The Generation that left Egypt and received the Torah was unlike any other generation in history; there was nothing mundane about them. They ate heavenly bread, drank miraculous water which had supernatural qualities to it, owned only the clothes they wore and the shoes on their feet, and every movement they made was carefully weighed. So elevated was their spiritual stature that they were no longer suited for physical pursuits such as plowing and sowing. They were virtually 'mamleches cohanim', a nation of priests whose whole existence was infused with service of the Almighty. It should not surprise us therefore that they all expected to be ordained as priests, especially the leaders among them, who had elevated themselves to spiritual heights even above their lofty generation.
However, the ability to elevate oneself above the level of service in Malchus does not make one a cohen. Only the ability to draw down the influence of Binah makes him eligible for priesthood, for cohanim are not just servants of G-d, they are also the servants of the Holy People. Theirs is the duty of bringing the nation (Malchus) to cleave to Infinity through the medium of understanding (Binah), and as such are deserving of the twenty-four offerings of which they partake: Being the ones who generate heavenly goodwill from Bina, the divine maternal Attribute, it is therefore befitting that their brothers share that bounty with them. It is thus also not coincidental that the Earth itself, the Attribute of Malchus that exemplifies reciprocity and which Korach underestimated, was the one to swallow him up finally.
Based on Rabbi Vali's book on Vayikra. Questions and subscriptions can be mailed to: the Yeshiva