INTERESTING FACTS : "I prefer to believe those writers who get their throats cut for what they write." Pascal, French philosopher and mathematician, developed the modern theory of probability, 1623-1662[1]

DAILY READING : [NUMBERS 16 - 17]

TEXT : Num 16:1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: Num 16:2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: Num 16:3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

THEME : GOD ORDAINED AUTHORITY

Not long after the rebellion of the congregation and the revolt of Moses own brother and sister comes the priests with the same defiance. It is amazing to watch human nature as unselfish devotion often goes unnoticed and unrewarded, while sinful and ambitious men gain ground and influence. We must remember that Moses did not want to lead Israel. He was convinced by God to take on the responsibility. Notice also, that the Levite elders make the same accusation against Moses that Miriam and Aaron made. "We are all God's anointed. You think you're someone special but you're not." This was the gist of their accusation. Yet, as mentioned before, Moses was special. In addition, all men and women are not equal when it comes to responsibility and offices in the Church. Who is to lead, and who is to follow, is in the Hands of God - not Man.

Yet, repeatedly Israel complains, murmurs, and resists Moses. This was hard for a man who was satisfied feeding the flocks of his father-in-law. As stated previously, real ministry in any age and any capacity is never easy. It is a task given by God to those He has called and ordained. Men do not call men to the ministry. God calls men to the ministry. Further, when they are called, they are often reluctant as we see with Moses, Jeremiah, and Jonah as examples. Other such as Elijah and Moses actually asked God to take their life, so heavy is the burden of truth when laid on the shoulders of mortal men.

Here, in chapter sixteen we see opposition from the Levites. In particular, they were the priests who were of good reputation among the people. This is a successful ploy of the Devil. That is, to choose to undermine the efforts of God's anointed leaders with those who themselves have a reputation for godliness or holiness. Yet, everything in life is not as it appears. Jesus often accused the Jewish leaders of seeming to be godly, when in truth they were thieves and extorted God's people with insincere prayers and religious rituals. Only God knows the heart. This is why Jeremiah had a difficult mission. He had to oppose the prophets who always said "good things" when those same statements did not proceed from the mouth of the Lord.

One of the most fascinating parts of this story is how the people blame Moses for the death of these men and their families. You can hold a minister responsible for many actions, but an earthquake is not one of them. It is astonishing to think of what men of God can be blamed for, when even a child can understand what is and is not in the power of man to do!

Still, the intense prejudice and dislike of Moses and to a lesser degree Aaron, had been building among the people. Any excuse to blame Moses would do - including a natural disaster that certainly falls under the category of "an act of God." In truth, it was an act of God, even as Moses had announced. However, in the end, the people again fear the judgment of God for their sin, and Aaron stands between them and God to stay the plague and save the remainder of Israel.

TRUTH FOR TODAY : SALVATION AND SERVICE ARE BOTH GIFTS FROM GOD!

We must keep in mind that salvation and service are both the prerogative of God. The Bible is clear that government - inside and outside the Church - are ordained of God. Both Testaments share this truth. Beware the man or woman who is ambitious of power or position. It is a good indication they are not called of God. In Churches where elections, decisions, finances, and other various Church related business is put in the hands of anyone and everyone considered a member of that local Church, there is no end of division, strife, opinion, and confusion. We recognize there are exceptions to this statement. Still, for the most part an unruly group of carnal people, the result of a mob mentality that says - "we are all in charge" - as we have seen in Numbers, when they rise up in direct contradiction to the commands of God, the troubles begin.

God alone saves and appoints His leaders. How interesting in the early Church was the Apostles decision in "electing" another Apostle to take Judas place. We read -

Act 1:23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. Act 1:24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, Act 1:25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. Act 1:26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Notice there is a choice of two men by the Apostles. There were qualifications for this choice. The next Apostle had to be one of the twelve and be with Jesus and the former twelve from the beginning. These men must have borne witness of Jesus teachings, deeds, and resurrection. Therefore, the choice of the two was not arbitrary. What is critical here is the mind of the Apostles who understand ONLY God knows the hearts of all men. Appearance and accomplishments do not count. The Apostles know this. Therefore, they ask God to show them who HE has chosen and they casts lots [dice]. The lot falls on Matthias and the matter is closed.

Please understand this took prayer and faith, both of which there is precious little of in the modern Church. Men are most often elected by appearances and accomplishments - this includes education as well. Yet, God alone saves and appoints His leaders. Each is a gift from God. Have no doubt about this - God is and always has been running His Church. His plan, His desired outcome, and His ordained methods will always triumph! Man may compliment himself with all sorts of philosophical speculation. Yet, in the end it is God who reigns - both now and forever!