Korah and his infamous rebellion are the focus of the next Torah portion, named after the leader of the rebellious group. This portion is significant as it provides a profound lesson on the consequences of false accusations and the importance of humility in the face of injustice. You can read about this story in Numbers 16:1-18:32. Korah, a son of Levi, gathered a group of reputable leaders of Israel to rise against Moses and Aaron, aiming to displace them from their leadership position and elevate Korah and his conspirators to an equal status alongside Moses and Aaron. Essentially, Korah states, “we are all holy, so why are you two acting as if you are self-exalted leaders of Israel and ruling over us?” Korah may be one of the most noticeable accusers of the brethren because, remember, Moses did not want this job of leading the Israelites to freedom. God called him and his brother and anointed them for this special work.
Numbers 16:3: They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”
If we look at the scriptures for other instances where people accused God’s anointed, we can find that Moses and Aaron were not the only ones. Job’s friends also accused him of sin and unrighteousness, claiming that anyone who is blameless would not suffer as Job had. In fact, after Job chapter two, when the adversary (satan) goes before the Holy One, Job’s “friends“ enter the stage in chapter three to begin a long narrative of accusations. Here is an excerpt from my study, “An article titled Light of the Guide Series- ‘Who is the Satan?‘ reveals Rabbi Sa’adiah ben Yosef Gaon’s viewpoint that the adversary described in the book of Job was human. His reasoning for this interpretation comes from his observation that other mentions of satan in the Hebrew Scriptures are human. In Revelation 12:10, satan is also called an accuser or kategoros in Greek. Every other mention of an accuser in the Greek Scriptures describes human accusers. Sa’adiah’s proposition that the adversary in Job was a person would seem validated by the Greek Scriptures.“ (link) This context helps us understand the nature of false accusations and gives us the tools to try to avoid this very real enemy.
Let’s find more examples of those who accuse the righteous. In Matthew 12:10, men from the local synagogue sought to accuse Yeshua of transgressing the Shabbat to heal a man’s hand. In Luke 11:54, the scribes and Pharisees lay in wait (like a roaring lion) for an opportunity to accuse Yeshua. In Luke 23:2-3, a multitude of peeps arose to accuse Yeshua of leading a rebellion against Caesar. In John 8:6, the scribes and Pharisees try to trap Yeshua in judging a case of adultery so that they might accuse Him. In Acts 24:8 & 13, Ananias the High Priest of Israel, the elders, and a certain orator named Tertullus accused Paul of causing a dissension among the Jewish people and being a ringleader of a gang of people trying to profane the temple.
Acts 25:11 NKJV: For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.
When we observe a consolidated group of accusers cast down in Revelation 12:10, we should recognize that every time an unjust accusation appears in the writings, it originates from one human to another, more specifically, from one person against a blameless person. The allegations rise before the Holy One, who sees and hears all things and will eventually judge accordingly, providing us with reassurance in the face of false accusations.
What should you do if someone is unjustly accusing you of wrongdoing, and people are proudly rising against you? Do what David did and pray Psalm 7:1-2, which is a result of Cush falsely accusing David, “O Lord my God, in You I put my trust; Save me from all those who persecute me; And deliver me, lest they tear me like a lion, rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.“ (Notice the lion imagery for false accusers.) This advice stems from the biblical stories we’ve discussed, where the righteous responded to false accusations with prayer and humility, and God ultimately brought justice.
We should be inspired by Moses and Aaron’s response when faced with false accusations. They humbly sought mercy for the innocent but judgment on those who initiated the rebellion. Follow their example and pray for God to rise and defend you, judging the false accuser.
Numbers 16:15: Then Moses was angry and said to the Lord, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I hurt one of them.”
Numbers 16:22: Then they fell on their faces, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation?”
Psalm 7:6: Arise, O Lord, in Your anger; Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; Rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded!
Prayer is a powerful defense against false accusations. Consider Job’s humble prayer in chapter 42:1-6, which initiated God’s request for Job’s accusers to bring atonement offerings and have Job pray for them as a means to repair the wrongs that resulted from their accusations. For Moses and Aaron, it was the incense that Aaron sent up amid the congregation after they complained against them and accused them of destroying Korah and his followers. This complaint was unsubstantiated since it was the Holy One who destroyed the rebellious congregation and not Moses and Aaron. The author of Revelation tells us that incense is symbolic of prayer (Rv 8.4). It was prayer that stopped the wrath of the God from spreading in this Torah portion. When we face false accusations, we can take our complaints to the Holy One and trust that He will defend and deal with those who act out of pride. To be cast down is symbolic of losing one’s power. We can trust that even in the face of what seem to be lions trying to destroy us, it is the Holy One who shuts the mouth of lions. Our only job is to be innocent of the charges.
Revelation 12:10 NKJV: Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His [Messiah] have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
Daniel 6:22: My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.
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