The Second Confrontations (Num. 16:41-50)

1/13/2009 11:25 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                              Focus:  The second confrontations

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Numbers 16:41-50

            Message of the verses:  “41 ¶  But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You are the ones who have caused the death of the LORD’S people."  42  It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.  43  Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting,

44  and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45  "Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly." Then they fell on their faces.

46  Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the LORD, the plague has begun!"  47  Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people.  48  He took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked.  49  But those who died by the plague were 14,700, besides those who died on account of Korah.  50  Then Aaron returned to Moses at the doorway of the tent of meeting, for the plague had been checked.”

            The people just the day before had seen the Lord open up the earth and swallow Korah and part of his family, and then kill 250 men who had fire pans, and no the very next day the people began to test the Lord again by complaining about Aaron and Moses saying that they were the ones who caused the death of those people.  They could not see that it was the Lord who had judged them and put them to death.  “Carnally minded people can’t perceive the spiritual meaning of what God does because they lack spiritual discernment.  The nation beheld God’s acts, but Moses understood God’s ways.”

            Moses knew what the Lord was about to do and so he sent Aaron into the midst of them with his firepan in order to stop the plague and in all another 14,700 people were killed from the plague.  What did the people think of this?  They began to fear the tabernacle but they did not fear the Lord of the tabernacle and understand that it was good for the tabernacle to be in their camp.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I need discernment to determine what the Lord is doing in my life each day and whether or not there is discipline being given to me by the Lord and then to confess my sins before the Lord in order to have fellowship with Him again.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1. I want to continue to know the Lord better.
2. I want to continue to learn contentment.
3. I want the Lord to direct my path.
4. I want to be serious about memory verses and allow them to have a good affect on my life.

Memory verses for the week:                                              Romans 6:19-21

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.

20.    For when your were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

21.     Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed?  For the outcome of those things in death.

1/13/2009 11:58 AM