"The Lord will show who are His and who is holy."--_Numbers 16:5._
WHEN the Israelites came out of Egypt they had a long journey to go,
through a dreary, lonely wilderness. Moses and his brother Aaron led
them; and God took care of them, and fed them, and kept them safe.
But there were some wicked men, named Dathan and Abiram, who were tired
of the wilderness, and were angry at having Moses for their leader and
master, though God had made him lead them, and had done so much for
them. They said they were as good as Moses, and that he should not be
their prince. They did not care for God having spoken by him.
Their end was so very dreadful that I can hardly tell it to you. God
would not let them rise up against His servant Moses; and when they
would not listen nor repent He made the earth open under their feet,
and they went down alive, and were swallowed up in the pit before the
eyes of all the other Israelites; and so they died the most terrible
death anyone ever died. It was because they set themselves up against
Moses, whom God had placed over them, that He was so angry with them.
Remember God has set people over us: there are our fathers and mothers,
and our clergymen and teachers; and it is our duty to obey them, as He
tells us in the Fifth Commandment. If we are proud and saucy it is very
wrong of us. It is not likely that we should be so dreadfully punished
in this life as Dathan and Abiram were; but their horrible death should
make us remember that God is very angry with those that will not try to
obey those that have the rule over them, and set themselves up to be
bold and proud, and to say they do not care.
[Illustration: AARON AND HUR HOLDING UP THE HANDS OF MOSES.--Ex. 17:11.]