Reading
- Num. 16:1-18:32
Devotional
After GOD punished Israel for their lack of faith that GOD would give them the victory over the inhabitants of Canaan, a Levite named Korah gathered 250 well-known Israelite leaders and they accused Moses and Aaron of elevating themselves above the rest of the people. When Moses heard this he fell on his face. They accused Moses of not leading them to a "land flowing with milk and honey" nor giving them a land as an inheritance.
Moses proposed a test, and the next day the glory of GOD appeared at the tabernacle and GOD opened the ground and swallowed Korah and those around him. Then GOD sent fire and consumed the 250 men who were with Korah and were burning incense before GOD.
Let’s consider a few lessons we can learn from these events.
- Righteous people like Moses do not seek their own glory, but GOD’s glory. Moses was not motivated by a desire to have everyone look up to him. Instead he was simply obeying GOD. That’s why when he heard Korah’s accusation he fell on his face. The Bible says Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth (Num. 12:3).
- When GOD punishes us we must accept the punishment and learn the intended lesson. Korah’s group was angry because Moses hadn’t led them into Canaan and they hadn’t received their land which Moses had promised. Yet it seems that they forgot that Moses wasn’t the one who promised those things, it was GOD! And GOD is the one who punished them for disobeying. As the writer of the book of Hebrews says:
And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.”
If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
(Heb. 12:5-11 NKJV)
- We must pay attention to know GOD’s will. During Moses’ days GOD showed His approval and disapproval by signs and miracles and plagues. Those men’s ability to perform those miracles proved that GOD was with them. Today, we have the completely revealed Word of GOD. We can know exactly what GOD thinks by reading our Bible.
- Rebelling against GOD’s chosen leaders is not a good idea. For Korah it resulted in death.
