If while Moses was trying the test before the congregation of Israel, those who had started the rebellion had repented and sought the forgiveness of God and of His injured servant, the vengeance of God would even then have been stayed. But there in their tents boldly stood Korah, the instigator of the rebellion, and his sympathizers, as if in defiance of God’s wrath, as though God had never wrought through His servant Moses. And much less did these rebellious ones act as though they had been so recently honored of God by being brought with Moses almost directly into His presence, and beholding His unsurpassed glory. These men saw Moses come down from the mount after he had received the second tables of stone and while his face was so resplendent with the glory of God that the people would not approach him, but fled from him. He called to them, but they seemed terrified. He presented the tables of stone and said: I pleaded in your behalf and have turned the wrath of God from you. I urged that, if God must forsake and destroy His congregation, my name might also be blotted from His book. Lo, He has answered me, and these tables of stone that I hold in my hand are the pledge given me of His reconciliation with His people. {3T 354.2}

Hvis Moses havde gennemført prøven for Israels forsamling, ville Guds hævn alligevel være over for dem, som havde startet oprøret og angret og søgt Guds tilgivelse og hans forudrettede tjeners tilgivelse. Men dér i deres telte stod Kora frækt, oprørets anstifter og hans sympatisører, stik imod Guds vrede, som om Gud aldrig havde arbejdet igennem sin tjener Moses. Og disse oprørske mennesker handlede som om de fornyelig var blevet æret af Gud ved hjælp af Moses og så hans uovertræffelige herlighed. Disse mænd så Moses, da han havde fået de andre stentavler og var kommet ned fra bjerget og hans ansigt var så strålende af Guds herlighed, at folket ikke ville komme hen til ham, men flygtede væk. Han kaldte på dem, men de synes forfærdede. Han overbragte stentavlerne og sagde: Jeg beder for jeres bedste og har vendt Guds vrede væk fra jer. Jeg bad om, hvis Gud ville forlade og ødelægge sin menighed, at mit navn også måtte slettes ud fra hans bog. Se, han svarede mig og disse stentavler som jeg holdt i mine hænder er den pant jeg har fået for hans forsoning med hans folk.