THE LORD SPOKE (March 01)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Numbers 16-17

Déjà vu all over again! You’d think that after the events of Numbers 14 they would have learned. Maybe it was very soon afterwards and not enough people had died yet to illustrate the seriousness of God’s judgment. Maybe they thought the last ones to rebel hadn’t made their case clear enough. Maybe they really thought that this case was different.

Korah’s Rebellion involved a group of Levites and 250 “well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council” (Num. 16:2). Their claim was that Moses had “gone too far” (Num. 16:3) but when the dust settled - or better, when the ashes cooled - it soon became apparent just who had gone too far (see Moses’ words in Num. 16:7). The crux of the problem was not really a rebellion against Moses. Their rebellion was against the Lord.

Foolishly, they claimed that Moses had led them out of the real land of milk and honey and into a worthless desert (Num. 16:13-14). Moses was guilty of false advertising and wasn’t just trying to pull wool over their eyes. They accused him of wanting to gouge out their eyes (so they couldn’t see the reality around them?).

Moses saw it clearly and God put His own decisive stamp of approval on the analysis - “these men have treated the Lord with contempt” (Num. 16:30). After the earth swallowed the leaders whole, “with their households...and all their possessions” (Num. 16:32), a “fire came out from the Lord” and the other 250 were also consumed (Num. 16:35). Burned to a crisp. Just the censers were left, each on a pile of ash indicating where each one was as he fled. The metal of those censors became a permanent reminder of this horrible occasion - it was hammered out and used to overlay the altar where every Israelite went to offer his sacrifices.

At the end of the story there’s some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that, even after such a display of the wrath of God, there was still a group that grumbled against Moses and Aaron (Num. 16:41). Another 14,700 died that same day (Num. 16:49).

The good news is that not all Korah’s own children followed him in his rebellion. There were some who remained faithful to the Lord and his line “did not die out” (Num. 26:11). We’ve been blessed by them ever since! They wrote eleven of the psalms that we still read with great profit (Psalms 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 84, 85, 87, 88).


New Testament: Luke 16

What should be our attitude toward money? The Bible has much to say in response to this and Luke 16 is one place where several of these teachings are pulled together in a surprising way.

Beginning with the “parable of the shrewd manager” (Lk. 16:1-9), the Lord recommends one who uses the means at his disposal to make provision for his own future. The probable solution to the moral dilemma of this passage is that it’s very likely that the owner had grossly over-charged his debtors in the first place. This was often done to get around the prohibition of charging interest of fellow Jews. The shrewd manager probably reset the debts to their proper amounts. Be careful not to make this or any other parable “walk on all fours”. The central point, and that which Jesus commends, is: Make wise use of the resources at your disposal to provide for your future well-being.

There follows a brief section of additional teachings before the next parable. It includes the following financial tips:

1. If you are dishonest in the little things, no one will trust you with larger amounts (Lk. 16:10).
2. If you are dishonest with “unimportant things”, no one will trust you with really valuable things (Lk. 16:11).
3. If you don’t take care of someone else’s property for which you’re responsible, no one will trust you with property of your own.
4. Your priorities must be God-focused or you will place the wrong value on things (Lk. 16:13a).
5. You cannot pursue money and pursue God at the same time. They are incompatible goals (Lk. 16:13b).
6. Our own value system is upside down. The very things we usually value most are of least importance to God. In fact, He hates them (Lk. 16:15).

In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the focus shifts but money is still a factor. We’re clearly told that money and luxurious comfort in this life won’t...

• keep you from dying - it won’t even buy you any extra time.
• benefit you anything after death - it won’t comfort any agony in the afterlife.
• bring your family into a relationship with God - if anything, it may serve to drive them away from trusting God as they should.

Don’t be like the Pharisees in this passage (Lk. 16:14) who loved money and sneered at Jesus’ teachings.