Let’s keep encouraging one another with your insights.
Numbers chapter 16.
Over 250 men came against Moses and Aaron. They were God's servants and leaders and they became arrogant and felt that they were just as holy, if not more holy, than Moses and Aaron. They attacked them with words. Moses said let us go before the Lord and let him decide who is Holy. God was angry with the 250 men because their arrogance caused them to look down on God's people. And they hungered for more power versus being content with what God gave them. As a result God destroyed the prideful men and their families and belongings.
Arrogance or pride is a killer of one's soul. Arrogant people desire power and attention. They see themselves as better than others. And in their arrogance they end up justifying their evil heart toward others. Arrogance looks down on others and mistreats them versus loving them. The Israelites, in their arrogance, attacked God's humble and chosen leaders. Which resulted in God protecting his chosen ones. People and kids today are bullied because bullies look down on them. Wherever you go, weather at school or at work, there are always those certain ones who want to be popular, or have power over others and as a result mistreat certain individuals and think nothing of it. As long as they have support for their arrogant behavior they feel justify, as if it's okay. People are hurt, rejected, ridiculed, made fun of, ignored all under the name of “I am better than you are!”
Just as God rescued Moses and Aaron so he will rescue his humble servants who are being bullied. He will rescue those who are looked down upon. He will exalt the humble and he will humble the proud and arrogant.
Which one are we? When we look at others, are we looking up at them with a desire to love and encourage and honor? Or do we look down upon them and act as if we are better than they are? Let us examine our own heart and then ask God to help us love others as if they are better than we are (Romans 12:10) versus looking down on them and mistreating, rejecting or ignoring them.
I like that thought, PB – I just finished that prayer, asking God to search my heart. Today’s reading is full of lessons, including another on envy and not being satisfied with where we are or what we have.
As the son of Izhar, Korah and Moses would be cousins. His line from Korath had been given responsibility for carrying the holy objects from the wilderness tabernacle while traveling. That’s quite an honor in itself. When we take our eyes off God and start looking to ourselves, we lose perspective like Korah and friends – Egypt begins to look good (forgetting that they were beaten and kept as slaves).
Moses spoke with Korah after he first fell on his face before the Lord. A pastor once said that we will recognize Moses in heaven because he’ll be the one with a flat nose. I love that. When was the last time, I was on my knees – let alone flat on my face – before my Lord? Moses and Aaron show us the power of intercessory prayer.
God is on the throne and in control. God in His sovereignty allowed the very situation that we find ourselves in. He uses people and situations in our lives to allow us to experience these things personally. May we learn from the example of Korah and may we walk humbly.
We read in chapter 16 that Korah, Dathan and Abiram along with 250 chiefs rose up against Moses. First of all, I want to point out that it would be dangerous to ever just blindly follow a human leader because there are times that you may need to raise questions and take a stand if there is reason to believe that they are not leading according to God’s Word. There are numerous cults with leaders who have led many people down the wrong path. Matthew 7:15-20 warns us to “beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
With that being said, I don’t see this as being the case with Moses. Moses was clearly chosen by God to lead His people, but Moses was now being accused of making himself a prince over the people. I think that by rejecting Moses, they were actually rejecting God. They had become arrogant. Proverbs 16:5 tells us that everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.
May God help us not to ever become arrogant like these people had, but instead be more like Jesus. He is our perfect example in all ways including humility. I compared what we read in Numbers 16 with what is written in Philippians 2 and I want to close with a couple of passages from there.
Philippians 2:3-8. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:14-15 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.
First off Jim and Jeanine ….wow
Ok as I was reading this and I though about Korah and his buddies getting all prideful and wanting more power , and how Moses said we will let God handle it….which he did….severely….but how about the next day ….they are still mad, this time they blame Moses for killing Gods holy people so…..God once again crushes them
Hello ???? am I missing something????
You saw it once, right before your eyes and ran for your lives, but the next day still grumble.
the LORD is in control, not just in this situation, but my life too.
JESUS help me be less prideful today
Oh Jim, I love that Philippians verse. Do ALL things without grumbling or disputing….. could you imagine the world we would live in if all people did everything without grumbling or disputing? So much more peace and positivity would be present in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
From what I can interpret from this chapter is that Korah may have been one of the lead influencers to turn so many away from Moses and essentially from God. How easily in the world people can be swayed to believe a charismatic, passionate speaker. We all must be careful that in difficult times we don’t turn away from God, towards a worldly desire or view and feel justified in that decision. If those who were struggling focused on what they HAD going towards the promise land ESP compared to what happened to them in Egypt vs not having the land of milk and honey JUST YET, they wouldn’t have all parished!