Reading: Numbers 16-18
And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children
of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly,
famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered
themselves together against Moses and against Aaron,
and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all
the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord
is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above
the congregation of the Lord(Num. 16:2-3)?
Much had changed for the Israelites in a very short period. No
longer were they pilgrims with a purpose, heirs to the Covenant
of Abraham. In a blink, all of that had been stripped away. They
were now homeless nomads subject to wander in the wilderness
until claimed by death, mere placeholders for the inheritance of
their children. Yet, although they may have felt like it at times, they
were not alone. God was with them in their exile (Deut. 29:5-6).
As God’s chosen representative, Moses continued to lead his
people to the best of his abilities, his unwavering faith allowing
him to press onward with equanimity and humble acceptance in
the face of bitter disappointment. His path may have changed,
but his responsibilities to God had not. Not all of his followers could understand the quiet authority
of Moses, and there were those who felt his leadership was an
affront to the community as a whole. Three men in particular,
Korah (Moses’ cousin) and Dathan and Abiram (of the tribe of
Ruben) looked upon Moses with jealousy and contempt. After
surrounding themselves with like-minded men, they contemptuously
confronted their leader. Ye take too much upon you,
seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them,
and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up
yourselves above the congregation of the Lord. If we could travel back in time and ask Korah if he had a
problem with God’s leadership, we would most likely receive a
resounding “No, of course not” in response. Korah and his followers
firmly believed that all they were doing was opposing the
authority of Moses and Aaron; they never once stopped to think
that they might also be in rebellion against God. Yet by rejecting
their God-appointed leader, they were also rejecting God. As Korah and his followers stood before Moses and made
their foolish demands, they revealed to all within hearing their
total lack of understanding of God. They were not answering His
call; instead, they were demanding that He grant them power
as they felt befitted their station in life. Addressing Moses, they
challenged God to give them exactly what they deserved, and
He certainly did (Num. 16:27-32)! How many of us today have been guilty of this same sin?
How often have we believed ourselves to be under-appreciated
or under-valued? We believe we deserve more – more respect,
more recognition, more power, more prestige. We resent those
whom God has placed in authority over us, choosing to believe
that we could do a much better job if only we were given the
chance. The more we focus on ourselves, the more our discontent
grows until, at last, we stand in open rebellion, too frustrated and
angry to realize that it is God whom we are rebelling against. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For
there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained
of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power,
resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall
receive to themselves damnation(Rom. 13:1-2). Thought For Today:Often, our efforts will not be appreciated
or recognized by those around us, but nothing escapes
God’s notice. Christ Revealed:By Aaron and his sons who were responsible for making
proper atonement for all of the sins of Israel (Num. 18:1). Jesus gave
Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity (lawlessness)
(Titus 2:14). Word Studies:16:6 censers = incense burners; 16:7 holy = set apart, dedicated
to God; 16:29 visited = natural deaths; 16:31 clave asunder = split apart;
16:46 plague = fatal sickness; 16:48 stayed = stopped; 17:10 testimony =
Ark of the Covenant; take away = put an end to; 18:1 bear the iniquity of =
answerable for the sins against. Pray For Staff:Ryan McCrary • Government Official: Sen. Mitch Mc-Connell, Jr. (KY) • Country: Singapore (5,567301) Southeast Asia • Major
Languages: Chinese, English, Malay • Restricted Religious Freedom • 33.9%
Buddhism; 14.3% Muslim; 11.3% Taoism, 7.1% Catholic; 5.2% Hindu; 11%
Other Christian; 0.8% Other; 16.4% None • Prayer Suggestion: Seek the
Lord's forgiveness with a repentant heart, knowing that God will graciously
receive you (Hos. 14:1-2). Optional ReadingLuke 7