What a sad chapter...the contamination of criticism and complaint spreads rapidly and reaches everywhere. There is so much more than I can even begin to comment on. The past few chapters have included reports of negativity from the people, the leader and the leader's family. Today we see the infection spread into the servants of God--the Levites. Weariness, jealousy, fear and frustration infiltrated hearts and faith faltered. Chapter 16 gives us the story of Korah, evidently a man of position and persuasive ability. He was a Levite who motivated a rebellion of 250 other Levites with accusations against Moses, God's chosen leader, and Aaron, God's chosen High Priest.
Unfair accusations are far more common than we tend to think; our natural reaction to unfair events is to jump to our defense. Moses, though, shows the proper perspective...he doesn't take the accusations personally, he turns it over to God. Korah continues his attack on Moses laying the blame on him for the failure of the people to enter the Promised Land. Moses simply reminds Korah and the Levites that God has made assignments and established boundaries; he tells them to appear before Jehovah. We must never forget it is a fearful thing to bring our case before the LORD. When God judges their rebellion, the people again bring unfair accusations against Moses and Aaron. And again they appeal to the Lord for the lives of those who have spitefully used him.
God gave Moses the instructions to give the people--admonishing them to separate themselves from the sin of the rebellious ones. That is message we still must heed. And we are to pray for those afflicted by the plague of sin and be sure we keep Aaron's rod in view--keep gazing upon the life Christ gives--lest we fall to complaining. It is an easy sin to get tangled in; and it is still a deadly one. Let us pray for one another!
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