God is good...
...all of the time.
Even when your car breaks down on a cold morning. Even when someone rips off your skateboard. Even when someone cuts in front of you in line and grabs the last voucher for that coveted toy. Even when someone bumps into you on the way to class, knocking your headphones out of your ears and spilling your coffee. Even when someone steals the emblem off your car's wheels. And even when God opens up the earth and swallows up some proud Levites who oppose His prophet Moses.
There is a terrible story in Numbers 16, where Korah stirs up 250 men to oppose Moses and his "special access" to God's presence. They wanted a piece of the priestly action, too. Moses calls a litmus test of sorts, where God will show up and prove who His true "come near" priests are. When they all showed up, God got angry.
"Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once."
Moses and Aaron fell face down. "O God, God of the spirits of all mankind, will You be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?"
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Say to the assembly, 'Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.'"
The earth opened up and swallowed these men and their wives, children, and little ones and all that they owned. People freaked out.
"The earth is going to swallow us, too!"
Fire then came out of heaven and consumed the 250 other Levite men who had stood with Korah to oppose Moses. The next day, however, instead of being broken and repentent before God, the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
"You have killed the Lord's people."
When the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron, a cloud covered them and that familiar message was heard:
"Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once."
Moses had Aaron take his censer with incense and atone for the people in order to save them from God's wrath, for the plague had started. Aaron ran into the midst of the people. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. 14,700 people were dead.
Isn't it amazing that the priestly duty of intercession saved the community from death? That is one serious priestly duty/responsibility/honor/gift.
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at December 13, 2004 07:44 AM