Year of the Bible: Part Three of Twelve Exemplo

Rebellion in the Camp.

When things are going well, people rarely question leadership or worry about who is in charge. When things are going poorly, all sorts of crazy can break out. Infighting, blame-shifting, gossip, and power-grabbing all come to the surface as leaders attempt to calm the criticisms while those following assert that they are more qualified to lead and would do it "so much better" than the current leadership.

Moses and Aaron faced a challenge like this in the desert when Korah raised a group of well-known people from the whole population to try and take away Moses and Aaron's authority and role of leadership. Korah said to Moses and Aaron, Why do you exalt yourself over us? We are all holy [set apart for God], so what makes you think you are our leader?

Moses' response is epic! When he heard these accusations, he fell on his face before Korah and his men and declared, "In the morning, the Lord will show who is His."

Korah's mistake was to assume that Moses' authority in leadership was something created by men, forgetting that God appoints leaders and God created authority in the first place. When God establishes a person in a role, who are mere humans to try and change that around?

Korah assumed Moses was leading for selfish gain, so he could have all the power and keep it to himself. He didn't know the tremendous cost associated with the responsibility Moses carried.

On the other hand, Moses understood that his authority was for serving, not using others. He obediently followed God, carrying out His purposes, not trying to establish a legacy for himself. And this humble posture before God is on display when Korah confronts him. Instead of defending his position by throwing a title at Korah, Moses surrendered to God again and looked to God as his defense.

It's easy to judge another when you observe their life and actions from the outside, and you are under no pressure to deliver, perform, create or solve big problems. But we must take care, lest we critique someone simply doing their best to follow God and lift His name.

Question: What are the circumstances in which you quickly and almost ruthlessly critique others?

Prayer Focus: Jesus teaches us that we should look to extend mercy toward others, taking care not to judge them, lest we be judged in return. In what areas do you need mercy? Where do you need to extend mercy to others? Start now by praying for those you usually judge. Pray for them now, in the same way that you would want someone to pray for you.

Go Deeper: On an interesting note, we see that Korah's sons did not participate in his rebellion and went on to serve in the temple as singers and writers of songs. Some of their songs are recorded in the book of Psalms. Children do not have to follow in their parents' footsteps, nor do they need to repeat the evil as they did.

See You Next Month: Part four of twelve starts on the 1st. We hope to see you there, don't forget to start the plan and create your daily reminder.