March 4th

Numbers 16:1-18:32

Great drama unfolded as Korah and his sidekicks, Dathan and Abiram, staged a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. They were joined by 250 prominent leaders from among the people of Israel. Their quarrel is described in the words of Korah, “You (Moses and Aaron) have gone too far! Everyone in Israel has been set apart by the Lord, and He is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than anyone else among all of these people?” (16:3).

In essence, they were jealous of Moses and Aaron, thinking that they, out of arrogance, had chosen themselves to lead the people. Korah failed to recognize that it was God who had set Moses and Aaron in their positions of leadership. We’ve already read that Moses was a humble man, so this accusation surely broke his heart. In fact, “Moses fell on his face” when he heard Korah’s words.

After he gathered himself, Moses cut to the quick and charged Korah and the gang with jealousy, pride, and discontentment. “Does it seem a small thing to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the people of Israel, to be near Him as you serve in the Tabernacle and stand before the people to minister to them? He has given this special ministry to you and your fellow Levites, but now you are demanding the priesthood as well!” (16:9, 10).

Moses was angry and so was the Lord. What followed was a series of incredible events, judgments which God handed down in the sight of all the people. The tents, belongings, and families of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were consumed by the earth, and the 250 insubordinate leaders were consumed by fire before the Tabernacle.

As if that weren’t enough to convince the people not to rebel against the Lord or His chosen leaders, He consumed nearly 15,000 of them with a plague before Aaron could intercede for them. The point could not be more clear — God has assigned us to our lot in life and to the place of service that He desires. It is not for us to be ungrateful, discontent, or jealous, or to compare ourselves to what others have or do. We are to rest in God’s wisdom and serve Him to the best of our ability. Jealousy and discontentment only lead us to a dead end.

Daily Reflection

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, life is not fair. We are not all healthy. We do not all have a big house, nice cars, and lots of money. You will always find people with more than you have; but, you will also find people with less than you have. Likewise, you will always find people in better circumstances, with better looks, and more attractive skills and talents; but, guess what, someone is looking at you, thinking the same thing. You are better off than they are.

The unfairness of life is a fact, but so is this — God is sovereign and purposeful. He has given you what you need, He has stationed you where He desires, and He has allowed you to be in the situations you are for His purposes. He is not interested in fairness but faithfulness. Fairness is something that Satan wants you to dwell on. The Lord desires you to look up from your circumstances and keep your eyes on Him.

God knows best, and all He asks of you is to trust Him with your life. Focusing on those around you and how better off they are will only lead you to self centeredness and jealousy. Your identity is not to be found in what you have or what you do, rather your identity is in Christ. No matter the situation in which you find yourself, whether rich or poor, leader or follower, healthy or not, you can glorify Him. In that, we are all equals.

BiAY.org | Daily Reflections Day 63 — 302 Days to Go