Dathan and Abiram, didn’t you know? Being wrapped up in yourself makes a very small package. As Numbers 16 continues, Moses clarifies the issue. These rebels weren’t fighting against Moses! “You and all your company are gathered together against the Lord” (Num 16:11). He then called to meet with “Dathan and Abiram” (v 12) but […]
Read More… from September 9, 2022 — It’s All Your Fault, Moses!
Moses won’t argue for his God-given position, but he will give the rebels something to think about. So Korah and his complaining crowd had thrown down the gauntlet. Who do you think you are, Moses? they said in derision. “Why…do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” (Num 16:3). And Moses, the man […]
The situation described here is as current as issues faced in the church today, and just as volatile! Numbers 16 gives the story of a rebellion led by Korah. The malcontents had found a leader in this Levite. A grandson of Kohath, he therefore was a steward of the coverings (Num 4:4-15), responsible for guarding […]
Read More… from September 7, 2022 — Is It “Exalt Yourselves” Or “Humble Yourselves”?
God’s instruction makes good fashion sense. Heavenly blue is a great addition to any outfit. Between the execution of the sabbath-breaker (Num 15:32-36) and the rebellion of Korah (ch 16), we get a breather. Isn’t it great when you have the chance, in the midst of a busy day, to look up into the blue […]
From Numbers 14:26 through chapter 19, we have a historical hiatus. Just three events are noted. Between Israel’s sad failure at Kadesh and when the new generation appeared back at the same place 38 years later (Num 20:1), only three incidents are recorded. There is the stoning of a sabbath-breaker (15:32-36), the rebellion of Korah […]
Read More… from September 5, 2022 — The Presumptuous Rest-Breaker
God isn’t easily discouraged, is He? If He were, He wouldn’t have taken me on as a project! Anyone reading through the five books of Moses will turn to Numbers 15 and think, “Here we go again!” From verses 1-31, we again read directions for the different offerings the Israelites should bring to the Lord […]
Positive thinking is only slightly better than negative thinking if we still leave the Lord out of it. In spite of Caleb’s equation for success (the people + God = victory), the first battle for Canaan had been lost. Israel had been defeated—without the enemy lifting a sword. How? It happened between their ears, on […]
Read More… from September 1, 2022 — Two Little Equations: One Big Difference
You can hardly be closer to the heart of Christ than when you plead God’s mercy for someone else. We can’t rush past the intercessory prayer of Moses (Num 14:13-19)! The man of God speaks so kindly of the Israelites because they have been such supportive friends to him during the journey from Egypt, correct? […]
Read More… from August 31, 2022 — The Beautiful Art Of Advocacy
Sometimes a project doesn’t work. It would be easier to scrap it and start something different. In Numbers 14, the Lord plaintively asks, “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me…?” (Num 14:11). Israel had more than enough evidence that God could be trusted. Deliverance from Egypt. The […]
Read More… from August 30, 2022 — The Second Offer For A Fresh Start