December 14th - Reflection

Reading
Numbers 16:1-19 (NRSV)
Korah's company rebels
Now Korah son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth - descendants of Reuben - took two hundred fifty Israelite men, leaders of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men, and they confronted Moses. They assembled against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, "You have gone too far! All the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and the Lord is among them. So why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?" When Moses heard it, he fell on his face. Then he said to Korah and all his company, "In the morning the Lord will make known who is his, and who is holy, and who will be allowed to approach him; the one whom he will choose he will allow to approach him. Do this: take censers, Korah and all your company, and tomorrow put fire in them, and lay incense on them before the Lord; and the man whom the Lord chooses shall be the holy one. You Levites have gone too far!" Then Moses said to Korah, "Hear now, you Levites! Is it too little for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to allow you to approach him in order to perform the duties of the Lord's tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation and serve them? He has allowed you to approach him, and all your brother Levites with you; yet you seek the priesthood as well! Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against the Lord. What is Aaron that you rail against him?"

Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab; but they said, "We will not come! Is it too little that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also lord it over us? It is clear you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come!"

Moses was very angry and said to the Lord, "Pay no attention to their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed any one of them." And Moses said to Korah, "As for you and all your company, be present tomorrow before the Lord, you and they and Aaron; and let each one of you take his censer, and put incense on it, and each one of you present his censer before the Lord, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer." So each man took his censer, and they put fire in the censers and laid incense on them, and they stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. Then Korah assembled the whole congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole congregation.

Reflection
Makes you wonder about yourself. Argue about who is more important than the other. Argue about who gets what job, what privilege, what pay. As humans we tend to argue over everything it seems. We argue over what the plan is. What direction the company, our church or even our family is headed in. And then we argue our point and many times attempt to steal power from another. In the end, we want to be in control of it all.

But in this passage, it seems to be a little different. All people serve God. All the people are priests. Each has a place and an honor that is needed. God has taken care of all the people and is leading them to the Promised Land.

This selfish ambition to control what God has under control becomes my sin. The selfish ambition to become the best or the most esteemed is my sin. My place is the humble yet honorable child of God, acting out the part that God has ordained for me, in God's Kingdom, day after day. That's my part! What more could I want! Lead me to that Promised Land! Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, forgive my selfish desire for power and honor and lead me in humbleness to serve You boldly in Your Kingdom, today, tomorrow and forever. ---Amen