Thurs Devo: Never Enough

Have you ever been around someone who seems to complain about everything? Their job isn’t good enough, they often need more money, their relationships aren’t working out as they wished, their children regularly frustrate them, they want a nicer car or a bigger house and the list goes on. They would be happy if they could just… What are they really saying?

When Korah opposed Moses, Moses pointed out exactly who Korah was really opposing.

Numbers 16:8-11        ⁸ Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you Levites! ⁹ Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them? ¹⁰ He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. ¹¹ It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?”

Moses pointed out that Korah and his followers were really opposing God, not Moses and Aaron. As we talked about a few weeks ago, Moses and Aaron had not chosen their position for themselves. God had appointed them as the leader and priest of Israel. 

Moses also pointed out all Korah’s and his fellow Levites’ privileges. Korah wasn’t satisfied with his privileged position as a Levite and community leader. He wanted to be priest.

Are you and I like Korah? With what are we not satisfied? Do we have the “never enough” attitude? Or, do we look at what we do have as privileges?

Do others have to point out our privileges to us, like Moses did to Korah? Or, do we regularly think about and list out all the privileges God has blessed us with?

God is Sovereign over each life. He has given each one enough unique blessings and privileges.

Alice

Thurs Devo: Response to Opposition

Being involved in church work can be messy. I can think of two different instances when I felt attacked by someone at church after doing what I thought was the right thing. One time was when I represented the pastor search committee and announced to the congregation that we were rescinding our nomination of a potential pastor. One person in our congregation immediately stood up and made some angry and critical remarks in front of the whole church because he had liked the guy. I tried to be diplomatic without giving all the details (since we discovered some apparent character flaws while checking references). Of course, inside, I wanted to defend myself and the rest of the committee and share all the dirty details.  

This was a very tiny attack compared to what Moses and Aaron experienced in our reading last week. Plus, this wasn’t the only time Moses had been opposed for doing what God had commanded him to do. Pharaoh, the Israelite elders, his own siblings, and the Israelite people (many times) had all opposed him. In fact, the time before this, the whole assembly talked about stoning Moses, Aaron, Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 14:10)!

So, how does Moses respond?

Numbers 16:4-7          ⁴ When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. ⁵ Then 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. ⁶ You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers ⁷ and tomorrow put burning coals and incense in them before the Lord. The man the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far!”           

Moses responds with humility. He doesn’t lash back with a list of all their failures. He doesn’t defend himself or try to explain his position. In fact, he puts the responsibility on God, where it belongs. God called him to this job and upheld him time and time again in the past. So, Moses could confidently trust that He would do the same again.

How do you and I respond when we are attacked?

Do we attack back? Do we make excuses?

Do we try and explain our position? Do we give up or run away?

Or, do we humbly go to God first before responding to ask Him exactly how He wants us to respond?

If we are doing what God has asked us to do, then we can leave it to God to defend our actions and position.

Alice

Thurs Devo: Opposition Continues

Not only did Miriam and Aaron oppose Moses, as we saw the last few weeks, but later a fellow Levite led a large opposition.

Numbers 16:1-3 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 ² and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. ³ They 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?”

Had Moses chosen to be their leader? Had he set himself up above them? No. In fact, when God chose Moses for this task, Moses refused (Exodus 4:13 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”). God didn’t take no for an answer, but He did give Aaron as Moses’ assistant (see Exodus 4:14-16). So, Moses and Aaron had neither chosen nor earned this huge responsibility.  

Besides, was the whole community really holy? Not at all. Throughout Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers they sinned over and over again. God was with them, but it wasn’t because of their own holiness or the holiness of Moses and Aaron. It was because God made a covenant with their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and He would keep His promise. 

From Numbers 16:8-14 it appears Korah and his followers were discontent with their own privileged position and wanted to take over Moses and Aaron’s positions to get what they wanted.

You and I may not have led a rebellion against authority, but I’m guessing we have all criticized or complained against authority. The next time you and I want to complain about someone else in authority, let’s ask ourselves why we want to complain? Is it because we want their position and think we could do a better job? Or are we upset because we aren’t getting what we want when we want it? Or, is it a legitimate concern over injustice?  

In the future, we’ll see some interesting ways Moses and God respond to this opposition! Stay tuned…

Alice