Moses an Angry Leader (Num. 16:12-17)

1/10/2009 10:48 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  Moses, an angry leader

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Numbers 16:12-17

            Message of the verses:  “12 ¶  Then Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, "We will not come up.  13  "Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, but you would also lord it over us?  14  "Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!"  15  Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, "Do not regard their offering! I have not taken a single donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them."  16  Moses said to Korah, "You and all your company be present before the LORD tomorrow, both you and they along with Aaron.  17  "Each of you take his firepan and put incense on it, and each of you bring his censer before the LORD, two hundred and fifty firepans; also you and Aaron shall each bring his firepan.’”

            This section is about some of the children of Israel rebelling against God and Moses, challenging Moses as the leader the God chosen for them and not agreeing with what has happened to the children of Israel.  The told Moses that Egypt was a land of milk and honey, and that it was his sin that caused the problem at Kadesh-Barnea, but then they refused to do as Moses had told them to do, and that is come down to the tabernacle the next morning.

            Moses’ anger was justified as what these men were doing was not right in the sight of the Lord and this is the kind of anger that Jesus had while on the earth on several occasions.  Moses was looking out for the interest of God and these men were “spitting in the eye of God” and Moses became angry over it.  As always God will have the last Word on this situation.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Anger is a subject that I have been close to for the last few days and saw a wonderful video about it just yesterday.  If anger is not handled correctly the Bible says that Satan can use it to benefit his cause and that is not good.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1. Continue to learn more of who God is.
2. Be content.
3. Trust the Lord to guide my path.
4. Confess my sin to the Lord.

Memory verses for the week:                                              Romans 6:16-19

16.    Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

17.    But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you become obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed,

18.    and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

19.    I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.  For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness,  resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

1/10/2009 12:15 PM  (I had to clean out the drive so I did not spend this much time on this SD)