Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent
2and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council.
3They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?"
- P144
4When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.
5Then he said to Korah and all his followers: "In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him. - P144
10He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too.
11It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?" - P145
The leaders God calls and appoints are essential for the fulfillment of His will. Unlike worldly leaders, who battle one another for position and power, God chooses and places whom He wills. Those He calls to positions of leadership in the church He also equips. - P146
By accusing Moses and Aaron of setting themselves above others, Korah reveals not only his ignorance of the sovereign call of God but his own lust for a position for which God has neither called nor equipped him. - P146
Conflicts with leadership are not uncommon, even in the church. However, instead of the example of Korah, we would be wise to follow that of David, who refused to usurp King Saul’s throne and instead entrusted his case to God’s justice. - P146
How we respond to those who question our calling as God’s servants reflects our spiritual maturity. - P146
Moses responds to the challenge of Korah in humility and prayer. He is willing to stand with Korah before the Lord, allowing God to validate the one He chose as Israel’s leader. He rebukes Korah and the Levites who follow him, reminding them that their calling and service among the people is no small thing. - P146
Moses provides us with a great example of godly leadership. He is not afraid to present himself before the Lord to be tested and affirmed as Israel’s leader. - P146
Neither is he afraid to rebuke Korah and remind him that his own calling is itself vital to the congregation of Israel. - P146
Lord God, enable me to recognize and rejoice in my calling and place in the body of Christ. Not only that, but may I support and encourage others in the ministries that You have appointed for them. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P146
Moses tells Korah that he and his followers are to appear before the Lord withcensers and incense. God warns of the judgment to fall on the rebels andtells the people to move away from them. The earth swallows Korah and hisfollowers and fire consumes those who are offering incense. - P149
Proverbs 16:18 warns us that pride goes before destruction and a haughtyspirit before a fall. Being prideful is the opposite of what the Lord calls us to, which is having a heart of humility and an attitude of servanthood. Whenwe are prideful, we think of ourselves as better than others and put the em-phasis on our own importance. God‘s Word commands the exact opposite: - P153
"Therefore, as God‘s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselveswith compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Col. 3:12). In today‘s passage, we see that the Lord dealt severely with those who wentagainst Moses‘s leadership which God appointed. Those who rebelled didso out of selfish ambition, filled with pride and arrogance. Their fate is apoignant warning that God will swiftly deal with those who try to opposeHis will with justice and righteous vengeance. - P153
I am embarrassed to admit that there have been several times in my lifewhen I have acted out of selfish ambition instead of following God‘s leading. This was usually because I foolishly thought that I knew best andcould handle the situation myself. These false beliefs, of course, always ledto failure and defeat. - P153
Our selfish pride will never lead to God‘s blessings, only to our own destruction. James 4:10 reminds us that when we humbleourselves before the Lord, He lifts us up. - P153
"Humility is the fear of the LORD;its wages are riches and honor and life" (Prov. 22:4). - P153
|