Stairway to Heaven

Read Reflect In theStory up till now, we’ve been following individuals and their relationship to God; Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Lamech, Seth and Noah. Today we consider society at large, a people who wanted to make a name, who fancied themselves as pretty accomplished. The thing is, however, people really hadn’t changed. These […]

A Litany of Sin – A Litany of Forgiveness

Like many psalms, Psalm 106 begins with praise, but in verse three it transitions to this opening thought, “Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.”

Now there’s a mind-blowing concept. Talk about setting the bar completely out of reach! Nobody – I repeat – nobody always does right and acts justly in every situation. Human fallibility and self-interest dictate to the contrary.

Irrational Unbelief and Rebellion

The twelve leaders have reported – they have drawn divergent conclusions from their mission observations. The community must now choose, and they give into fear. They cry “all night” and then complain against Moses and Aaron, wishing they had died in Egypt or the desert, fully convinced that God is leading them into Canaan “just to have us killed and our women and children captured”.

Appropriate Consequences, Presumptuous Response

The people have reached the edge of the Promised Land only to be told that they must turn around and head back into the wilderness. They are facing the consequences of their unbelief and rebellion. God tells the people that they have complained “against me too many times” and every person who “ganged up against me” will die “here in the desert”. Their children will wander in the desert for forty years—one year for each day the land was explored.

Disorganized Thinking, Organized Rebellion

In this story, Korah a Levite, along with three friends, recruits 250 respected leaders who challenge Moses’ and Aaron’s right to lead. They accuse Moses and company of thinking they are “better than anyone else,” declaring that they are all part of God’s holy people. Moses views Korah’s rebellion as against God, (not Aaron); the result of an ungrateful spirit that doesn’t recognize the honor God has bestowed upon Levites who serve God in the tabernacle (vv 4-11).