Bible in a Year Feb 16: Numbers 15:22 – 16:50

 

Feb 16: Numbers 15:22 – 16:50

Well that was intense.

Korah was a Kohathite, one of the Levite clans that was responsible for physically carrying the most holy of items from the Tabernacle when it was time to move. I imagine they were seen as the group with the most important responsibility other than the priests. He and his Reubenite friends (the brothers Dathan and Abiram) apparently riled up a large group of leaders and attempted a coup. I presume they thought they could do a better job than Moses and Aaron.

God is still trying to convince the Israelites that he is the one true God and his ways are best. While this story seems incredibly harsh to us, it’s vital that those who have been set aside by covenant uphold their end and God must enforce the boundaries.  We don’t know how long it’s been since the Tabernacle was completed and God moved in amid the ceremony, but somewhere along the line a power struggle has ensued. These leaders were obviously working under their own desires and weren’t seeking God’s guidance.

It is important to remember that God himself institutes those who are in governing authority. That doesn’t mean leaders are godly by any means, but it does mean that we are to respect them and to seek God’s direction if we are feeling the need to confront them (see Rom 13:1).

I am so humbled and very grateful that Jesus has come to stand between us and God when we sin (as long as we are repentant). If justice were as swift and harsh as it was then I imagine few of us could survive. Passages like this bring me to my knees asking forgiveness for my attitudes and actions.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Numbers 17 – 20