– Guard Our Hearts!
BRD REFLECTIONS:
Numbers 16, 17 and Psalm 106:1-23 (NIV)
(Ian Chng, Zone Leader, Small Group Ministry, Zone 9)
READ:
Numbers 16 & 17 (NLT)
OBSERVE:
As I read Numbers 16 & 17, I realized that discontentment, pride, greed, arrogance and complaining have been imbedded in humanity since the beginning of time as a result of the fallen nature of man.
Korah, a descendant of Levi wanted status and power and incited three Reubenites – Dathan, Abiram, On and 250 prominent community leaders to challenge the leadership of Moses and the priesthood of Aaron. They were very insolent.
The Israelites had very short memories. They had forgotten that Moses was chosen by God to lead them out of slavery from Egypt; Aaron & his sons were appointed by God to be the priests ministering in the Tabernacle.
Their rebellion against God’s chosen & anointed ones was ultimately rebellion against God and had dire consequences.
The earth opened up and swallowed Korah, Dathan, Abiram, their households and all those with them. They went down alive. The 250 community leaders were consumed by fire from the Lord. What terrible deaths!
Though the people witnessed the judgement of God against the rebels, yet on the next day they accused Moses of killing the Lord’s people. The consequence? God sent a plague that killed another 14,700.
To stop the Israelites from murmuring and complaining further, the Lord told Moses to collect one rod of dry wood from each tribe with the name of its leader written on it and placed them inside the Tabernacle in front of the Ark containing the tablets of the Covenant. The rod of the man whom God chose would bloom. The next day, Aaron’s rod sprouted with buds, blossoms and ripe almonds. This was a sign from God that Aaron was indeed His chosen priest. Aaron’s rod was placed in the Tabernacle of the Covenant as a reminder to the rebellious people to stop their grumbling against God, or they would incur His wrath and die.
APPLY:
These passages are good reminders about the importance of checking my heart, to renounce pride, and selfish ambition. For the Lord opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6)
I must pray like King David in Psalm 131:1, not to concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. Not to envy the leaders chosen by God for “prominent” roles in church. I know their roles are not easy as I have experienced myself in the early years of my service in church.
I must focus on what God wants and not what I desire in my service to the Lord in the different seasons of my life. I am to accept whatever role the Lord has allotted to me as in the Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition “…Let me employed for thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee…”.
DO:
I must give due respect to leaders chosen by God & submit to their spiritual authority.
I will keep leaders in prayer as dark spiritual forces are constantly working against them in their service to the Lord.
PRAY:
Dear Lord, may your Word guard my heart and transform my mind in my interactions with your anointed servants.
Thank you for using us in different capacities in different seasons of our lives to bring honour and glory to your name.
Bless your servants O Lord; honour & protect those who trust in your name and prosper the work of their hands, I pray. In Jesus’ name! Amen.
