3.11.9 "The Peril of Poisoned Perspective"

"The Peril of Poisoned Perspective"

Numbers 15:17-16:40
Mark 15:1-47
Psalm 54:1-7
Proverbs 11:5-6

Today's reading in Numbers 16 is a story of an insurrection in the camp of the Israelites. "One day Korah... conspired with Dathan and Abiram... and On, all three from the tribe of Reuben, to incite a rebellion against Moses. Two hundred and fifty popular leaders, all members of the Assembly, were involved." (Num. 16:1-2)

Betting is not a godly activity, but what do you think the odds are that this is going to turn out well for Korah and the boys? Listen to their "beef":

"They went to Moses and Aaron and said, 'We have had enough of your presumption; you are no better than anyone else; everyone in Israel has been chosen of the Lord, and he is with all of us. What right do you have to put yourselves forward, claiming that we must obey you, and acting as though you were greater than anyone else among all these people of the Lord?" (Num. 16:3)

Here's the facts: God appointed Moses and Aaron as the leaders of the children of Israel. The people are chosen of the Lord. They are commanded to obey God. God speaks through Moses.

Notice how Korah & the Gang (predecessor to Kool and the Gang) twist truth through a poisoned perspective. They twist Moses' leadership into a "presumption" of leadership as if he was taking control on his own. Many leaders today find themselves paralyzed because of this poison. God calls, but for fear of this perspective, they are kept from leading in the direction God has laid out.

Korah's boys make the statement, "you are no better than anyone else". This is a HUGE issue! So many people equate "value" to position. That is not a godly perspective. It is a divisive tool of the enemy. If someone is in authority over you, it doesn't mean they are "better" than you, it means they have a different position. The Gang is right in saying that all are chosen of the Lord, and that he is with them, but that doesn't mean the playing field is equal, and each should do what is right in his own mind. God has placed a structure around them for a purpose. This "value - poison" creeps in and fuels rebellion.

"... claiming we must obey you" is another point of improper perspective. As God's spokesperson for these people, it was Moses' job to bring the word of the Lord. It was the responsibility of the people to do what he said IN OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD! There are times that people don't like what they hear God saying. It makes them uncomfortable, so what's the response? Question the motivation and integrity of the leader. The Gang didn't just question it, they came to a verdict on it. Their perspective was full of poison.

Sorry for jumping off topic here, but the next verse made me laugh out loud. "when Moses heard what they were saying he fell face downward to the ground." (v. 4) Now my first reaction to this was proper and I appreciated the way he was humbled by the accusation, and bowed before the Lord. But what made me laugh is the realization of how many times in this journey through the wilderness he's had to do this. I was picturing him look over at Aaron with a look on his face that said "here we go again..." as he fell to the ground... Ok, so it's only humorous in my mind...

What Moses said in verses 8-11 brings light to the poisoned perspective of the "posse". "Then Moses spoke again to Korah: 'Does it seem a small thing to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the people of Israel to be near to himself as you work in the Tabernacle of Jehovah, and to stand before the people to minister to them? Is it nothing to you that he has given this task to only you Levites? And now you are demanding the priesthood also? That is what you are really after! That is why you are revolting against Jehovah."

Notice first off that these diabolical dudes (it's a day of alliteration) are not revolting against Moses. To revolt against God appointed authority is to revolt against God. He makes that clear. It's important to remember that no matter where you're at in an event like this, you could be Korah, Moses, one of the Posse, or just watching with a bag of popcorn. Either way, i wouldn't stand too close to the rebels. It may seem like a minor "personality conflict", but it's much bigger.

Also, Moses sheds light on the fact this all stems from a lack of understanding of the privilege it is to serve the Lord. "Does it seem a small thing..."? When we start to take for granted what God has done for us and called us to we become ripe for the poison to take hold. We must remain humbly aware of the greatness of God and his mercy at all times. Moses also sheds light on the quest for power that motivates all of this.

In verse 19 it says, "Meanwhile, Korah had stirred up the entire nation against Moses and Aaron, and they all assembled to watch." How sad is that. It's sad on a number of levels. For one, it's not enough that Korah has issues. He sees a need to bring everyone into it. Another sad point is that the people took to it. They all got their picnic baskets and assembled to watch.

Well, you can guess what God thought of all this... "... and Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron, 'Get away from these people so that I may instantly destroy them." I can picture Moses and Aaron giving each other that look again... "But Moses and Aaron fell face downward to the ground before the Lord..."

God warned the people to stand clear of the rebels. "So Moses rushed over to the tents... 'Quick!' he told the people, 'get away from the tents of these wicked men, and don't touch anything that belongs to them, lest you be included in their sins [and be destroyed with them].'"

The leaders of the rebellion were swallowed by the ground! The 250 leaders they recruited were killed by God's fire. Not a good fate. The rest of the nation was spared only by God's intervention.

We must guard against the poison of improper perspective at all times. It can start small with something as little as "who does he think he is telling me what to do..." It can seem like no big deal to entertain that thought. That thought is poison! Get rid of it! Relationships Devoted to Unity are relationships devoted to the authority structure God has put in place. Not because the people in authority demand it, but because God does. There is blessing when we operate in this realm.




Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


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