holy than the other Levites. And God had commanded that no one else should offer sacrifices or burn incense before Him. So Korah and his company rebelled against God, when they said that they had a right to offer incense as well as Aaron and his sons, for Aaron had not made himself to be God's priest.

Then Moses spake to Korah, and to all his company, and said that God would show whom He would choose to be His priests. So he told them to take censers and put fire therein, and put incense in them before the Lord on the morrow and he said, "The man whom the Lord doth choose, he shall be holy. Ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi."

And on the morrow, Korah, and the two hundred and fifty men of the tribe of Levi who were with him, took every man his censer and put fire in it, and laid incense on the fire, and stood before the door of the tabernacle with Moses and Aaron.

Then the Lord commanded Moses to speak to the people, that they should not go near the tents g

of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. So Moses told the people to go away from these men, that they might not be consumed with them. Then all the people rose up and went away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood in the doors of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children with them.

Then Moses said to all the people, "Hereby shall ye know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of my own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me. But if the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that belongs to them, then shall ye understand that these men have provoked the Lord."

As soon as Moses had spoken these words, the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and Abiram, and their tents, and all that belonged to them. They went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them.

And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who offered incense.

Then God commanded Moses to tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to take the brass censers of the two hundred and fifty men who had sinned in offering incense, and make them into broad plates for a covering for the altar, that they might be a sign unto the children of Israel.

So Eleazar the priest took the censers with which the men who were burnt had offered incense, and made them into brass plates to cover the altar, that they might be a memorial to the children of Israel, that no one who was not of the seed of Aaron should offer incense before the Lord, lest he should be as Korah and his company.

Numbers xvi.

A memorial is a thing which may remind us of what has happened in time past, or make us think of things which we do not

see.

A censer is a vessel made of gold or brass in which incense was burnt.

Chapter LXVI.

THE TRANSGRESSION OF MOSES AND AARON.

WHEN the children of Israel had wandered in the wilderness about thirty-nine years, and nearly all those men had died who had rebelled against God at Kadesh-barnea, the Lord commanded Moses to lead the people again towards the land of Canaan.

Then the children of Israel journeyed from mount Seir, where they had dwelt for some time, towards the promised land. And in the first month of the fortieth year, they came to a place called Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin. This Kadesh was a long distance from Kadesh-barnea, on the borders of the land of Canaan, where they had been thirty-eight years before.

When they had come to Kadesh, there was no water there. Then the people gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron, and

said, "Why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? And wherefore have ye made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us unto this evil place?"

Then Moses and Aaron went from the people to the door of the tabernacle of God, and they fell on their faces; and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them. And the Lord spake to Moses, saying, "Take the rod, and gather the people together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth its water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water from the rock."

Then Moses took the rod as the Lord commanded him; and Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock. Then Moses said to the people, "Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of the rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also."