Apr 1 - Being Equal and Teachable

Lessons in the Life of Moses: Being Equal and Teachable
By Jim Laffoon


Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites- Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent and rose up against Moses.  With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the counsel. 

They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far!  The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them.  Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord's assembly?”… Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. 

But they said, “We will not come!  Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert?  And now you also want to lord it over us?  Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards.”       Numbers 16:1-3; 12-14a

 
It was to be a defining moment in the ministry of Moses.  After all he had done for the people and the sacrifices he had made to lead them, a small group of his finest leaders had chosen to challenge his God-given authority. 

Angry over what they perceived as Moses' failure to lead them into the Promised Land, this group had decided he was now unworthy to lead them.  Blinded by their own sense of pseudo-spirituality, they also felt they had outgrown any need for human leadership in their lives. After all, hadn’t the Lord said the Hebrew children were called to be a holy nation of priests? Therefore, from now on these leaders would simply approach God themselves.

As Moses fell on his face in response to their accusations, God quickly rushed to his defense. 

The next day, when the rebellious leaders crowded around the Tent of Meeting and attempted to offer incense (as if they themselves were priests), every one of them was destroyed in an awesome display of God’s judgment.  Dathan and Abiram were swallowed alive, while the earth convulsed and the rest of the rebels were burned to death with fire from heaven.

What lessons can be learned from this horrific story of pride, rebellion, and catastrophic judgment? 

First, as in the days of Moses, the church is again being challenged by an unbiblical form of spiritual egalitarianism.  Although God sees all of His children as equal in His sight, this does not negate the reality that He has chosen certain people to shepherd and lead His flock. 

The fact that God uses humans to mentor and even lead His people is clearly supported by Scripture.  An example of this can be found in 1 Peter 5:2: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers…”

Second, even as this group of Hebrew leaders attempted to blame Moses for their own failure to enter the Promised Land, so I have seen many Christians today trying to do the same thing.  Whether it is the condition of their family or a problem with guidance, they always want to give someone else the responsibility for their failures. 

In my own experience, I have discovered that the same people who gripe the most, in their time of crisis, about the lack of pastoral care they have received, are normally the very people who despise authority and leadership the most. 

Do you see it yet?  No matter how spiritual you think you may be, or how close you have really become to God, you will never outgrow your need for the wise counsel and help of a mature Christian leader. 

Although we obviously will not be swallowed by the ground or burned by fire if we stubbornly reject the advice of the people whom God places in our lives, the consequences of ignoring sound advice and Biblical wisdom can be deeply painful. 

May God give you a new heart to respect and support your pastor and the other leaders He has placed in your life.

© Copyright 2005 by Jim Laffoon