Everyone who
indulges in soap operas will know miseries never end in any episode. They just
piled on one after another. Reading about the grumbling of the children of
Israel is like watching a long soap opera. The grumbling seems to have no end
too. Just a day after God had opened up and swallowed Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and
their families, and fire came and consumed the 250 Kohathites, the Israelites were
at it again. We expect that after such a monstrous demonstration of God’s judgment,
it would have stopped. But it did not. The congregation grumbled against Moses
and Aaron and blamed them for causing the death of God’s people even though the
judgment was God’s. In blaming these two leaders they were denying the
existence of God in all that had happened. It also showed that they could not see
that God was the one who had judged the rebels. So they placed the
blame squarely on the shoulders of Moses and Aaron.
Just
like before, the grumbling was in effect against the Lord. Thus, it was not a surprise to read in verse 42 that the
Lord turned up. As the
congregation gathered, Moses and Aaron turned toward the tent of meeting. And
as they did so the cloud of God covered the tent and the glory of God appeared.
The LORD
Himself responded as before. He told Moses and Aaron to “Get away from among
this congregation so that I may consume them instantly.” Just as the pair
had always responded, they once again fell with their faces on the ground and interceded
for the people.
In
the rebellion led by Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, there were innocent bystanders.
But this time there was none. The whole congregation was guilty. Everyone was
caught up in the sin of grumbling and rebelling. Therefore all had to face
judgment. This time the judgment was in the form of a plague. Realizing
that, Moses instructed Aaron saying, “Take your censer and put fire in it
from the altar, and place incense on it; then bring it quickly to the
congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from
the Lord, the plague has
begun!” Aaron did as he was instructed, and the plague stopped. This
also underscores the fact that Korah and his rebelling mob were not called to
the task of offering incense. That was why they all perished in the fire. Here
we see once again the affirming of the calling of Aaron. This is a lesson for
us all in the danger of seeking to do something we are not called, ordained,
and consecrated to do.
The
emphasis of these verses seems to be on the ministry of Aaron. Obediently, he
took his censer, filled it with fire from the altar and the incense, and stood
between those who were already smitten and those yet to be smitten. He
literally stood between the living and the dead. We need to remember that they
were in the middle of a plague. Aaron took the risk of being contaminated by
standing with them. What he did prevented the death of more people. By
then we are told that 14,700 had already died in the plague.
Here we see how the faithful ministry of one chosen man brought about salvation to many. Aaron points us to Christ whose faithful ministry alone brought us life. He came and stood between us and the death that threatens us. We also need to see that today you and I are also called, chosen, commissioned, and consecrated to be Christ’s redemptive agents in the world. Like Aaron, our faithful ministry can mean eternal life or death for many. And like him, we too would have to face difficulties and risks in our endeavors to reach out to the lost. Nonetheless, we are called to be Christ’s ambassadors. No matter what risk or difficulty, we must go forth bearing the news that God is in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Let us do it faithfully and diligently!
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