to rebellion. What is sedition?

[John Weaver] It's when you begin to incite discontent. And dissatisfaction among other people. You're going to find and we'll see next Lord's Day. You're going to see how the leaders of this rebellion had their moment in the sun. And I do mean moment. It was a short lived term. But then sure and sudden and solemn destruction hit them instantly. Sedition always leads to rebellion. The rebellion in number 16 began.

[John Weaver] When David and Abiram and On and Korah took men, they said, come on, let me tell you about Moses and Aaron. Let me tell you what they're doing. And they begin to sow the seeds of dissatisfaction.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make some applications. Here we go. Here's the first one. We must always refuse to be a leader of such a rebellion. We must not only refuse to be a leader of such rebellion. We must also refuse to be a follower of such rebellion. You know, the Bible says in Exodus 23 and verse two, Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil. Does it matter?

[John Weaver] If there's a lot of them. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil. So we have to resist being a leader.

[John Weaver] Now I'm talking about rebellion. Remember what rebellion is? Rebellion is against lawful authority. I'm not talking about resisting evil and resisting tyranny. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about resisting lawful authority, biblical and godly authority. Here's the second application. We must refuse to receive an accusation against an elder. Unless there are witnesses to substantiate every word. Let me show you that in the Bible. I want you to turn to two passages, 1 Timothy, chapter 5, and then Proverbs, chapter 6. I want you to look in 1 Timothy, chapter 5. You're talking about how to cut down discontent and dissatisfaction. Look in 1 Timothy, chapter 5 and verse 19.

[John Weaver] And I have used this on a number of occasions. 1 Timothy chapter 5, verse 19. Look what the Bible says. Against an elder received not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. Against an elder received not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. So what does that mean? It means something like this. If Henry came up to Ron and said, hey, let me tell you something about Pastor Weaver, Ron should say, Well, hold on. Let me get Ed and Hopi here so every word can be substantiated, and after we hear what you have to say, then we'll go to Brother Weaver and see about it. You see what I'm saying?

[John Weaver] How many times would accusations be leveled against godly men if that were fought? It would stop it. It would stop the gossip. It would stop the slander. It would stop an accusation. You see, if Henry has something against me, what does the Bible command him to do? To come to me. And if I know he's got something against me, what does the Bible command me to do? Go to him. That's correct.

[John Weaver] Now, I said that to show you this. I want you to listen to me. I am not talking about excusing an ungodly man. I'm not talking about failing to censure or condemn someone that deserves to be censured or condemned. Preachers sin like everybody else, and preachers have to be rebuked like everybody else. There's no problem there. But what I'm talking about is just sheer gossip and just handling things in an unbiblical manner.

[John Weaver] I want you to look in Proverbs chapter 6 and let's begin reading there with verse 16 and it's very important that you understand this is something that the Lord absolutely hates. Look in Proverbs chapter 6 and let's begin reading there with verse 16. Proverbs 6 verse 16. These six things doth the Lord hate. Yea, seven are an abomination to him.

[John Weaver] Now, remember the word abomination means a stench in God's nostrils. God absolutely hates these. He despises these. There are stenches in nostrils. What are these things that God hates? Well, verse 17, he hates a proud look. Wow. A lying tongue. Hands that shed innocent blood. A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations. Feet that be swift in running to mischief. A false witness that speaketh lies, and here's the one that's the abomination, and he that soweth discord among the brethren." Wow. Isn't that amazing? Do you know that's exactly what Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and on did? When they took men, they sowed discord and got 250 princes on their side. And they believed, undoubtedly, just because they had a great company on their side and a high company on their side, that they were right and that they would prevail.

[John Weaver] In fact, you'll see next week their absolute arrogance. When Moses tried to work it out, they would not even listen. You know what I found? In nearly 50 years of preaching, I found this. Someone that is really repentant is always willing to listen and be rebuked, be admonished, be reproved and to be worked with. Someone who is unrepentant doesn't even want to listen, does not want to hear, does not want to be worked with.

[John Weaver] And that's what was with Cora, Dathan and Abiram Cora. That brings me to the third application, and that is this. If we want to avoid spiritual sedition and spiritual rebellion, we must avoid the pride and the arrogance that were in the lives of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and on. Look at it. Go back to Numbers chapter 16. I want you to see this. Look what they said to Moses and to Aaron. Look at Numbers chapter 16 and verse 3. Number 16, verse 3. Look at it. And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them.

[John Weaver] And the Lord is among them. Wherefore then lift you up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord? Let me paraphrase this for you. Here's what he was saying. Who do you think you are? Who do you think you are giving me orders and telling me what to do? All of God's people are holy. We're all saved here. Come on! Who do you think you are telling me What to do and what not to do.

[John Weaver] You're just trying to elevate yourself. You want to be number one. You want to run the show. Well, we can run the show equally. Wow. Skip down to verses 9 and 10. Well, let's read verse 8. And Moses said to Korah, here I pray you, you sons of Levi. Seemeth 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 and minister to them? And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee, and seek you the priesthood also?" What did he say? What's wrong with you? Can't you be content? Did you know that God has chosen the whole tribe of Levi. You work around the tabernacle. You're the ones that work with the sacrifices. God has separated you. You have a ministry and you can't be content with the ministry that God gives you. Seek you the priesthood also.

[John Weaver] You want Aaron's job? You want my job? What's wrong with you? Are you listening? All sedition. And all rebellion begins. With dissatisfaction. With the providence of God in your life. We just can't be satisfied. We can't accept that which God has given us. You know, there's an interesting thought. You see what Dathan and Abiram and Korah were doing. They were ignoring a very vital principle. When they said to Moses, no, you're not that God is among us and we're all holy. Listen carefully. Here's the principle. It is true that each of us has an equal standing before God.

[John Weaver] I'm no more saved than Henry is. Henry's no more saved than Ed is. Ed's no more saved than Hobie. We have an equal standing before God. We're sinners saved by grace. But just because we have an equal standing does not mean that we have an equal position. I'm a pastor. You're not. My position is different from yours, even though we have an equal standing. Dr. Bowen is a doctor. I'm not. We have an equal standing, but when it comes to medical knowledge, I'm going to avert to him.

[John Weaver] He's positionally higher than I am medically speaking. The husband and wife have an equal standing before God, but positionally, the husband is the head of the house. And Nathan and Byron and Cora and all of them, they didn't understand that. And they wanted to lift themselves up and assume positions that God had never given them. Remember the truth of Proverbs 16 and verse 18. Pride goeth before destruction.

[John Weaver] and a haughty spirit before of all." And that's exactly what happened. Pride went before their destruction, and their haughty spirit condemned them to destruction. There's one passage that it would do us well to memorize. Micah 6 and verse 8. Listen. He has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require thee? but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. Do you realize walking humbly with our Lord will keep us from the sins of sedition and rebellion? Do you realize if you're walking humbly with God, You're thankful for anything. Because you realize you deserve absolutely nothing. And you realize that everything that you are and everything that you have, God gave you. It is true biblical humility that will keep us from the sins of sedition and rebellion. It's true biblical humility that will keep us from the sins of discontent and dissatisfaction.

[John Weaver] You say, Brother Weaver, but I'm sick. I've got medical problems. I understand. But let me tell you something. You could not be sick and you could not have those medical problems. And it's just the grace of God and the mercy of God that you are what you are and you have what you have. The essence of rebellion begins in discontent and dissatisfaction in the providence of God in your life, which will lead to sedition and will lead to rebellion.

[John Weaver] Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We thank You for Your warnings and Your admonitions. And we pray indeed, Father, that You would indeed protect us from the sins of discontent and dissatisfaction and arguing with Your providence in our lives and protect us from sedition and rebellion. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

The Essence of Rebellion - Part 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	112142148486
Subject	Civil Government
Course	Civil Government: Power, Nations, and Constitutional Order: War in the Gates
Genre	Sermon
Date	2014-05-18
Dictation Name
Book	Book 033: The Essence of Rebellion — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	73

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Scripture Reading

Weaver introduces Numbers 16 and reads verses 1–11, noting the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On, and previews a two-part message on the essence of rebellion.

So I want you to open your Bibles to Numbers chapter 16. Numbers chapter 16. And let's read probably just the first 11 verses. Actually, I would encourage you when you get home to read all of Numbers chapter 16 and read it in preparation for next Sunday's message as well, because the message today is titled "The Essence of Rebellion." And it's going to be part one today and part two next Lord's Day. Today, I'm going to try to basically lay a foundation, probably only end up covering only one point. But I want you to pay close attention to the first 11 verses of Numbers 16. This is a well-known passage.

"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. And they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel, 250 princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown. And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said unto them, 'You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Wherefore, then, lift up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?' And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face. And he spake unto Korah, and to all the company, saying, 'Even tomorrow the Lord will show who are His, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto Him. Even him whom He hath chosen will He cause to come near unto Him. This do. Take you censers, Korah, and all his company, and put fire therein, and put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow.'"

"And it shall be that the man whom the Lord doth choose, he shall be holy. You take too much upon you, you sons of Levi." And Moses said unto Korah, "Hear, I pray you, you sons of Levi: Seemeth 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? And He hath brought thee near to Him, and all thy brethren, the sons of Levi, with thee, and seek ye the priesthood also? For which cause both thou and all this company are gathered together against the Lord?"

Rebellion as a Serious Sin and Judgment

Rebellion is a sin meriting the death penalty, affecting individuals, families, and nations, as seen in 1 Samuel 15 where Saul's rebellion is likened to witchcraft and idolatry.

Rebellion is indeed a very serious sin, and I must point out it is also a very awful judgment. It is a sin that merits and brings forth the death penalty. And it is a death penalty not only against an individual, but also against a family, a society, a church, or a nation. If you would hold Numbers chapter 16, but look in your Bibles very quickly to 1 Samuel chapter 15, and notice if you would what Samuel told King Saul, because King Saul rebelled against the commandment of the Lord. In 1 Samuel chapter 15 verses 22 and 23. You remember God had commanded Saul to take care of all of the Amalekites. And of course, what did Saul do?

He spared Agag the king and the best of everything contrary to God's command. And so, in verse 22 of 1 Samuel 15, Samuel said, and he's talking of Saul,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 15:22-23

"Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."

Now watch what he declares.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 15:22-23

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king."

Now he says very plainly, rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Well, in the Bible, both witchcraft and idolatry merited and brought forth the death penalty. You have to remember that rebellion and treason are primarily against God and His law order. See, when we talk about treason, we understand treason against a civil order, but we do not understand treason against God.

God's Law Order vs. Humanistic Law Orders

God's sovereign law is the foundation of society; rejecting it leads to statist tyranny or anarchistic chaos, as illustrated by Judges 17:6.

You have to understand that God is sovereign and His law word is supreme. It is the foundation, God's law is the foundation of His society and the support of His people. So let's ask this question. Why does God demand the death penalty for treason? Well, the average man understands the reason for the death penalty when you're talking about treason against the state. But most never equate treason against God. Do you understand that no law order can survive if it does not defend its foundations? And so when one attacks God and His law, he is guilty of treason and therefore the death penalty is demanded. You have to consider that the only alternatives to God's law order are humanistic law orders at war against a biblical faith. Statist law orders always lead to despotism, totalitarianism, and tyranny. Anarchistic law orders always lead to self-assertion and autonomy.

It's kind of like the passage in Judges 17, verse 6. And you'll also find it, I think, in Judges 21, where the Scripture says,

Scripture Reading — Judges 17:6

"There was no king in Israel in those days. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes."

So, I want you to understand that when you reject God's law order, the only alternative is a humanistic law order, and you're either going into statism, which is totalitarianism and tyranny, or you're going into anarchism, which is going to be absolutely total chaos.

Civil Definitions of Treason and Sedition

Weaver reads the U.S. Constitution on treason and the Alien and Sedition Acts, showing how civil governments punish sedition as a precursor to rebellion.

Now, every or each society, power, authority, and government have laws or has laws that deal with rebellion. Often these laws are sometimes broken down into sedition, rebellion, conspiracy, and treason. And they all demand the death penalty. Let me just read to you very quickly the United States Constitution, Article 3, Section 3. It says this, "Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them or adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort." "No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act or on confession in open court. The Congress shall have the power to declare the punishment of treason."

Now you have to ask yourself this question. What constitutes treason in a culture? What constitutes treason in a society? Is treason an act of rebellion against the state? Or is treason an act of rebellion against God and His law order? I want you to understand that all idolatry is treason and rebellion is treason to God. If you try to tell me, "Well, treason is to the state." Well, let me ask you a question.

What if the enemy of the citizen? What if the enemy of the Christian turns out to be the state? turned traitor against his own constitutions. I don't have to point out how multitudes of governments have murdered their own people in order to protect the state. What did Stalin do to over 20 million? Mao Zedong, Idi Amin, Castro. I mean, you have to understand, yeah, governments do go rogue. They could care less about law. And a tyrant is going to do any and everything he can to protect his own power and his own position, even at the expense of his own people. But when you talk about treason and you understand sedition, and all this is important to understand Numbers chapter 16, most governments condemn sedition as well as treason. Now legally, there is a difference between sedition and treason. Yet what I want to show you, I'm going to show it to you civilly, but I want you to see spiritually and scripturally that all rebellion really begins with sedition. Do you realize that as far back in our country as 1798, there have been men tried for sedition against the United States. In fact, there were the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, which were thankfully repealed. Section 1 dealt with the fact of aliens over here creating trouble and turmoil, and Section 1 just simply said that such aliens could be deported at the President's statement and request, and well, I have no problem with that.

If you read on, here is another act in addition to the act entitled, "An Act for the Punishment of Certain Crimes against the United States." I want you to listen to just a few paragraphs here. "Being enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America and Congress assembled, that if any persons, not just aliens now, but if any persons shall unlawfully combine or conspire together with intent to oppose any measure or measures of the government of the United States, which are, shall be directed by proper authority, to impede the operation of any law of the United States or intimidate or prevent any person holding a place or an office under any government of the United States from undertaking, performing, or executing his trusted duty." He goes on and I mean, it spells out what can be done to each of us. Now this was still under the Alien and Sedition Acts. Listen if you would to section two. I didn't read all of that. But here's section two. "And be it further enacted that if any person shall write, print, utter, or publish or shall cause or procure to be written, printed, uttered, or published, or shall knowingly and willingly assist or aid in writing, printing, uttering, or publishing, any false and scandalous and malicious writings against the Government of the United States, or either the House of the Congress of the United States, or the President of the United States, with intent to defame the said Government, or either House of the said Congress, or said President, or to bring them, or either of them, into contempt or disrepute."

By the way, we don't have to do that. They do that themselves. OK, "or shall excite against them" and goes on and stirring up the people. And then it tells what the fine and the punishment is to be. So the Alien and Sedition Acts. Basically, we're not only talking about dealing with aliens who came over here and started problems. But our own people who happen to be discontented.

Theodore Roosevelt on Criticism of Leaders

Roosevelt argued that blind loyalty to a president is morally treasonable; truth-telling about leaders is a patriotic duty.

"He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the nation as a whole. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts. And this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth." "Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or anyone else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant about him than anyone else." Wow. Wow. You tell the truth about the president today and man, you're going to be visited by the FBI or the Secret Service. But Roosevelt hit it on the head, he said it is morally treasonable to stand by not only the President but any public official when that public official is wrong and wicked.

Legal Distinction Between Sedition and Treason

Sedition involves inciting rebellion against the established order, while treason is actual betrayal; sedition leads to rebellion and treason.

Now, we're talking about rebellion. I want you to see something. I want you to see that rebellion actually often begins with sedition. I told you that legally there is a difference between sedition and treason. But I want you to understand that sedition will lead to rebellion and rebellion will lead to treason. And I'm not necessarily talking about treason against the United States right now. I'm ultimately going to be talking about treason against God. But I want you to listen to four quick paragraphs. Here is a site, a legal site, that distinguishes for us the difference between sedition and treason. "In law, sedition is overt conduct such as speech, an organization that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution or incitement of discontent or resistance to lawful authority. Sedition may include any commotion, though not aimed at direct and open violence against the laws."

"Seditious words and writings are seditious libel. A seditionist is one who engages in or promotes the interests of sedition. Typically, sedition is considered a subversive act, and the overt acts that may be prosecutable under sedition laws vary from one legal code to another. While the history of these legal codes have been traced, there is also a record of the change in the definition of the elements constituting sedition at certain points in history. This overview has served to develop a sociological definition of sedition as well within the study of state persecution. The difference between sedition and treason consists primarily in the subjective ultimate object of the violation to the public peace. Sedition does not consist of levying war against a government, nor of adhering to its enemies, giving enemies aid, or giving enemies comfort. Nor does it consist, in most representative democracies, of peaceful protest against the government, nor of attempting to change the government by democratic means, such as direct democracy or constitutional convention. Sedition is the stirring up of rebellion against the government in power."

Wow. "Treason is the violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or state, giving aid to enemies, or levying war against one's state. Sedition is encouraging one's fellow citizens to rebel against their state, whereas treason is actually betraying one's country by aiding and abetting another state. Sedition laws somewhat equate to terrorism in public order laws." Wow.

Rebellion Only Against Lawful Authority

Rebellion requires lawful authority; resistance to tyranny is obedience to God, and submission to tyrants is rebellion against God, as Acts 5:29 shows.

So that's not too long ago. What I want you to see is how even civil governments are concerned with sedition, because they are saying that sedition leads to rebellion, and rebellion leads to treason. It's not so much the civil aspect that I want you to see, it's the spiritual aspect, and we're going to see this exactly in Numbers chapter 16. Now, before I begin today, I want to remind you of several truths, and that is this. First of all, although we're talking about rebellion, and I don't care if you talk about rebellion civilly or spiritually. Here it is. Rebellion can only be to lawful authority. If there is no lawful authority, it is not rebellion. It is merely resistance. So I could look at Janet and say, "Janet, go get me a glass of tea." And she could say, "Wait a minute now, brother. You ask me, I'll be glad to do it, but don't go commanding me."

Well, I can't command her. I'm not her head. I'm not her husband. And if she resisted me, that was not rebellion on her part. That's just resistance to someone who's trying to be a tyrant and order her around. I have no authority over her like that. Henry said he doesn't either. I'm teasing. Henry didn't say that. But the point I'm trying to make is rebellion can only be to lawful authority. If there is no lawful authority, there cannot be any rebellion. It was Benjamin Franklin who said, "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God."

In fact, that was the motto that he came up with and attached to his seal. In fact, Thomas Jefferson liked that motto so well, he put that motto on his seal, that rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God. Now, I also want to point out the obverse or the reverse. Do you realize also that submission to tyrants is rebellion to God? Submission to tyrants is rebellion to God. In this country, first and foremost, the Bible is our law word. OK, you remember even when the apostles and the disciples were commanded by those in authority not to preach any more in the name of Jesus Christ. They said in Acts chapter 5 and verse 29,

Scripture Reading — Acts 5:29

"Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, 'We ought to obey God rather than man.'"

And that's true.

Unconstitutional Laws Are Void

Supreme Court rulings and American Jurisprudence state that unconstitutional laws are void and not binding; God's law supersedes all human laws.

Now, whether we like it or not, whether we agree with it or not, it's beside the point. But in this country, the Constitution is supposed to be a rule of law for the government. You remember it was Jefferson who said, "Bind them down with the chains of the Constitution." I want to read something to you very quickly. I want to read you just a couple of quotes from the Supreme Court. And then I want to read you just several quotes from American jurisprudence. Marbury versus Madison. "All laws, rules and practices, which are repugnant to the Constitution are null and void." That's a Supreme Court case. Here's what the 16th American Jurisprudence says. Listen to this. "The general rule is that an unconstitutional statute, though having the form and the name of law, is in reality no law."

"But is wholly void and ineffective for any purpose, since unconstitutionality dates from the time of its enactment, and not merely from the date of the decision, so branding it. An unconstitutional law in legal contemplation is as inoperative as if it had never been passed. Such a statute leaves the question that it purports to settle just as it would be had the statute not been enacted. Since an unconstitutional law is void, the general principles follow that it imposes no duties, confers no rights, creates no office, bestows no power or authority on anyone, affords no protection, and justifies no acts performed under it. A void act cannot be legally consistent with a valid one. An unconstitutional law cannot operate to supersede any existing valid law. Indeed, insofar as a statute runs counter to the fundamental law of the land, it is superseded thereby."

Listen to this, I'm still reading. "No one is bound to obey an unconstitutional law, and no courts are bound to enforce it." And then here's another Supreme Court ruling, Norton v. Shelby County. "An unconstitutional act is not a law. It confers no rights. It imposes no duties. It affords no protection. It creates no office. In its legal contemplation, it is as inoperative as though it had never been passed."

Now, I read all that just to tell you this. Executive orders, rules, regulations, administrative decisions, laws, statutes, Acts of Congress or decisions of judges, even decisions of judges by the Supreme Court of the United States cannot void the rights given to us by God Himself. There can be no law that will supersede God's law. And so what you and I have to be is what our law says is to be a belligerent claimant of rights. So if you do not belligerently claim your rights, the court system today views you as giving them up.

Sedition Leads to Rebellion in Numbers 16

Korah and his allies 'took men'—they actively recruited 250 princes, sowing discord and discontent, which is the essence of sedition leading to rebellion.

Now, I want you to see one thing today, just one point. I want you to see in Numbers chapter 16 that sedition leads to rebellion. I'm going to explain this. Look in Numbers chapter 16 and verse 1. This is an amazing, amazing verse. Numbers 16, verse 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." Are you listening? Rebellion always begins with sedition. Someone must sow the seeds of discord, and someone must incite and draw others into the circle of discontent.

Now, interestingly enough, after these individuals are named in chapter 16, verse 1, you see the last two words, these men did what? They took men. The Bible tells us that Korah and Dathan and Abiram and On took men. You know what the word "took" literally means? It literally means to catch by the hand, to carry along, to fetch and to lead.

Now, when you read this, you look in verse two, "And they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel, 250 princes of the assembly." Now, you have to ask yourself this question. Is it possible that 250 men, independently and on their own, would just happen to come to the same conclusion as Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and On? No. They took men. They solicited them. They led them. They brought them to their position. Now, this conspiracy in Numbers chapter 16 was extremely formidable. And the reason it was so formidable was not because regular people were not involved. But because princes were involved, so this is no ordinary rebellion. It's not the dregs of society that are rebelling against Moses, Aaron, and the Lord. It's the princes. It's the rulers. Wow. These people had high office. They were dignitaries. They were undoubtedly rich.

The Leaders' Motivations and Identities

Korah, a Levite and cousin of Moses, likely acted out of pride and perceived slights; the Reubenites joined due to lost birthright; their proximity facilitated conspiracy.

I want you to look back at verse one. "Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi." Now, remember, Korah is a son of Kohath, the son of Levi. So Korah, then, is a Levite. And I want you to note how he is identified. Look in verse one. "Now Korah, the son of Izhar." So we're given his father's name. I want you to look in your Bibles to Exodus chapter 6. Exodus chapter 6. And look, if you would, please, very quickly, at verse 18. Exodus chapter 6 and verse 18. Here it is, Exodus 6, verse 18, "And the sons of Kohath." Now we're finding out who Kohath's children are. "Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kohath were 133 years." So notice if you would, Amram and Izhar are brothers. Korah is the son of Izhar. I don't know if you realize this or not, but Amram, Izhar's brother, was the father of Moses and Aaron and Miriam. Amram married Jochebed. Exodus chapter 6 and verse 20.

So Korah then happens to be a first cousin to Moses and Aaron. Korah probably found himself or believed himself to be slighted and injured in some way, in order that he might lead this rebellion against his own cousins. And by the way, On is named in verse one. After this, he's no longer mentioned. So probably he dropped out of this conspiracy. I don't know. But Dathan and Abiram and On were Reubenites. And they were probably involved in this rebellion.

Because their birthright had been taken away from them. You remember, don't turn there, but in Genesis chapter 49 verses 3 and 4, Jacob said this about Reuben. He said, "Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of my dignity, and the excellency of my power. Unstable as water thou art, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up to thy father's bed, then defilest thou it, and he went up into my couch." So, Reuben had sexual intercourse with his father's concubine, and so he was disinherited. Reuben was actually the firstborn. So he lost the birthright, but he not only lost the birthright, he now lost the primogeniture of all the tribes of Israel. He's no longer the leader of the twelve tribes. So these are Reubenites.

Korah may also have been upset with the fact that his cousin was elevated above the Kohathites. If you look in Numbers chapter 3 and verse 19, very quickly, Numbers chapter 3 and verse 19, look what the Bible says. Numbers chapter 3 verse 19,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 3:19, 30

"And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel."

So there's the four brothers again. Now skip down if you would please to verse 30. The Bible says in verse 30, "And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel." So now all of a sudden Korah is not even the head of the house. Now another cousin is the head of the house of the Kohathites.

So, we've got a problem. You say, "How in the world do you think the Reubenites and the Kohathites got together in this rebellion?" Well, did you know that the Kohathites camped next to the Reubenites? I'm not going to ask you to turn there, but Numbers chapter 2 in verse 10, the sons of Kohath camped on the south side of the camp. And when you get to Numbers 3 in verse 29, the Reubenites camped on the south side of the camp, too. So they were just right jam up right next to each other.

So that made it easy then for Korah to go in and take these men by the hand. It was Korah who stirred up all the others. God condemns Korah as the leader of this rebellion, which began with his dissatisfaction, pride, and arrogance. He is singled out as one of the three great errors that we are to avoid. Let me tell you, in Jude 1 and verse 11, if you want to turn there very quickly, Jude 1 verse 11, right before the book of Revelation, the little book of Jude, look in the book of Jude, Jude 1 and verse 11. Look what the Bible says. Jude 1 verse 11. So here are three errors that we are admonished to avoid. The first one is the way of Cain.

Korah as the Instigator and Biblical Warnings

Jude 11 warns against the gainsaying of Korah; Korah is repeatedly singled out as the leader of this rebellion against God.

What is the way of Cain? The way of Cain is humanism. It's to worship God in the way that you think you ought to worship God or any way that you desire. Abel brought forth the sacrifices that God demanded. Cain didn't. He brought the fruit of the ground. Why? He said, "I don't see why my worship can't be acceptable. I don't see why I have to do what God says to do." So the way of Cain is just the way most people do. They're not interested in worshiping God scripturally in spirit and in truth. They just want to do their thing and get it on. That's it. That's the way of Cain. The error of Balaam is seeking rewards and placing money above God in his service. In 2 Peter, don't turn there, but in 2 Peter 2 and verse 15, the Bible says, "...which have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness." Why was Balaam willing to go to Balak when God told him not to?

Because of a reward that was continually increased if he would come and curse Israel. So he says, you better watch out for the way of Cain. You better avoid the error of Balaam. And then he talks about those who perished in the gainsaying of Korah.

Now, the word "gainsaying" there means an opposition, a contradiction, a rebellion. So God is here warning then about the way of Cain, the error of Balaam, and the rebellion of Korah. So Korah evidently was the leader. He was the instigator of this plot. Korah is singled out over and over in the Bible as the instigator of this rebellion. For instance, look in your Bibles very quickly. Numbers chapter 16, if you'll go back there, Numbers chapter 16 at verses 5 and 6. Numbers 16 verses 5 and 6.

Now, to whom is Moses speaking? Well, look in verse 5, "And he spake unto Korah, and to all of his company, saying, 'Even tomorrow the Lord will show who are His, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto Him, even him whom He hath chosen will He cause to come near unto Him. This do: take you censers, Korah, and all his company.'" If you look in Numbers chapter 26 and verse 9. Numbers 26 and verse 9.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 26:9

"And the sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram which were famous in the congregation who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the Lord."

Look at Numbers 27 and verse 3. Numbers 27, verse 3,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 26:9

"Here the daughters of Zelophehad said, 'Our father died in the wilderness. Our father died in the wilderness and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah. But he died in his own sin and had no sons.'"

So Korah then is singled out as the leader of this rebellion against God. Here's the point I want to make today, sedition always leads to rebellion. What is sedition?

Applications: Avoiding Sedition and Rebellion

Believers must refuse to lead or follow rebellion, reject unsubstantiated accusations against elders, and cultivate humility to avoid pride and discontent with God's providence.

It's when you begin to incite discontent and dissatisfaction among other people. You're going to find and we'll see next Lord's Day. You're going to see how the leaders of this rebellion had their moment in the sun. And I do mean moment. It was a short-lived term. But then sure and sudden and solemn destruction hit them instantly. Sedition always leads to rebellion. The rebellion in Numbers 16 began.

When Dathan and Abiram and On and Korah took men, they said, "Come on, let me tell you about Moses and Aaron. Let me tell you what they're doing." And they begin to sow the seeds of dissatisfaction. Now, let me make some applications. Here we go. Here's the first one. We must always refuse to be a leader of such a rebellion. We must not only refuse to be a leader of such rebellion. We must also refuse to be a follower of such rebellion. You know, the Bible says in Exodus 23 and verse 2, "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil." Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil. Does it matter?

If there's a lot of them. "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil." So we have to resist being a leader. Now I'm talking about rebellion. Remember what rebellion is? Rebellion is against lawful authority. I'm not talking about resisting evil and resisting tyranny. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about resisting lawful authority, biblical and godly authority. Here's the second application. We must refuse to receive an accusation against an elder. Unless there are witnesses to substantiate every word. Let me show you that in the Bible. I want you to turn to two passages, 1 Timothy, chapter 5, and then Proverbs, chapter 6. I want you to look in 1 Timothy, chapter 5. You're talking about how to cut down discontent and dissatisfaction. Look in 1 Timothy, chapter 5 and verse 19.

And I have used this on a number of occasions. 1 Timothy chapter 5, verse 19. Look what the Bible says.

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 5:19

"Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses."

Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. So what does that mean? It means something like this. If Henry came up to Ron and said, "Hey, let me tell you something about Pastor Weaver," Ron should say, "Well, hold on. Let me get Ed and Hobie here so every word can be substantiated, and after we hear what you have to say, then we'll go to Brother Weaver and see about it." You see what I'm saying?

How many times would accusations be leveled against godly men if that were fought? It would stop it. It would stop the gossip. It would stop the slander. It would stop an accusation. You see, if Henry has something against me, what does the Bible command him to do? To come to me. And if I know he's got something against me, what does the Bible command me to do? Go to him. That's correct.

Now, I said that to show you this. I want you to listen to me. I am not talking about excusing an ungodly man. I'm not talking about failing to censure or condemn someone that deserves to be censured or condemned. Preachers sin like everybody else, and preachers have to be rebuked like everybody else. There's no problem there. But what I'm talking about is just sheer gossip and just handling things in an unbiblical manner.

I want you to look in Proverbs chapter 6 and let's begin reading there with verse 16 and it's very important that you understand this is something that the Lord absolutely hates. Look in Proverbs chapter 6 and let's begin reading there with verse 16. Proverbs 6 verse 16. "These six things doth the Lord hate. Yea, seven are an abomination to him."

Now, remember the word "abomination" means a stench in God's nostrils. God absolutely hates these. He despises these. There are stenches in His nostrils. What are these things that God hates? Well, verse 17, He hates a proud look. Wow. A lying tongue. Hands that shed innocent blood. A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations. Feet that be swift in running to mischief. A false witness that speaketh lies, and here's the one that's the abomination, "and he that soweth discord among the brethren." Wow. Isn't that amazing? Do you know that's exactly what Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and On did? When they took men, they sowed discord and got 250 princes on their side. And they believed, undoubtedly, just because they had a great company on their side and a high company on their side, that they were right and that they would prevail.

In fact, you'll see next week their absolute arrogance. When Moses tried to work it out, they would not even listen. You know what I found? In nearly 50 years of preaching, I found this. Someone that is really repentant is always willing to listen and be rebuked, be admonished, be reproved and to be worked with. Someone who is unrepentant doesn't even want to listen, does not want to hear, does not want to be worked with. And that's what was with Korah, Dathan and Abiram. That brings me to the third application, and that is this. If we want to avoid spiritual sedition and spiritual rebellion, we must avoid the pride and the arrogance that were in the lives of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and On. Look at it. Go back to Numbers chapter 16. I want you to see this. Look what they said to Moses and to Aaron. Look at Numbers chapter 16 and verse 3. Numbers 16, verse 3. Look at it. "And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, 'You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them.'"

"And the Lord is among them. Wherefore then lift you up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?" Let me paraphrase this for you. Here's what he was saying. "Who do you think you are? Who do you think you are giving me orders and telling me what to do? All of God's people are holy. We're all saved here. Come on! Who do you think you are telling me what to do and what not to do?"

"You're just trying to elevate yourself. You want to be number one. You want to run the show. Well, we can run the show equally." Wow. Skip down to verses 9 and 10. Well, let's read verse 8. "And Moses said to Korah, 'Hear, I pray you, you sons of Levi. Seemeth 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 and minister to them? And He hath brought thee near to Him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee, and seek ye the priesthood also?'" What did he say? "What's wrong with you? Can't you be content? Did you know that God has chosen the whole tribe of Levi? You work around the tabernacle. You're the ones that work with the sacrifices. God has separated you. You have a ministry and you can't be content with the ministry that God gives you. Seek ye the priesthood also?"

"You want Aaron's job? You want my job? What's wrong with you?" Are you listening? All sedition and all rebellion begins with dissatisfaction with the providence of God in your life. We just can't be satisfied. We can't accept that which God has given us. You know, there's an interesting thought. You see what Dathan and Abiram and Korah were doing. They were ignoring a very vital principle. When they said to Moses, "No, you're not, that God is among us and we're all holy." Listen carefully. Here's the principle. It is true that each of us has an equal standing before God.

I'm no more saved than Henry is. Henry's no more saved than Ed is. Ed's no more saved than Hobie. We have an equal standing before God. We're sinners saved by grace. But just because we have an equal standing does not mean that we have an equal position. I'm a pastor. You're not. My position is different from yours, even though we have an equal standing. Dr. Bowen is a doctor. I'm not. We have an equal standing, but when it comes to medical knowledge, I'm going to avert to him.

He's positionally higher than I am medically speaking. The husband and wife have an equal standing before God, but positionally, the husband is the head of the house. And Dathan and Abiram and Korah and all of them, they didn't understand that. And they wanted to lift themselves up and assume positions that God had never given them. Remember the truth of Proverbs 16 and verse 18.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 16:18

"Pride goeth before destruction." "And a haughty spirit before a fall."

And that's exactly what happened. Pride went before their destruction, and their haughty spirit condemned them to destruction. There's one passage that it would do us well to memorize. Micah 6 and verse 8. Listen. "He has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require thee? but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." Do you realize walking humbly with our Lord will keep us from the sins of sedition and rebellion? Do you realize if you're walking humbly with God, you're thankful for anything. Because you realize you deserve absolutely nothing. And you realize that everything that you are and everything that you have, God gave you. It is true biblical humility that will keep us from the sins of sedition and rebellion. It's true biblical humility that will keep us from the sins of discontent and dissatisfaction.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Seriousness of Rebellion Against God

Summary: Rebellion is a sin akin to witchcraft and idolatry, meriting the death penalty, and is fundamentally treason against God's law order.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Samuel 15:22-23, equating rebellion with witchcraft, and argues that treason against God's law order demands the death penalty because no law order can survive if its foundations are attacked.

Sedition as the Seed of Rebellion

Summary: Rebellion begins with sedition—sowing discontent and recruiting others into dissatisfaction, as Korah did by 'taking men' in Numbers 16:1.

Evidence: Weaver explains that Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On 'took men' (Numbers 16:1), meaning they actively solicited and led 250 princes into conspiracy, illustrating how sedition precedes open rebellion.

Lawful Authority vs. Tyranny

Summary: Rebellion is only against lawful authority; resisting tyranny is obedience to God, and submission to tyrants is rebellion against God.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Rebellion can only be to lawful authority. If there is no lawful authority, it is not rebellion. It is merely resistance,' and quotes Benjamin Franklin: 'Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.'

The Supremacy of God's Law Over Human Law

Summary: God's law is the ultimate foundation; unconstitutional human laws are void, and believers must belligerently claim their God-given rights.

Evidence: Weaver reads from Supreme Court rulings and American Jurisprudence that unconstitutional laws are void, and asserts that 'there can be no law that will supersede God's law.'

Pride and Discontent as Roots of Rebellion

Summary: Rebellion stems from dissatisfaction with God's providence and prideful desire for positions not given by God, as seen in Korah's challenge to Moses and Aaron.

Evidence: Weaver points to Numbers 16:3, 9-10, where Korah accuses Moses of exalting himself, and notes that 'all sedition and all rebellion begins with dissatisfaction with the providence of God in your life.'

The Danger of Sowing Discord

Summary: God hates those who sow discord among brethren; this is exactly what Korah and his company did, and it is an abomination to the Lord.

Evidence: Weaver cites Proverbs 6:16-19, emphasizing that 'he that soweth discord among the brethren' is an abomination, and applies it to Korah's actions in recruiting the 250 princes.

Equal Standing vs. Different Positions

Summary: All believers have equal standing before God, but God assigns different positions and callings; rebellion often arises from confusing equality of standing with equality of position.

Evidence: Weaver explains that while all are equally saved, positions differ (pastor, doctor, husband), and Korah's error was seeking a position God had not given him.

Humility as the Antidote to Rebellion

Summary: Walking humbly with God, as Micah 6:8 commands, protects against sedition and rebellion by fostering contentment with God's providence.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Micah 6:8 and states, 'Do you realize walking humbly with our Lord will keep us from the sins of sedition and rebellion?'

Key Arguments

Rebellion is fundamentally against God and His law order, not merely against human authority.

Summary: Treason against God's law order is more serious than civil treason because God's law is the foundation of all society; rejecting it leads to tyranny or chaos.

Evidence: Weaver argues, 'You have to remember that rebellion and treason are primarily against God and His law order,' and explains that humanistic alternatives always lead to despotism or anarchy.

Sedition is the precursor to rebellion, as seen in Korah's recruitment of the 250 princes.

Summary: Korah and his allies actively 'took men'—they incited discontent and formed a conspiracy, demonstrating that rebellion begins with seditious speech and recruitment.

Evidence: Weaver notes that the word 'took' in Numbers 16:1 means 'to catch by the hand, to carry along, to fetch and to lead,' showing intentional sedition.

Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God, but rebellion against lawful authority is sin.

Summary: Believers must distinguish between resisting evil rulers (which is duty) and rebelling against God-ordained authority (which is sin), as the apostles did in Acts 5:29.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Submission to tyrants is rebellion to God,' and cites Acts 5:29: 'We ought to obey God rather than man.'

Unconstitutional human laws are void and not binding, but God's law remains supreme.

Summary: Civil laws that contradict the Constitution or God's law are null and void; believers are not bound to obey them and must claim their rights.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Norton v. Shelby County: 'An unconstitutional act is not a law... it is as inoperative as though it had never been passed,' and asserts God's law supersedes all.

Korah's rebellion was motivated by pride, jealousy, and dissatisfaction with his God-given role.

Summary: Korah, a Levite and cousin of Moses, was discontent with his position and sought the priesthood, revealing that rebellion stems from rejecting God's providence.

Evidence: Weaver points to Numbers 16:9-10, where Moses asks, 'Seek ye the priesthood also?' and explains Korah's likely grievances over family hierarchy and camp proximity.

God hates the sowing of discord, which is the essence of sedition.

Summary: Proverbs 6:19 lists sowing discord among brethren as an abomination; Korah's actions in recruiting the princes exemplify this sin.

Evidence: Weaver reads Proverbs 6:16-19 and states, 'That's exactly what Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and On did... they sowed discord and got 250 princes on their side.'

Believers must refuse to entertain unsubstantiated accusations against leaders.

Summary: 1 Timothy 5:19 commands not to receive an accusation against an elder without two or three witnesses, which would prevent gossip and sedition.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Timothy 5:19 and gives a practical example of how requiring witnesses would stop slander and discontent.

Humility and contentment with God's providence are the safeguards against rebellion.

Summary: Pride leads to destruction (Proverbs 16:18); walking humbly with God (Micah 6:8) fosters gratitude and prevents the discontent that fuels sedition.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Proverbs 16:18 and Micah 6:8, concluding that 'true biblical humility... will keep us from the sins of sedition and rebellion.'

Scripture References

Numbers 16:1-11

Context: The primary text of the sermon, describing the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On against Moses and Aaron.

Numbers 26:9-11

Context: References the fate of Dathan, Abiram, and Korah's company, noting the earth swallowed them and fire devoured 250 men.

1 Samuel 15:22-23

Context: Samuel rebukes Saul, equating rebellion with witchcraft and stubbornness with idolatry, leading to Saul's rejection as king.

Judges 17:6

Context: Illustrates the chaos of anarchistic law orders: 'Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.'

Acts 5:29

Context: Peter and the apostles declare they must obey God rather than men, supporting resistance to tyranny.

Exodus 6:18

Context: Lists the sons of Kohath, showing that Amram (father of Moses and Aaron) and Izhar (father of Korah) were brothers.

Genesis 49:3-4

Context: Jacob's prophecy that Reuben would not excel because he defiled his father's bed, explaining the Reubenites' discontent.

Numbers 3:19, 30

Context: Shows that Elizaphan, not Korah, was made chief of the Kohathites, possibly fueling Korah's jealousy.

Jude 1:11

Context: Warns against the way of Cain, the error of Balaam, and the gainsaying (rebellion) of Korah.

2 Peter 2:15

Context: Describes Balaam's error as loving the wages of unrighteousness, referenced in the context of Jude 11.

Numbers 16:5-6

Context: Moses addresses Korah and his company, singling out Korah as the leader.

Numbers 26:9

Context: Identifies Dathan and Abiram as those who strove against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah.

Numbers 27:3

Context: The daughters of Zelophehad note their father was not in the company of Korah, further singling out Korah's rebellion.

Exodus 23:2

Context: Commands not to follow a multitude to do evil, applied to refusing to join a rebellious group.

1 Timothy 5:19

Context: Instructs not to receive an accusation against an elder without two or three witnesses, to prevent gossip and sedition.

Proverbs 6:16-19

Context: Lists seven things God hates, including a proud look, a lying tongue, and sowing discord among brethren.

Numbers 16:3

Context: The rebels accuse Moses and Aaron of exalting themselves, claiming all the congregation is holy.

Numbers 16:8-10

Context: Moses rebukes Korah for seeking the priesthood in addition to his Levitical service, showing discontent with God's calling.

Proverbs 16:18

Context: Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall, applied to the rebels' fate.

Micah 6:8

Context: God requires doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with Him, the antidote to rebellion.

Historical References

Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798

Context: Weaver reads sections of these acts to illustrate how civil governments have historically punished sedition, including speech against the government.

Theodore Roosevelt's statement on May 17, 1918

Context: Roosevelt argued that blind loyalty to a president is morally treasonable, emphasizing the duty to criticize wrong actions.

Matthew Lyon trial (1798)

Context: Listed as the first sedition trial in the United States, part of a series of sedition trials mentioned to show the historical concern with sedition.

Thomas Cooper trial (1800)

Context: Mentioned as one of the early sedition trials in U.S. history.

James Callender trial (1800)

Context: Another early sedition trial cited by Weaver.

William Dunn Trial (1918)

Context: A sedition trial during World War I era.

Christian Front Sedition Trial (1940)

Context: A sedition trial in 1940.

Minneapolis Sedition Trial (1941)

Context: A sedition trial in 1941.

Great Sedition Trial of 1944

Context: A major sedition trial during World War II.

Fort Smith, Arkansas Sedition Trial of 1988

Context: A more recent sedition trial, showing ongoing concern with sedition.

Important Quotes

Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Significance: This quote from 1 Samuel 15:23 is central to Weaver's argument that rebellion is a heinous sin meriting death, equating it with witchcraft and idolatry.

Rebellion can only be to lawful authority. If there is no lawful authority, it is not rebellion. It is merely resistance.

Significance: Weaver establishes a key distinction between sinful rebellion and righteous resistance to tyranny, foundational for applying the sermon's principles.

Submission to tyrants is rebellion to God.

Significance: This concise statement encapsulates the duty to resist evil rulers, balancing the warning against rebellion with the call to obey God first.

All sedition and all rebellion begins with dissatisfaction with the providence of God in your life.

Significance: Weaver identifies the root cause of rebellion as discontent with God's sovereign ordering of one's circumstances, a key diagnostic for self-examination.

We ought to obey God rather than man.

Significance: Weaver cites Acts 5:29 to support the principle that when human authority contradicts God's commands, obedience to God takes precedence.

Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.

Significance: Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, this motto reinforces the idea that resisting oppressive rulers is a form of obedience to God, not sinful rebellion.

Discussion Questions

How does the distinction between rebellion against lawful authority and resistance to tyranny apply to current events or personal situations?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that rebellion is only against lawful authority; resistance to tyranny is obedience to God. This question helps apply that principle.

In what ways might we be guilty of 'taking men'—sowing discontent or recruiting others into dissatisfaction—in our families, workplaces, or church?

Context: Korah and his allies actively recruited others into their rebellion. Weaver warns against being a leader or follower of such sedition.

What does it look like practically to refuse to receive an accusation against an elder without two or three witnesses, and how might this prevent sedition?

Context: Weaver cites 1 Timothy 5:19 and gives a practical example of requiring witnesses before hearing an accusation.

How can we cultivate contentment with God's providence in our lives, especially when we feel overlooked or slighted like Korah?

Context: Weaver identifies dissatisfaction with God's providence as the root of rebellion and points to humility as the antidote.

Why does God hate the sowing of discord among brethren so severely, and how can we guard against it in our speech?

Context: Proverbs 6:19 lists sowing discord as an abomination; Weaver applies this to Korah's actions and warns against gossip and slander.

How does the concept of equal standing but different positions before God challenge our culture's emphasis on egalitarianism?

Context: Weaver explains that all believers have equal standing in salvation but different God-given roles, which Korah rejected.

What are some modern examples of 'the way of Cain' or 'the error of Balaam' that we must avoid, according to Jude 11?

Context: Weaver briefly explains these errors as humanistic worship and love of money, warning against them alongside Korah's rebellion.

How can we balance the biblical command to submit to governing authorities with the duty to resist unconstitutional or tyrannical laws?

Context: Weaver argues that unconstitutional laws are void and that God's law is supreme, citing Acts 5:29 and legal precedents.

Applications

Refuse to lead or follow a rebellion against lawful authority.

Summary: Believers must not instigate or join in sedition against God-ordained authority, whether in church, family, or civil government, as Exodus 23:2 warns against following a multitude to do evil.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'We must always refuse to be a leader of such a rebellion. We must not only refuse to be a leader of such rebellion. We must also refuse to be a follower of such rebellion,' citing Exodus 23:2.

Reject unsubstantiated accusations against leaders.

Summary: To prevent sedition, do not entertain accusations against elders without two or three witnesses, as commanded in 1 Timothy 5:19, which would stop gossip and slander.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses,' and gives a practical scenario of how this would halt false accusations.

Cultivate humility and contentment with God's providence.

Summary: Walking humbly with God (Micah 6:8) and being content with the role and circumstances He has assigned prevents the pride and dissatisfaction that lead to rebellion.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Do you realize walking humbly with our Lord will keep us from the sins of sedition and rebellion?' and emphasizes that rebellion begins with dissatisfaction with God's providence.

Avoid sowing discord among brethren.

Summary: God hates the sowing of discord (Proverbs 6:19); believers must guard their speech and not incite discontent or division within the church or community.

Evidence: Weaver warns that Korah and his company 'sowed discord and got 250 princes on their side,' and that this is an abomination to God.

Distinguish between sinful rebellion and righteous resistance.

Summary: Resisting tyranny and evil is obedience to God, but rebelling against lawful, biblical authority is sin; believers must discern the difference based on God's law.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Submission to tyrants is rebellion to God,' and cites Acts 5:29, while also warning against rebellion against lawful authority.

Accept God's assigned positions without envy.

Summary: Just as Korah sought the priesthood beyond his Levitical calling, believers must be content with the roles God has given them, not coveting positions He has not granted.

Evidence: Weaver points to Numbers 16:9-10, where Moses rebukes Korah for seeking the priesthood, and applies it to contentment with one's own calling.

Uphold God's law as the supreme standard.

Summary: When human laws contradict God's law, believers must obey God rather than men, recognizing that unconstitutional or ungodly laws are void and not binding.

Evidence: Weaver reads legal precedents that unconstitutional laws are void and asserts, 'There can be no law that will supersede God's law.'

Be willing to listen to rebuke and correction.

Summary: A repentant person is open to admonition, unlike Korah and his company who refused to listen; humility involves being teachable and correctable.

Evidence: Weaver observes, 'Someone that is really repentant is always willing to listen and be rebuked... Someone who is unrepentant doesn't even want to listen.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T13:40:40Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T01:04:25Z

Clean Transcript

The Essence of Rebellion - Part 1

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

So I want you to open your Bibles to Numbers chapter 16. Numbers chapter 16. And let's read probably just the first 11 verses. Actually, I would encourage you when you get home to read all of Numbers chapter 16 and read it in preparation for next Sunday's message as well, because the message today is titled "The Essence of Rebellion." And it's going to be part one today and part two next Lord's Day. Today, I'm going to try to basically lay a foundation, probably only end up covering only one point. But I want you to pay close attention to the first 11 verses of Numbers 16. This is a well-known passage.
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"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. And they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel, 250 princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown. And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said unto them, 'You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Wherefore, then, lift up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?' And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face. And he spake unto Korah, and to all the company, saying, 'Even tomorrow the Lord will show who are His, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto Him. Even him whom He hath chosen will He cause to come near unto Him. This do. Take you censers, Korah, and all his company, and put fire therein, and put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow.'"
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"And it shall be that the man whom the Lord doth choose, he shall be holy. You take too much upon you, you sons of Levi." And Moses said unto Korah, "Hear, I pray you, you sons of Levi: Seemeth 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? And He hath brought thee near to Him, and all thy brethren, the sons of Levi, with thee, and seek ye the priesthood also? For which cause both thou and all this company are gathered together against the Lord?"
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"And what is Aaron that you murmur against him?" And if you would turn to Numbers chapter 26, Numbers chapter 26, and let's just look at verses 9 through 11. Numbers 26, beginning there with verse 9, the Bible says, "And the sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram which were famous in the congregation who strove against Moses and against Aaron and the company of Korah when they strove against the Lord. And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died. What time the fire devoured 250 men and they became a sign. Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not." We have in Numbers chapter 16 the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram and Korah and On.
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Rebellion is indeed a very serious sin, and I must point out it is also a very awful judgment. It is a sin that merits and brings forth the death penalty. And it is a death penalty not only against an individual, but also against a family, a society, a church, or a nation. If you would hold Numbers chapter 16, but look in your Bibles very quickly to 1 Samuel chapter 15, and notice if you would what Samuel told King Saul, because King Saul rebelled against the commandment of the Lord. In 1 Samuel chapter 15 verses 22 and 23. You remember God had commanded Saul to take care of all of the Amalekites. And of course, what did Saul do?
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He spared Agag the king and the best of everything contrary to God's command. And so, in verse 22 of 1 Samuel 15, Samuel said, and he's talking of Saul, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."
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Now watch what he declares. "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king." Now he says very plainly, rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Well, in the Bible, both witchcraft and idolatry merited and brought forth the death penalty. You have to remember that rebellion and treason are primarily against God and His law order. See, when we talk about treason, we understand treason against a civil order, but we do not understand treason against God.
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Any society that allows its foundation to be undermined will soon discover that it will exist no more. In fact, all you have to do is look around at what is happening in America today, how we've allowed our foundations to be undermined and we have ceased to exist concerning what we were when this nation was founded, even what we were 50 years ago. Because once you allow the foundations to be attacked and destroyed, then everything crumbles beneath it.
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You have to understand that God is sovereign and His law word is supreme. It is the foundation, God's law is the foundation of His society and the support of His people. So let's ask this question. Why does God demand the death penalty for treason? Well, the average man understands the reason for the death penalty when you're talking about treason against the state. But most never equate treason against God. Do you understand that no law order can survive if it does not defend its foundations? And so when one attacks God and His law, he is guilty of treason and therefore the death penalty is demanded. You have to consider that the only alternatives to God's law order are humanistic law orders at war against a biblical faith. Statist law orders always lead to despotism, totalitarianism, and tyranny. Anarchistic law orders always lead to self-assertion and autonomy.
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It's kind of like the passage in Judges 17, verse 6. And you'll also find it, I think, in Judges 21, where the Scripture says, "There was no king in Israel in those days. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes." So, I want you to understand that when you reject God's law order, the only alternative is a humanistic law order, and you're either going into statism, which is totalitarianism and tyranny, or you're going into anarchism, which is going to be absolutely total chaos.
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Now, every or each society, power, authority, and government have laws or has laws that deal with rebellion. Often these laws are sometimes broken down into sedition, rebellion, conspiracy, and treason. And they all demand the death penalty. Let me just read to you very quickly the United States Constitution, Article 3, Section 3. It says this, "Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them or adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort."
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"No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act or on confession in open court. The Congress shall have the power to declare the punishment of treason."
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Now you have to ask yourself this question. What constitutes treason in a culture? What constitutes treason in a society? Is treason an act of rebellion against the state? Or is treason an act of rebellion against God and His law order? I want you to understand that all idolatry is treason and rebellion is treason to God. If you try to tell me, "Well, treason is to the state." Well, let me ask you a question.
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What if the enemy of the citizen? What if the enemy of the Christian turns out to be the state? turned traitor against his own constitutions. I don't have to point out how multitudes of governments have murdered their own people in order to protect the state. What did Stalin do to over 20 million? Mao Zedong, Idi Amin, Castro. I mean, you have to understand, yeah, governments do go rogue.
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They could care less about law. And a tyrant is going to do any and everything he can to protect his own power and his own position, even at the expense of his own people. But when you talk about treason and you understand sedition, and all this is important to understand Numbers chapter 16, most governments condemn sedition as well as treason. Now legally, there is a difference between sedition and treason. Yet what I want to show you, I'm going to show it to you civilly, but I want you to see spiritually and scripturally that all rebellion really begins with sedition. Do you realize that as far back in our country as 1798, there have been men tried for sedition against the United States. In fact, there were the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, which were thankfully repealed. Section 1 dealt with the fact of aliens over here creating trouble and turmoil, and Section 1 just simply said that such aliens could be deported at the President's statement and request, and well, I have no problem with that.
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If you read on, here is another act in addition to the act entitled, "An Act for the Punishment of Certain Crimes against the United States." I want you to listen to just a few paragraphs here. "Being enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America and Congress assembled, that if any persons, not just aliens now, but if any persons shall unlawfully combine or conspire together with intent to oppose any measure or measures of the government of the United States, which are, shall be directed by proper authority, to impede the operation of any law of the United States or intimidate or prevent any person holding a place or an office under any government of the United States from undertaking, performing, or executing his trusted duty."
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He goes on and I mean, it spells out what can be done to each of us. Now this was still under the Alien and Sedition Acts. Listen if you would to section two. I didn't read all of that. But here's section two. "And be it further enacted that if any person shall write, print, utter, or publish or shall cause or procure to be written, printed, uttered, or published, or shall knowingly and willingly assist or aid in writing, printing, uttering, or publishing, any false and scandalous and malicious writings against the Government of the United States, or either the House of the Congress of the United States, or the President of the United States, with intent to defame the said Government, or either House of the said Congress, or said President, or to bring them, or either of them, into contempt or disrepute."
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By the way, we don't have to do that. They do that themselves. OK, "or shall excite against them" and goes on and stirring up the people. And then it tells what the fine and the punishment is to be. So the Alien and Sedition Acts. Basically, we're not only talking about dealing with aliens who came over here and started problems. But our own people who happen to be discontented.
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With what was going on in Washington, and going on by the politicians. President Theodore Roosevelt said on May 17, 1918, this was reported in the Kansas City Star, listen to what Roosevelt said, and I want you to think about what President Theodore Roosevelt said in light of what is happening today in our politically correct situation. He said, and I quote, "The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants."
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"He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the nation as a whole. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts. And this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth."
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"Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or anyone else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant about him than anyone else." Wow. Wow. You tell the truth about the president today and man, you're going to be visited by the FBI or the Secret Service. But Roosevelt hit it on the head, he said it is morally treasonable to stand by not only the President but any public official when that public official is wrong and wicked.
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Now, we're talking about rebellion. I want you to see something. I want you to see that rebellion actually often begins with sedition. I told you that legally there is a difference between sedition and treason. But I want you to understand that sedition will lead to rebellion and rebellion will lead to treason. And I'm not necessarily talking about treason against the United States right now. I'm ultimately going to be talking about treason against God. But I want you to listen to four quick paragraphs. Here is a site, a legal site, that distinguishes for us the difference between sedition and treason. "In law, sedition is overt conduct such as speech, an organization that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution or incitement of discontent or resistance to lawful authority. Sedition may include any commotion, though not aimed at direct and open violence against the laws."
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"Seditious words and writings are seditious libel. A seditionist is one who engages in or promotes the interests of sedition. Typically, sedition is considered a subversive act, and the overt acts that may be prosecutable under sedition laws vary from one legal code to another. While the history of these legal codes have been traced, there is also a record of the change in the definition of the elements constituting sedition at certain points in history. This overview has served to develop a sociological definition of sedition as well within the study of state persecution. The difference between sedition and treason consists primarily in the subjective ultimate object of the violation to the public peace. Sedition does not consist of levying war against a government, nor of adhering to its enemies, giving enemies aid, or giving enemies comfort. Nor does it consist, in most representative democracies, of peaceful protest against the government, nor of attempting to change the government by democratic means, such as direct democracy or constitutional convention. Sedition is the stirring up of rebellion against the government in power."
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Wow. "Treason is the violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or state, giving aid to enemies, or levying war against one's state. Sedition is encouraging one's fellow citizens to rebel against their state, whereas treason is actually betraying one's country by aiding and abetting another state. Sedition laws somewhat equate to terrorism in public order laws." Wow.
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Now I want you to note what was just said. Sedition is the stirring up of rebellion against the government in power. Wow. Do you realize there have been a number of sedition trials in the United States? The first one is the Matthew Lyon trial in 1798, the Thomas Cooper trial in 1800, the James Callender trial in 1800, the William Dunn Trial in 1918, the Christian Front Sedition Trial in 1940, the Minneapolis Sedition Trial in 1941, the Great Sedition Trial of 1944, the Fort Smith, that is Fort Smith, Arkansas Sedition Trial of 1988, and the Ohio Sedition Trial of 1989.
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So that's not too long ago. What I want you to see is how even civil governments are concerned with sedition, because they are saying that sedition leads to rebellion, and rebellion leads to treason. It's not so much the civil aspect that I want you to see, it's the spiritual aspect, and we're going to see this exactly in Numbers chapter 16.
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Now, before I begin today, I want to remind you of several truths, and that is this. First of all, although we're talking about rebellion, and I don't care if you talk about rebellion civilly or spiritually. Here it is. Rebellion can only be to lawful authority. If there is no lawful authority, it is not rebellion. It is merely resistance. So I could look at Janet and say, "Janet, go get me a glass of tea." And she could say, "Wait a minute now, brother. You ask me, I'll be glad to do it, but don't go commanding me."
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Well, I can't command her. I'm not her head. I'm not her husband. And if she resisted me, that was not rebellion on her part. That's just resistance to someone who's trying to be a tyrant and order her around. I have no authority over her like that. Henry said he doesn't either. I'm teasing. Henry didn't say that. But the point I'm trying to make is rebellion can only be to lawful authority. If there is no lawful authority, there cannot be any rebellion. It was Benjamin Franklin who said, "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God."
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In fact, that was the motto that he came up with and attached to his seal. In fact, Thomas Jefferson liked that motto so well, he put that motto on his seal, that rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.
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Now, I also want to point out the obverse or the reverse. Do you realize also that submission to tyrants is rebellion to God? Submission to tyrants is rebellion to God. In this country, first and foremost, the Bible is our law word. OK, you remember even when the apostles and the disciples were commanded by those in authority not to preach any more in the name of Jesus Christ. They said in Acts chapter 5 and verse 29, "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, 'We ought to obey God rather than man.'" And that's true.
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Now, whether we like it or not, whether we agree with it or not, it's beside the point. But in this country, the Constitution is supposed to be a rule of law for the government. You remember it was Jefferson who said, "Bind them down with the chains of the Constitution." I want to read something to you very quickly. I want to read you just a couple of quotes from the Supreme Court. And then I want to read you just several quotes from American jurisprudence. Marbury versus Madison. "All laws, rules and practices, which are repugnant to the Constitution are null and void." That's a Supreme Court case. Here's what the 16th American Jurisprudence says. Listen to this. "The general rule is that an unconstitutional statute, though having the form and the name of law, is in reality no law."
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"But is wholly void and ineffective for any purpose, since unconstitutionality dates from the time of its enactment, and not merely from the date of the decision, so branding it. An unconstitutional law in legal contemplation is as inoperative as if it had never been passed. Such a statute leaves the question that it purports to settle just as it would be had the statute not been enacted. Since an unconstitutional law is void, the general principles follow that it imposes no duties, confers no rights, creates no office, bestows no power or authority on anyone, affords no protection, and justifies no acts performed under it. A void act cannot be legally consistent with a valid one. An unconstitutional law cannot operate to supersede any existing valid law. Indeed, insofar as a statute runs counter to the fundamental law of the land, it is superseded thereby."
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Listen to this, I'm still reading. "No one is bound to obey an unconstitutional law, and no courts are bound to enforce it." And then here's another Supreme Court ruling, Norton v. Shelby County. "An unconstitutional act is not a law. It confers no rights. It imposes no duties. It affords no protection. It creates no office. In its legal contemplation, it is as inoperative as though it had never been passed."
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Now, I read all that just to tell you this. Executive orders, rules, regulations, administrative decisions, laws, statutes, Acts of Congress or decisions of judges, even decisions of judges by the Supreme Court of the United States cannot void the rights given to us by God Himself. There can be no law that will supersede God's law. And so what you and I have to be is what our law says is to be a belligerent claimant of rights. So if you do not belligerently claim your rights, the court system today views you as giving them up.
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John Locke said this, listen carefully, "Whenever the legislators endeavor to take away and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they, the legislators, put themselves in a state of war with the people who are therefore absolved from any further obedience." Wow. So you just think of all these laws that are being passed to deprive us of our life, liberty, and property, and what is happening? The Congress of the United States, the president, the executive office, even the judicial office are placing themselves in a state of war against the people.
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So you have to remember, as I go into this, that rebellion can only be to lawful authority. Where there is no lawful authority, it is not rebellion, it is resistance. The lawful power in this country is first and foremost the Bible, secondly it would be the Constitution, or I might say the people themselves, for we the people did ordain this. Resistance to tyranny is a duty and responsibility because resisting evil and wickedness is submission to God and His law.
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Now, I want you to see one thing today, just one point. I want you to see in Numbers chapter 16 that sedition leads to rebellion. I'm going to explain this. Look in Numbers chapter 16 and verse 1. This is an amazing, amazing verse. Numbers 16, verse 1.
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"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." Are you listening? Rebellion always begins with sedition. Someone must sow the seeds of discord, and someone must incite and draw others into the circle of discontent.
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Now, interestingly enough, after these individuals are named in chapter 16, verse 1, you see the last two words, these men did what? They took men. The Bible tells us that Korah and Dathan and Abiram and On took men. You know what the word "took" literally means? It literally means to catch by the hand, to carry along, to fetch and to lead.
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Now, when you read this, you look in verse two, "And they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel, 250 princes of the assembly." Now, you have to ask yourself this question. Is it possible that 250 men, independently and on their own, would just happen to come to the same conclusion as Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and On? No. They took men. They solicited them. They led them.
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They brought them to their position. Now, this conspiracy in Numbers chapter 16 was extremely formidable. And the reason it was so formidable was not because regular people were not involved. But because princes were involved, so this is no ordinary rebellion. It's not the dregs of society that are rebelling against Moses, Aaron, and the Lord. It's the princes. It's the rulers. Wow. These people had high office. They were dignitaries. They were undoubtedly rich.
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You know, we have an old saying, usually we say something like, "Blood is thicker than water." What we mean by that is, you know, families are going to stick together. It's just like, you can read in the paper, here are husbands and wives, or a husband and wife, fighting like cats and dogs. I mean, they may even have knives or whatever fighting against each other. And here comes the cops to break up the fight. And what does the husband and wife do? Both turn on the cops. Well, when it comes to rebellion, that's not necessarily so. Blood is not necessarily thicker than water. What do I mean?
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I want you to look back at verse one. "Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi." Now, remember, Korah is a son of Kohath, the son of Levi. So Korah, then, is a Levite. And I want you to note how he is identified. Look in verse one. "Now Korah, the son of Izhar." So we're given his father's name. I want you to look in your Bibles to Exodus chapter 6. Exodus chapter 6. And look, if you would, please, very quickly, at verse 18. Exodus chapter 6 and verse 18. Here it is, Exodus 6, verse 18, "And the sons of Kohath." Now we're finding out who Kohath's children are. "Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kohath were 133 years." So notice if you would, Amram and Izhar are brothers. Korah is the son of Izhar. I don't know if you realize this or not, but Amram, Izhar's brother, was the father of Moses and Aaron and Miriam. Amram married Jochebed. Exodus chapter 6 and verse 20.
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So Korah then happens to be a first cousin to Moses and Aaron. Korah probably found himself or believed himself to be slighted and injured in some way, in order that he might lead this rebellion against his own cousins. And by the way, On is named in verse one. After this, he's no longer mentioned. So probably he dropped out of this conspiracy. I don't know. But Dathan and Abiram and On were Reubenites. And they were probably involved in this rebellion.
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Because their birthright had been taken away from them. You remember, don't turn there, but in Genesis chapter 49 verses 3 and 4, Jacob said this about Reuben. He said, "Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of my dignity, and the excellency of my power. Unstable as water thou art, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up to thy father's bed, then defilest thou it, and he went up into my couch." So, Reuben had sexual intercourse with his father's concubine, and so he was disinherited. Reuben was actually the firstborn. So he lost the birthright, but he not only lost the birthright, he now lost the primogeniture of all the tribes of Israel. He's no longer the leader of the twelve tribes. So these are Reubenites.
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Korah may also have been upset with the fact that his cousin was elevated above the Kohathites. If you look in Numbers chapter 3 and verse 19, very quickly, Numbers chapter 3 and verse 19, look what the Bible says. Numbers chapter 3 verse 19, "And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel." So there's the four brothers again. Now skip down if you would please to verse 30. The Bible says in verse 30, "And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel." So now all of a sudden Korah is not even the head of the house. Now another cousin is the head of the house of the Kohathites.
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So, we've got a problem. You say, "How in the world do you think the Reubenites and the Kohathites got together in this rebellion?" Well, did you know that the Kohathites camped next to the Reubenites? I'm not going to ask you to turn there, but Numbers chapter 2 in verse 10, the sons of Kohath camped on the south side of the camp. And when you get to Numbers 3 in verse 29, the Reubenites camped on the south side of the camp, too. So they were just right jam up right next to each other.
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So that made it easy then for Korah to go in and take these men by the hand. It was Korah who stirred up all the others. God condemns Korah as the leader of this rebellion, which began with his dissatisfaction, pride, and arrogance. He is singled out as one of the three great errors that we are to avoid. Let me tell you, in Jude 1 and verse 11, if you want to turn there very quickly, Jude 1 verse 11, right before the book of Revelation, the little book of Jude, look in the book of Jude, Jude 1 and verse 11. Look what the Bible says. Jude 1 verse 11. So here are three errors that we are admonished to avoid. The first one is the way of Cain.
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What is the way of Cain? The way of Cain is humanism. It's to worship God in the way that you think you ought to worship God or any way that you desire. Abel brought forth the sacrifices that God demanded. Cain didn't. He brought the fruit of the ground. Why? He said, "I don't see why my worship can't be acceptable. I don't see why I have to do what God says to do." So the way of Cain is just the way most people do. They're not interested in worshiping God scripturally in spirit and in truth. They just want to do their thing and get it on. That's it. That's the way of Cain. The error of Balaam is seeking rewards and placing money above God in his service. In 2 Peter, don't turn there, but in 2 Peter 2 and verse 15, the Bible says, "...which have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness." Why was Balaam willing to go to Balak when God told him not to?
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Because of a reward that was continually increased if he would come and curse Israel. So he says, you better watch out for the way of Cain. You better avoid the error of Balaam. And then he talks about those who perished in the gainsaying of Korah.
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Now, the word "gainsaying" there means an opposition, a contradiction, a rebellion. So God is here warning then about the way of Cain, the error of Balaam, and the rebellion of Korah. So Korah evidently was the leader. He was the instigator of this plot. Korah is singled out over and over in the Bible as the instigator of this rebellion. For instance, look in your Bibles very quickly. Numbers chapter 16, if you'll go back there, Numbers chapter 16 at verses 5 and 6. Numbers 16 verses 5 and 6.
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Now, to whom is Moses speaking? Well, look in verse 5, "And he spake unto Korah, and to all of his company, saying, 'Even tomorrow the Lord will show who are His, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto Him, even him whom He hath chosen will He cause to come near unto Him. This do: take you censers, Korah, and all his company.'" If you look in Numbers chapter 26 and verse 9. Numbers 26 and verse 9.
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"And the sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram which were famous in the congregation who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the Lord." Look at Numbers 27 and verse 3. Numbers 27, verse 3, "Here the daughters of Zelophehad said, 'Our father died in the wilderness. Our father died in the wilderness and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah. But he died in his own sin and had no sons.'" So Korah then is singled out as the leader of this rebellion against God. Here's the point I want to make today, sedition always leads to rebellion. What is sedition?
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It's when you begin to incite discontent and dissatisfaction among other people. You're going to find and we'll see next Lord's Day. You're going to see how the leaders of this rebellion had their moment in the sun. And I do mean moment. It was a short-lived term. But then sure and sudden and solemn destruction hit them instantly. Sedition always leads to rebellion. The rebellion in Numbers 16 began.
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When Dathan and Abiram and On and Korah took men, they said, "Come on, let me tell you about Moses and Aaron. Let me tell you what they're doing." And they begin to sow the seeds of dissatisfaction.
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Now, let me make some applications. Here we go. Here's the first one. We must always refuse to be a leader of such a rebellion. We must not only refuse to be a leader of such rebellion. We must also refuse to be a follower of such rebellion. You know, the Bible says in Exodus 23 and verse 2, "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil." Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil. Does it matter?
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If there's a lot of them. "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil." So we have to resist being a leader.
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Now I'm talking about rebellion. Remember what rebellion is? Rebellion is against lawful authority. I'm not talking about resisting evil and resisting tyranny. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about resisting lawful authority, biblical and godly authority. Here's the second application. We must refuse to receive an accusation against an elder. Unless there are witnesses to substantiate every word. Let me show you that in the Bible. I want you to turn to two passages, 1 Timothy, chapter 5, and then Proverbs, chapter 6. I want you to look in 1 Timothy, chapter 5. You're talking about how to cut down discontent and dissatisfaction. Look in 1 Timothy, chapter 5 and verse 19.
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And I have used this on a number of occasions. 1 Timothy chapter 5, verse 19. Look what the Bible says. "Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses." Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. So what does that mean? It means something like this. If Henry came up to Ron and said, "Hey, let me tell you something about Pastor Weaver," Ron should say, "Well, hold on. Let me get Ed and Hobie here so every word can be substantiated, and after we hear what you have to say, then we'll go to Brother Weaver and see about it." You see what I'm saying?
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How many times would accusations be leveled against godly men if that were fought? It would stop it. It would stop the gossip. It would stop the slander. It would stop an accusation. You see, if Henry has something against me, what does the Bible command him to do? To come to me. And if I know he's got something against me, what does the Bible command me to do? Go to him. That's correct.
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Now, I said that to show you this. I want you to listen to me. I am not talking about excusing an ungodly man. I'm not talking about failing to censure or condemn someone that deserves to be censured or condemned. Preachers sin like everybody else, and preachers have to be rebuked like everybody else. There's no problem there. But what I'm talking about is just sheer gossip and just handling things in an unbiblical manner.
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I want you to look in Proverbs chapter 6 and let's begin reading there with verse 16 and it's very important that you understand this is something that the Lord absolutely hates. Look in Proverbs chapter 6 and let's begin reading there with verse 16. Proverbs 6 verse 16. "These six things doth the Lord hate. Yea, seven are an abomination to him."
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Now, remember the word "abomination" means a stench in God's nostrils. God absolutely hates these. He despises these. There are stenches in His nostrils. What are these things that God hates? Well, verse 17, He hates a proud look. Wow. A lying tongue. Hands that shed innocent blood. A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations. Feet that be swift in running to mischief. A false witness that speaketh lies, and here's the one that's the abomination, "and he that soweth discord among the brethren." Wow. Isn't that amazing? Do you know that's exactly what Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and On did? When they took men, they sowed discord and got 250 princes on their side. And they believed, undoubtedly, just because they had a great company on their side and a high company on their side, that they were right and that they would prevail.
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In fact, you'll see next week their absolute arrogance. When Moses tried to work it out, they would not even listen. You know what I found? In nearly 50 years of preaching, I found this. Someone that is really repentant is always willing to listen and be rebuked, be admonished, be reproved and to be worked with. Someone who is unrepentant doesn't even want to listen, does not want to hear, does not want to be worked with.
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And that's what was with Korah, Dathan and Abiram. That brings me to the third application, and that is this. If we want to avoid spiritual sedition and spiritual rebellion, we must avoid the pride and the arrogance that were in the lives of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and On. Look at it. Go back to Numbers chapter 16. I want you to see this. Look what they said to Moses and to Aaron. Look at Numbers chapter 16 and verse 3. Numbers 16, verse 3. Look at it. "And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, 'You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them.'"
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"And the Lord is among them. Wherefore then lift you up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?" Let me paraphrase this for you. Here's what he was saying. "Who do you think you are? Who do you think you are giving me orders and telling me what to do? All of God's people are holy. We're all saved here. Come on! Who do you think you are telling me what to do and what not to do?"
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"You're just trying to elevate yourself. You want to be number one. You want to run the show. Well, we can run the show equally." Wow. Skip down to verses 9 and 10. Well, let's read verse 8. "And Moses said to Korah, 'Hear, I pray you, you sons of Levi. Seemeth 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 and minister to them? And He hath brought thee near to Him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee, and seek ye the priesthood also?'" What did he say? "What's wrong with you? Can't you be content? Did you know that God has chosen the whole tribe of Levi? You work around the tabernacle. You're the ones that work with the sacrifices. God has separated you. You have a ministry and you can't be content with the ministry that God gives you. Seek ye the priesthood also?"
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"You want Aaron's job? You want my job? What's wrong with you?" Are you listening? All sedition and all rebellion begins with dissatisfaction with the providence of God in your life. We just can't be satisfied. We can't accept that which God has given us. You know, there's an interesting thought. You see what Dathan and Abiram and Korah were doing. They were ignoring a very vital principle. When they said to Moses, "No, you're not, that God is among us and we're all holy." Listen carefully. Here's the principle. It is true that each of us has an equal standing before God.
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I'm no more saved than Henry is. Henry's no more saved than Ed is. Ed's no more saved than Hobie. We have an equal standing before God. We're sinners saved by grace. But just because we have an equal standing does not mean that we have an equal position. I'm a pastor. You're not. My position is different from yours, even though we have an equal standing. Dr. Bowen is a doctor. I'm not. We have an equal standing, but when it comes to medical knowledge, I'm going to avert to him.
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He's positionally higher than I am medically speaking. The husband and wife have an equal standing before God, but positionally, the husband is the head of the house. And Dathan and Abiram and Korah and all of them, they didn't understand that. And they wanted to lift themselves up and assume positions that God had never given them. Remember the truth of Proverbs 16 and verse 18. "Pride goeth before destruction."
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"And a haughty spirit before a fall." And that's exactly what happened. Pride went before their destruction, and their haughty spirit condemned them to destruction. There's one passage that it would do us well to memorize. Micah 6 and verse 8. Listen. "He has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require thee? but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." Do you realize walking humbly with our Lord will keep us from the sins of sedition and rebellion? Do you realize if you're walking humbly with God, you're thankful for anything. Because you realize you deserve absolutely nothing. And you realize that everything that you are and everything that you have, God gave you. It is true biblical humility that will keep us from the sins of sedition and rebellion. It's true biblical humility that will keep us from the sins of discontent and dissatisfaction.
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You say, "Brother Weaver, but I'm sick. I've got medical problems." I understand. But let me tell you something. You could not be sick and you could not have those medical problems. And it's just the grace of God and the mercy of God that you are what you are and you have what you have. The essence of rebellion begins in discontent and dissatisfaction in the providence of God in your life, which will lead to sedition and will lead to rebellion.
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Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We thank You for Your warnings and Your admonitions. And we pray indeed, Father, that You would indeed protect us from the sins of discontent and dissatisfaction and arguing with Your providence in our lives and protect us from sedition and rebellion. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T13:40:40Z

The Essence of Rebellion - Part 1

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver examines the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On in Numbers 16, arguing that rebellion against God begins with sedition—sowing discontent and dissatisfaction with God's providence. He distinguishes rebellion against lawful authority from resistance to tyranny, emphasizes the seriousness of treason against God's law order, and applies the passage by warning against pride, gossip, and discontent, urging humble submission to God's ordained positions.

Introduction and Scripture Reading

Weaver introduces Numbers 16 and reads verses 1–11, noting the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On, and previews a two-part message on the essence of rebellion.

Rebellion as a Serious Sin and Judgment

Rebellion is a sin meriting the death penalty, affecting individuals, families, and nations, as seen in 1 Samuel 15 where Saul's rebellion is likened to witchcraft and idolatry.

He spared Agag the king and the best of everything contrary to God's command. And so, in verse 22 of 1 Samuel 15, Samuel said, and he's talking of Saul,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 15:22-23

"Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."

Now watch what he declares.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 15:22-23

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king."

God's Law Order vs. Humanistic Law Orders

God's sovereign law is the foundation of society; rejecting it leads to statist tyranny or anarchistic chaos, as illustrated by Judges 17:6.

It's kind of like the passage in Judges 17, verse 6. And you'll also find it, I think, in Judges 21, where the Scripture says,

Scripture Reading — Judges 17:6

"There was no king in Israel in those days. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes."

Civil Definitions of Treason and Sedition

Weaver reads the U.S. Constitution on treason and the Alien and Sedition Acts, showing how civil governments punish sedition as a precursor to rebellion.

Theodore Roosevelt on Criticism of Leaders

Roosevelt argued that blind loyalty to a president is morally treasonable; truth-telling about leaders is a patriotic duty.

Legal Distinction Between Sedition and Treason

Sedition involves inciting rebellion against the established order, while treason is actual betrayal; sedition leads to rebellion and treason.

Rebellion Only Against Lawful Authority

Rebellion requires lawful authority; resistance to tyranny is obedience to God, and submission to tyrants is rebellion against God, as Acts 5:29 shows.

Scripture Reading — Acts 5:29

"Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, 'We ought to obey God rather than man.'"

And that's true.

Unconstitutional Laws Are Void

Supreme Court rulings and American Jurisprudence state that unconstitutional laws are void and not binding; God's law supersedes all human laws.

Sedition Leads to Rebellion in Numbers 16

Korah and his allies 'took men'—they actively recruited 250 princes, sowing discord and discontent, which is the essence of sedition leading to rebellion.

The Leaders' Motivations and Identities

Korah, a Levite and cousin of Moses, likely acted out of pride and perceived slights; the Reubenites joined due to lost birthright; their proximity facilitated conspiracy.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 3:19, 30

"And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel."

Korah as the Instigator and Biblical Warnings

Jude 11 warns against the gainsaying of Korah; Korah is repeatedly singled out as the leader of this rebellion against God.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 26:9

"And the sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram which were famous in the congregation who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the Lord."

Look at Numbers 27 and verse 3. Numbers 27, verse 3,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 26:9

"Here the daughters of Zelophehad said, 'Our father died in the wilderness. Our father died in the wilderness and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah. But he died in his own sin and had no sons.'"

So Korah then is singled out as the leader of this rebellion against God. Here's the point I want to make today, sedition always leads to rebellion. What is sedition?

Applications: Avoiding Sedition and Rebellion

Believers must refuse to lead or follow rebellion, reject unsubstantiated accusations against elders, and cultivate humility to avoid pride and discontent with God's providence.

And I have used this on a number of occasions. 1 Timothy chapter 5, verse 19. Look what the Bible says.

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 5:19

"Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses."

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 16:18

"Pride goeth before destruction." "And a haughty spirit before a fall."

The Essence of Rebellion - Part 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	112142148486
Subject	Civil Government
Course	Civil Government: Power, Nations, and Constitutional Order: War in the Gates
Genre	Sermon
Date	2014-05-18
Dictation Name
Book	Book 033: The Essence of Rebellion — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	73

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Scripture Reading: Weaver introduces Numbers 16 and reads verses 1–11, noting the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On, and previews a two-part message on the essence of rebellion.
Rebellion as a Serious Sin and Judgment: Rebellion is a sin meriting the death penalty, affecting individuals, families, and nations, as seen in 1 Samuel 15 where Saul's rebellion is likened to witchcraft and idolatry.
God's Law Order vs. Humanistic Law Orders: God's sovereign law is the foundation of society; rejecting it leads to statist tyranny or anarchistic chaos, as illustrated by Judges 17:6.
Civil Definitions of Treason and Sedition: Weaver reads the U.S. Constitution on treason and the Alien and Sedition Acts, showing how civil governments punish sedition as a precursor to rebellion.
Theodore Roosevelt on Criticism of Leaders: Roosevelt argued that blind loyalty to a president is morally treasonable; truth-telling about leaders is a patriotic duty.
Legal Distinction Between Sedition and Treason: Sedition involves inciting rebellion against the established order, while treason is actual betrayal; sedition leads to rebellion and treason.
Rebellion Only Against Lawful Authority: Rebellion requires lawful authority; resistance to tyranny is obedience to God, and submission to tyrants is rebellion against God, as Acts 5:29 shows.
Unconstitutional Laws Are Void: Supreme Court rulings and American Jurisprudence state that unconstitutional laws are void and not binding; God's law supersedes all human laws.
Sedition Leads to Rebellion in Numbers 16: Korah and his allies 'took men'—they actively recruited 250 princes, sowing discord and discontent, which is the essence of sedition leading to rebellion.
The Leaders' Motivations and Identities: Korah, a Levite and cousin of Moses, likely acted out of pride and perceived slights; the Reubenites joined due to lost birthright; their proximity facilitated conspiracy.
Korah as the Instigator and Biblical Warnings: Jude 11 warns against the gainsaying of Korah; Korah is repeatedly singled out as the leader of this rebellion against God.
Applications: Avoiding Sedition and Rebellion: Believers must refuse to lead or follow rebellion, reject unsubstantiated accusations against elders, and cultivate humility to avoid pride and discontent with God's providence.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Rebellion is fundamentally against God and His law order, not merely against human authority.

Treason against God's law order is more serious than civil treason because God's law is the foundation of all society; rejecting it leads to tyranny or chaos.

Weaver argues, 'You have to remember that rebellion and treason are primarily against God and His law order,' and explains that humanistic alternatives always lead to despotism or anarchy.

Sedition is the precursor to rebellion, as seen in Korah's recruitment of the 250 princes.

Korah and his allies actively 'took men'—they incited discontent and formed a conspiracy, demonstrating that rebellion begins with seditious speech and recruitment.

Weaver notes that the word 'took' in Numbers 16:1 means 'to catch by the hand, to carry along, to fetch and to lead,' showing intentional sedition.

Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God, but rebellion against lawful authority is sin.

Believers must distinguish between resisting evil rulers (which is duty) and rebelling against God-ordained authority (which is sin), as the apostles did in Acts 5:29.

Weaver states, 'Submission to tyrants is rebellion to God,' and cites Acts 5:29: 'We ought to obey God rather than man.'

Unconstitutional human laws are void and not binding, but God's law remains supreme.

Civil laws that contradict the Constitution or God's law are null and void; believers are not bound to obey them and must claim their rights.

Weaver quotes Norton v. Shelby County: 'An unconstitutional act is not a law... it is as inoperative as though it had never been passed,' and asserts God's law supersedes all.

Korah's rebellion was motivated by pride, jealousy, and dissatisfaction with his God-given role.

Korah, a Levite and cousin of Moses, was discontent with his position and sought the priesthood, revealing that rebellion stems from rejecting God's providence.

Weaver points to Numbers 16:9-10, where Moses asks, 'Seek ye the priesthood also?' and explains Korah's likely grievances over family hierarchy and camp proximity.

God hates the sowing of discord, which is the essence of sedition.

Proverbs 6:19 lists sowing discord among brethren as an abomination; Korah's actions in recruiting the princes exemplify this sin.

Weaver reads Proverbs 6:16-19 and states, 'That's exactly what Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and On did... they sowed discord and got 250 princes on their side.'

Believers must refuse to entertain unsubstantiated accusations against leaders.

1 Timothy 5:19 commands not to receive an accusation against an elder without two or three witnesses, which would prevent gossip and sedition.

Weaver cites 1 Timothy 5:19 and gives a practical example of how requiring witnesses would stop slander and discontent.

Humility and contentment with God's providence are the safeguards against rebellion.

Pride leads to destruction (Proverbs 16:18); walking humbly with God (Micah 6:8) fosters gratitude and prevents the discontent that fuels sedition.

Weaver quotes Proverbs 16:18 and Micah 6:8, concluding that 'true biblical humility... will keep us from the sins of sedition and rebellion.'

Scripture References

Numbers 16:1-11: The primary text of the sermon, describing the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On against Moses and Aaron.
Numbers 26:9-11: References the fate of Dathan, Abiram, and Korah's company, noting the earth swallowed them and fire devoured 250 men.
1 Samuel 15:22-23: Samuel rebukes Saul, equating rebellion with witchcraft and stubbornness with idolatry, leading to Saul's rejection as king.
Judges 17:6: Illustrates the chaos of anarchistic law orders: 'Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.'
Acts 5:29: Peter and the apostles declare they must obey God rather than men, supporting resistance to tyranny.
Exodus 6:18: Lists the sons of Kohath, showing that Amram (father of Moses and Aaron) and Izhar (father of Korah) were brothers.
Genesis 49:3-4: Jacob's prophecy that Reuben would not excel because he defiled his father's bed, explaining the Reubenites' discontent.
Numbers 3:19, 30: Shows that Elizaphan, not Korah, was made chief of the Kohathites, possibly fueling Korah's jealousy.
Jude 1:11: Warns against the way of Cain, the error of Balaam, and the gainsaying (rebellion) of Korah.
2 Peter 2:15: Describes Balaam's error as loving the wages of unrighteousness, referenced in the context of Jude 11.
Numbers 16:5-6: Moses addresses Korah and his company, singling out Korah as the leader.
Numbers 26:9: Identifies Dathan and Abiram as those who strove against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah.
Numbers 27:3: The daughters of Zelophehad note their father was not in the company of Korah, further singling out Korah's rebellion.
Exodus 23:2: Commands not to follow a multitude to do evil, applied to refusing to join a rebellious group.
1 Timothy 5:19: Instructs not to receive an accusation against an elder without two or three witnesses, to prevent gossip and sedition.
Proverbs 6:16-19: Lists seven things God hates, including a proud look, a lying tongue, and sowing discord among brethren.
Numbers 16:3: The rebels accuse Moses and Aaron of exalting themselves, claiming all the congregation is holy.
Numbers 16:8-10: Moses rebukes Korah for seeking the priesthood in addition to his Levitical service, showing discontent with God's calling.
Proverbs 16:18: Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall, applied to the rebels' fate.
Micah 6:8: God requires doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with Him, the antidote to rebellion.

Historical References

Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798: Weaver reads sections of these acts to illustrate how civil governments have historically punished sedition, including speech against the government.
Theodore Roosevelt's statement on May 17, 1918: Roosevelt argued that blind loyalty to a president is morally treasonable, emphasizing the duty to criticize wrong actions.
Matthew Lyon trial (1798): Listed as the first sedition trial in the United States, part of a series of sedition trials mentioned to show the historical concern with sedition.
Thomas Cooper trial (1800): Mentioned as one of the early sedition trials in U.S. history.
James Callender trial (1800): Another early sedition trial cited by Weaver.
William Dunn Trial (1918): A sedition trial during World War I era.
Christian Front Sedition Trial (1940): A sedition trial in 1940.
Minneapolis Sedition Trial (1941): A sedition trial in 1941.
Great Sedition Trial of 1944: A major sedition trial during World War II.
Fort Smith, Arkansas Sedition Trial of 1988: A more recent sedition trial, showing ongoing concern with sedition.

Important Quotes

Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

This quote from 1 Samuel 15:23 is central to Weaver's argument that rebellion is a heinous sin meriting death, equating it with witchcraft and idolatry.

Rebellion can only be to lawful authority. If there is no lawful authority, it is not rebellion. It is merely resistance.

Weaver establishes a key distinction between sinful rebellion and righteous resistance to tyranny, foundational for applying the sermon's principles.

Submission to tyrants is rebellion to God.

This concise statement encapsulates the duty to resist evil rulers, balancing the warning against rebellion with the call to obey God first.

All sedition and all rebellion begins with dissatisfaction with the providence of God in your life.

Weaver identifies the root cause of rebellion as discontent with God's sovereign ordering of one's circumstances, a key diagnostic for self-examination.

We ought to obey God rather than man.

Weaver cites Acts 5:29 to support the principle that when human authority contradicts God's commands, obedience to God takes precedence.

Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.

Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, this motto reinforces the idea that resisting oppressive rulers is a form of obedience to God, not sinful rebellion.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does the distinction between rebellion against lawful authority and resistance to tyranny apply to current events or personal situations?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that rebellion is only against lawful authority; resistance to tyranny is obedience to God. This question helps apply that principle.

[Question]

In what ways might we be guilty of 'taking men'—sowing discontent or recruiting others into dissatisfaction—in our families, workplaces, or church?

[Context]

Korah and his allies actively recruited others into their rebellion. Weaver warns against being a leader or follower of such sedition.

[Question]

What does it look like practically to refuse to receive an accusation against an elder without two or three witnesses, and how might this prevent sedition?

[Context]

Weaver cites 1 Timothy 5:19 and gives a practical example of requiring witnesses before hearing an accusation.

[Question]

How can we cultivate contentment with God's providence in our lives, especially when we feel overlooked or slighted like Korah?

[Context]

Weaver identifies dissatisfaction with God's providence as the root of rebellion and points to humility as the antidote.

[Question]

Why does God hate the sowing of discord among brethren so severely, and how can we guard against it in our speech?

[Context]

Proverbs 6:19 lists sowing discord as an abomination; Weaver applies this to Korah's actions and warns against gossip and slander.

[Question]

How does the concept of equal standing but different positions before God challenge our culture's emphasis on egalitarianism?

[Context]

Weaver explains that all believers have equal standing in salvation but different God-given roles, which Korah rejected.

[Question]

What are some modern examples of 'the way of Cain' or 'the error of Balaam' that we must avoid, according to Jude 11?

[Context]

Weaver briefly explains these errors as humanistic worship and love of money, warning against them alongside Korah's rebellion.

[Question]

How can we balance the biblical command to submit to governing authorities with the duty to resist unconstitutional or tyrannical laws?

[Context]

Weaver argues that unconstitutional laws are void and that God's law is supreme, citing Acts 5:29 and legal precedents.

Applications

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