Slices
Prepare
Do you know the feeling when you take something too far? When you cross the line? Do you ever feel that way about complaints in your church family about your church leader(s)?
Bible passage
Korah, Dathan and Abiram
16 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?’
4 When Moses heard this, he fell face down. 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 make 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!’
Numbers 16:31-35
31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. 34 At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, ‘The earth is going to swallow us too!’
35 And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.
Numbers 16:46-50
46 Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord; the plague has started.’ 47 So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. 48 He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. 49 But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. 50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.
Explore
Like a leaking sewer, the stench of sin spreads far and wide. The pride of a handful (v 1) spread to 250 more (v 2) and then the ‘whole community’ (v 41). This happened 3,500 years ago but people don’t change: how have you seen this play out in your circles, even in your church?
Korah and the others were thinking on a human level. He was a Levite, and they had special responsibilities (v 9) but they weren’t in charge. In fact, neither were priests – God was, and is – but Korah was fixated on human status and power. He compared himself to Aaron instead of focusing on being faithful to his own role serving God’s people. That is what God cares about: the role doesn’t matter, our faithfulness to his call does.
In his pride, Korah crossed the line and took others with him. The consequences were serious and terrifying (vs 31–34). Yet Aaron saved many, standing between the living and the dead (vs 47,48): exactly as our priest Jesus does for us when our pride makes us cross the line.
Respond
Pray for those who lead you in your church family, in whatever sense – be imaginative in seeing how different people lead you! Then ask God to help you listen and be faithful as the person he’s called you to be.
Deeper Bible study
Give thanks (or pray) for godly leadership in your church.
There are three attacks on the leadership of Moses and Aaron: Korah and other Levites; Dathan, Abiram and other Reubenites; and the whole congregation of Israel. For Korah and the Reubenites, the issue seems to be their jealousy that they haven’t been given the positions of leadership that they thought they were entitled to. Some of their anger may be a reaction to the regulations and remedies for sin in the previous chapter. They complain that Moses and Aaron have gone too far and that their special roles are a denial of the priesthood of the whole community that they had received at Sinai.1 In so doing, they are not understanding the nature of leadership in Israel.
The source of all authority and leadership was the Lord himself. Moses and Aaron are servants of God and, as such, not only convey his word to the people but also exercise a servant leadership for the nation. Moses has already been noted as a humble man2 and here he denies any self-seeking in becoming leader. He presents a pattern and example for all Christian leaders. When anyone puts forward his own prestige or lords it over a congregation, he has forgotten whose servant he is. Moses under attack does not mount a personal defence to his opponents but asks God to vindicate him.
God’s judgement is swift on Korah, Dathan and Abiram, as the earth swallows them up. We see Moses and Aaron separated, exercising their role as mediators and intercessors for the nation as they plead for the whole of Israel not to be destroyed. When plague comes as the whole people attack them, it is Moses and Aaron who stand as a protection between the living and the dead. They never cease to be shepherds of God’s people.
Pray for Christian leaders, that they may display the same servant heart as Moses and Aaron.
1 Exod 19:5,6 2 Num 12:3
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Exodus 27,28; Matthew 28
Pray for Scripture Union
The Pimlico Foundation, an SU Local Mission Partner, aims to support and empower young people through clubs, mentoring, and a range of sports activities. Pray for good working relationships with schools, churches, police and the council.
