1
00:00:14,099 --> 00:00:17,359
 Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast.

2
00:00:18,379 --> 00:00:24,079
 If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you.

3
00:00:24,740 --> 00:00:26,980
 Thank you for joining us today.

4
00:00:35,540 --> 00:00:41,640
 Number 16 is where we're at, and let me just pray over us real quick. Lord, thank

5
00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,700
 you so much for being good to us. Thank you for your word. Thank you in the midst

6
00:00:45,700 --> 00:00:53,240
 of hardship, in the midst of the trials that life brings, in the midst of

7
00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,780
 everything that's going on in our own society, but also just in our own personal

8
00:00:56,780 --> 00:01:02,320
 lives. You meet us even in a chapter in the Old Testament that can sometimes be

9
00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:07,560
 overlooked. We just pray that your spirit would lead us tonight to a place of

10
00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:12,879
 repentance, a place of knowing you more, loving you more, and seeing your

11
00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:17,140
 Son Jesus here tonight. So just thank you in Jesus' name, amen.

12
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:26,540
 Alright, so I'm gonna start by just reading, because it's kind of a long

13
00:01:26,540 --> 00:01:32,280
 chapter. We're in chapter 16 of Numbers, if you miss that. It's kind of a long

14
00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:39,200
 chapter, but there's so much, there's so much gospel in here. It's funny, two

15
00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:44,719
 weeks ago is whenever I was asked to teach tonight, and I was looking at the

16
00:01:44,719 --> 00:01:51,939
 chapter and I was just like, alright, Lord, what do I do with this? Because it's just kind of like, if

17
00:01:51,939 --> 00:01:55,319
 you've already read the chapter ahead of time, you kind of already know, like it's

18
00:01:55,319 --> 00:02:01,420
 just this wacky story that happens, and for like four days I was preparing and

19
00:02:01,420 --> 00:02:05,000
 just praying and like, Lord, I don't know what to teach here. I don't know how do

20
00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:11,939
 we apply this to our current lives, because it's just a dishonor to the

21
00:02:11,939 --> 00:02:17,139
 Word, if we're just reading it as history instead of application as well. It's both.

22
00:02:17,879 --> 00:02:24,080
 And so, just last week though, the Lord just revealed so many things, and so he was

23
00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:29,240
 just so good in just giving me fresh eyes for this, and I say that because

24
00:02:30,299 --> 00:02:37,819
 chapter 16 is just, it's the gospel of Jesus. That's what it is. And not just

25
00:02:37,819 --> 00:02:46,419
 the joy in salvation, but the sorrow in rebellion. So we're gonna start reading

26
00:02:46,419 --> 00:02:56,460
 in verse 1. Now Korah, the son of Ishar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and

27
00:02:56,460 --> 00:03:03,360
 Ibaram, the son of Eliab, and on the son of Palath, the son of Reuben, took men,

28
00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:09,439
 and they rose up before Moses with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs

29
00:03:09,439 --> 00:03:17,120
 of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. They assembled

30
00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:23,199
 themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, You have

31
00:03:23,199 --> 00:03:29,760
 gone too far, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the

32
00:03:30,020 --> 00:03:35,599
 Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the

33
00:03:35,599 --> 00:03:40,639
 Lord? So Korah is the leader of this rebellious group that's coming up

34
00:03:40,639 --> 00:03:46,099
 against Moses, the appointed leader of Israel, pointed not by man, not by himself,

35
00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:54,080
 but by God. And in fact, Moses wanted nothing to do with his position. We look

36
00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:59,219
 way back in the previous books, and we actually see God saying, Moses, I want

37
00:03:59,219 --> 00:04:04,580
 you to go and lead the people. And Moses is saying, please send somebody else. And

38
00:04:04,580 --> 00:04:11,099
 yet here he is being accused of taking the authority for himself, trying to take

39
00:04:11,099 --> 00:04:15,680
 power and influence and the might of this role that he has as the people's

40
00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:24,339
 leader. And he says, every one of us is holy. Why are you being self-righteous,

41
00:04:24,339 --> 00:04:29,779
 Moses? We're all on the same playing field. Why are you putting yourself in

42
00:04:29,779 --> 00:04:37,699
 this role above us? And the first note there is just to recognize that pride,

43
00:04:38,519 --> 00:04:44,040
 because it's going to be obvious, I'll just put it plainly, it's going to be so

44
00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:49,500
 obvious what the motives are of Korah and these men. It's not because they

45
00:04:49,500 --> 00:04:53,579
 think that Moses is doing a poor job, it's not because they think that they're

46
00:04:53,579 --> 00:04:58,220
 better men than Moses, it's not because they see any fault in Moses, it's because

47
00:04:58,220 --> 00:05:03,139
 they want power, they want authority, and they're filled with pride and selfish

48
00:05:03,139 --> 00:05:11,420
 ambition. And so they're accusing him of taking power instead of being in

49
00:05:11,420 --> 00:05:19,620
 submission to the Lord. And notice that 250 chiefs of the congregation in verse

50
00:05:19,620 --> 00:05:28,759
 2, 250 chiefs of the congregation chosen from the assembly, well-known men, followed

51
00:05:28,759 --> 00:05:36,300
 along. Another application point for us right there, if you're not rooted in the

52
00:05:36,300 --> 00:05:42,000
 Lord, if you're not rooted in his will and his design, in here it's a design

53
00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:46,339
 of hierarchy and authority, if you're not rooted in submission and obedience to

54
00:05:46,339 --> 00:05:51,959
 the Lord, even if you are well-established, even if you are well-liked

55
00:05:51,959 --> 00:06:02,639
 and appointed by men, it is easy to be misled by wicked people. And so are we

56
00:06:02,639 --> 00:06:08,360
 following after voices of man or are we following after the voice of the Lord?

57
00:06:09,740 --> 00:06:15,800
 Because right here, 250 well-known, established, appointed people from the

58
00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:20,819
 people chose to follow after the voice of a man, not after the voice of the Lord,

59
00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:24,680
 not to live in submission and obedience to the Lord. And I just want to really

60
00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:30,660
 quick just not back up to the last chapter but just summarize in slight of

61
00:06:30,660 --> 00:06:37,959
 where we're at is they were all of this Old Testament of Exodus and

62
00:06:37,959 --> 00:06:42,660
 Numbers is all leading the people out of Egypt to a promised land and in the

63
00:06:42,660 --> 00:06:48,620
 last few chapters, if you've been here, you saw that they were denied that promised

64
00:06:48,620 --> 00:06:54,100
 land, not because God is just punishing them for the sake of punishing them but

65
00:06:54,100 --> 00:07:00,339
 because they chose to rebel and live in fear and walk in fear, not encourage and

66
00:07:00,339 --> 00:07:05,220
 obedience to the Lord. Even though Caleb and Joshua said, look, there are giants

67
00:07:05,220 --> 00:07:12,060
 in the land that God promised, but God, but God is greater, but God is bigger

68
00:07:12,060 --> 00:07:18,540
 than any giant. And so because of their rebellious hearts and because of their

69
00:07:18,540 --> 00:07:25,860
 their complaining spirits, the Lord had to discipline them. Enough was enough. And

70
00:07:25,860 --> 00:07:32,579
 so now we are in this position where Korah's promised land is gone. The joy

71
00:07:32,579 --> 00:07:36,920
 and the pleasures of the hope of the future are gone. And so he says, I'm gonna

72
00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:41,519
 take what I have then, which I can at least get power and authority here with

73
00:07:41,519 --> 00:07:48,759
 this people. And so that's where he ends up. And these other men are deceived by

74
00:07:48,759 --> 00:07:58,199
 him. And then where did we stop there? In verse three, they have assembled. Oh, I'm

75
00:07:58,199 --> 00:08:09,500
 sorry. Verse four, when Moses heard it, he fell on his face. Notice that Korah is

76
00:08:09,500 --> 00:08:14,980
 accusing him of pride and selfishness, yet the first response he has is humility.

77
00:08:15,699 --> 00:08:19,519
 He literally falls on his face. And it's not because he's falling on his face

78
00:08:19,519 --> 00:08:23,379
 before these men, but he's falling on his face before God Almighty and asking for

79
00:08:23,379 --> 00:08:27,139
 intercession. He's asking for the Lord to intercede and do something here

80
00:08:27,139 --> 00:08:32,960
 because he can see the wickedness in the hearts of these men. And so it says

81
00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:39,879
 that Moses fell to his face, and he said to Korah and all in his company. In the

82
00:08:39,879 --> 00:08:45,960
 morning, the Lord will show who is his and who is holy and will bring him near

83
00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:52,919
 to him. The one whom he chooses, he will bring near to him. Do this. Take censors,

84
00:08:53,500 --> 00:08:58,400
 Korah and all his company, put fire in them and put incense on them before the

85
00:08:58,539 --> 00:09:06,580
 Lord tomorrow. And the man who the Lord chooses shall be the Holy One. You have

86
00:09:06,580 --> 00:09:15,240
 gone too far, sons of Levi. And Moses said to Korah, here now you sons of Levi. Is it

87
00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:20,700
 too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the

88
00:09:20,700 --> 00:09:26,080
 congregation of Israel to bring you near to himself to do service in the

89
00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:31,580
 tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister to

90
00:09:31,580 --> 00:09:36,340
 them, and that he has brought you near him and all your brothers, the sons of Levi,

91
00:09:36,419 --> 00:09:41,480
 with you? And would you seek the priesthood also? Therefore it is against

92
00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:46,419
 the Lord that you and all your company have gathered together. What is Aaron

93
00:09:46,419 --> 00:09:53,200
 that you grumble against him? Just a context to who Korah is and who these

94
00:09:53,200 --> 00:10:01,340
 men are. They're in the Levitical family, which means their

95
00:10:01,340 --> 00:10:08,039
 position in the congregation of the people of Israel was to take care of and

96
00:10:08,039 --> 00:10:13,720
 to carry the holy sacraments of the Lord. So their job was to carry the Ark of the

97
00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:19,860
 Covenant, their job was to carry the golden lampstands, everything that was in

98
00:10:19,860 --> 00:10:25,580
 the holy place. It was their job to go into the presence of the Lord and carry

99
00:10:25,580 --> 00:10:33,100
 these things every time the Lord was having them move their camp. And Moses is

100
00:10:33,100 --> 00:10:37,980
 rebuking them right in this moment because he can see that their heart is

101
00:10:37,980 --> 00:10:43,399
 a heart of pride, not a heart of desire for the goodness of the people. And he's

102
00:10:43,399 --> 00:10:49,620
 seeing that isn't it enough for you to actually get to be in the presence of

103
00:10:49,620 --> 00:10:55,600
 the Lord and carry his holy things. You're ministering to his people already

104
00:10:55,600 --> 00:11:04,340
 by being in that place. God chose you for something and now you're seeing somebody

105
00:11:04,340 --> 00:11:11,940
 else's calling and going after that instead. It is so easy to be discontent

106
00:11:11,940 --> 00:11:16,879
 with the calling that God has for our life and look at somebody else's grass

107
00:11:16,879 --> 00:11:21,539
 and say the grass is greener over there, I want that ministry, I want that calling

108
00:11:21,539 --> 00:11:26,379
 in my life. When God is telling you if your grass isn't green, start watering it

109
00:11:26,379 --> 00:11:33,899
 with the Holy Spirit and with the Word of God, right? Because wherever God has

110
00:11:33,899 --> 00:11:42,279
 called us to is the best place for us. It will have the best life outcome for

111
00:11:42,279 --> 00:11:47,120
 us if we stay in the calling that God has for us instead of chasing after the

112
00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:51,440
 calling that God gave somebody else. And here they are chasing after the calling

113
00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:58,059
 of Aaron. Aaron was the, we could say, the most important person in Israel

114
00:11:58,059 --> 00:12:03,659
 right now. He was the high priest. It was his job to intercede on behalf of

115
00:12:03,659 --> 00:12:08,899
 the people. It was his job to go and be with the Lord in his presence in the

116
00:12:08,899 --> 00:12:17,039
 holy of holy places. And Korah didn't see that as a place of humility, but he saw

117
00:12:17,039 --> 00:12:22,840
 it as a place of power and authority and he wanted that. And so he's being

118
00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:27,980
 rebuked. Isn't what you have good enough? Now you want to steal somebody else's

119
00:12:27,980 --> 00:12:40,759
 calling? I also just want to point out the test that Moses declared. Let's do

120
00:12:40,759 --> 00:12:47,500
 this test. If you really think that everyone here is set apart for this, if

121
00:12:47,500 --> 00:12:53,639
 we're all on the same playing field, if God didn't call me, but instead we can

122
00:12:53,639 --> 00:12:58,080
 all just take this position of holiness, this position of being the high priest,

123
00:12:58,639 --> 00:13:03,240
 then let's do this test. Let's take this incense. Let's go stand before the Lord

124
00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:11,980
 God Almighty and let him tell us, I chose you. When you're walking in the calling

125
00:13:11,980 --> 00:13:16,639
 God has for you, when you're walking in confidence that you're being obedient

126
00:13:16,639 --> 00:13:21,200
 and humble to the Lord, you can say, let's go stand in his presence and

127
00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:25,220
 find out because you're confident that you're being obedient. You're confident

128
00:13:25,220 --> 00:13:33,440
 that you're living a life of humility, not pride. And that's just the picture of

129
00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:37,480
 Moses here is a life of humility. I just don't want to miss that. The picture of

130
00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:42,879
 Moses here is a life of humility. Every single time something happens and it's

131
00:13:42,879 --> 00:13:47,779
 not just in this chapter, it's in almost every chapter before. When God

132
00:13:47,779 --> 00:13:54,500
 speaks, Moses doesn't stand up. He falls to his face and they didn't have clean

133
00:13:54,500 --> 00:14:03,480
 carpets. They had dirt floors. So he's willing to go before the Lord and say,

134
00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:08,679
 Lord, you tell us who is holy because he can see the deceit and the pride in the

135
00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:15,340
 heart of Korah and he knows the obedience and humility in his own. They

136
00:14:15,340 --> 00:14:21,240
 wanted to be lifted up, but the only way to be lifted up is through humility. In

137
00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:31,000
 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 6 it says, humble yourself therefore before the

138
00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:42,440
 mighty hand of God and at the proper time he, God, will exalt you. If you want

139
00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:48,740
 to live a life of exaltation and to be exalted is to have your name praised. So

140
00:14:48,740 --> 00:14:54,139
 if you want your name praised by God, you don't go and achieve it. You don't go in

141
00:14:54,139 --> 00:14:59,179
 and do amazing things and preach amazing sermons and make sure that you got the

142
00:14:59,179 --> 00:15:06,519
 most people saved. You humble yourself before the mighty hand of God. We see

143
00:15:06,519 --> 00:15:12,240
 the same thing in James chapter 4 verse 10. Humble yourself before God and he

144
00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:20,080
 will exalt you. He will lift you up. Korah and his group of men wanted the

145
00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:27,580
 exaltation without the life of repentant humility. But it doesn't work that way.

146
00:15:27,919 --> 00:15:31,360
 You can't get the exaltation if you're not humbling yourself before the Lord.

147
00:15:33,059 --> 00:15:39,320
 And verse 12 will continue, Moses sent to call Dathan and Biberam the sons of

148
00:15:39,500 --> 00:15:45,440
 Heliab and they said, we will not come up. Is it a small thing that you have brought

149
00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:49,379
 us up out of the land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness?

150
00:15:50,779 --> 00:15:56,179
 That you must also make yourself a prince over us? Moreover, you have not brought

151
00:15:56,179 --> 00:16:01,299
 us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of the

152
00:16:01,299 --> 00:16:08,039
 field and vineyards? Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up.

153
00:16:09,759 --> 00:16:15,639
 First, I just want to note that last, will you put out the eyes of these men is such

154
00:16:15,639 --> 00:16:20,279
 a confusing sentence. I read that and I was like, what are you talking about?

155
00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:27,320
 I don't typically read from the message Bible but it really has, it just explains

156
00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:34,220
 it and it just says, we're not blind. We can see the mess that we're in. Do you

157
00:16:34,220 --> 00:16:38,399
 really think that we're blind and we can't see that the promised land that you

158
00:16:38,399 --> 00:16:46,299
 took us out of slavery to go to isn't here? You see, they're walking in the

159
00:16:46,299 --> 00:16:52,759
 sin as quite literally as old as time, as old as the garden. We're here because

160
00:16:52,759 --> 00:17:00,419
 of you, not because of me. It's your fault. They're unwilling to repent. This is

161
00:17:00,419 --> 00:17:10,140
 something that just marks the people of Israel, a non-repentive heart. God, time

162
00:17:10,140 --> 00:17:22,740
 and time again, showed them mercy upon mercy upon mercy. It says in his

163
00:17:22,740 --> 00:17:32,119
 book, and in the past, they would sin, Moses would be humble and repent for them,

164
00:17:32,859 --> 00:17:38,660
 and it actually says in a chapter in Exodus that the Lord turned his wrath

165
00:17:38,660 --> 00:17:48,559
 away from them because of Moses pleading. But at some point, at some point in life,

166
00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:54,779
 it doesn't matter if the pastor, it doesn't matter if the person leading you

167
00:17:54,779 --> 00:18:01,140
 is repentant or not. If you are not living a life of repentance, there has to be

168
00:18:01,140 --> 00:18:06,660
 judgment. There has to be discipline and punishment, and that's where we've come to

169
00:18:06,660 --> 00:18:12,619
 where God said, Moses, you're doing great, you're being humble, but I have to

170
00:18:12,619 --> 00:18:17,779
 punish them because they are continuing to walk in pride and not humility.

171
00:18:17,779 --> 00:18:24,059
 They're continuing to turn from me, not to me. They're continuing to not repent.

172
00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:32,160
 I can't keep allowing this. And here, again, it's just so evident what their

173
00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:38,660
 heart motive is, is they don't want to repent, even here. What if they did?

174
00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:44,019
 What if instead of rebelling, instead of pointing all the blame at their leader,

175
00:18:44,019 --> 00:18:50,900
 what if the entire congregation of Israel said, Lord, we should not have complained?

176
00:18:52,099 --> 00:18:57,059
 That was wrong. We should not have been in fear when you told us, take courage.

177
00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:04,220
 I would like to believe that the Lord would have had mercy because he did in

178
00:19:04,220 --> 00:19:08,220
 every single book of the Bible leading up to this, and he does in every single

179
00:19:08,220 --> 00:19:09,839
 book of the Bible pass this.

180
00:19:11,980 --> 00:19:16,880
 But unfortunately, they did not choose repentance still. Verse 16, and Moses

181
00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:22,380
 said to Korah, be present. So this is now the next day, the day of the test.

182
00:19:24,900 --> 00:19:29,359
 Moses said to Korah, be present you and all your company before the Lord, you

183
00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:34,519
 and Aaron tomorrow, and let every one of you take a sensor and put incense on

184
00:19:34,519 --> 00:19:42,000
 it. And every one of you bring before the Lord his sensor, 250 sensors, you

185
00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:49,559
 also and Aaron, each of his sensors. So every man took a sensor and put fire in

186
00:19:49,559 --> 00:19:53,140
 them and laid incense on them and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting

187
00:19:53,140 --> 00:19:59,900
 with Moses and Aaron. Then Korah assembled all the congregation against them at

188
00:19:59,900 --> 00:20:00,460
 the entrance.

189
00:20:02,259 --> 00:20:07,500
 Do you notice that when humble people rebuke, they do it in private one on one.

190
00:20:08,759 --> 00:20:14,079
 But when people that want others to see how great they are, they make a loud

191
00:20:15,580 --> 00:20:21,420
 show. They bring out an audience. Watch this. Look how cool I am. Look how

192
00:20:21,420 --> 00:20:27,180
 authoritative I am. Look, I've got 250 of your most prized leaders all

193
00:20:27,180 --> 00:20:30,380
 watching me on my side. Everyone come watch this.

194
00:20:33,339 --> 00:20:39,240
 And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron saying, separate yourself from among

195
00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:44,180
 this congregation that I may consume them in a moment.

196
00:20:45,380 --> 00:20:50,500
 And they fell on their faces. Surprise, surprise. We see Moses's response

197
00:20:50,500 --> 00:20:51,079
 once again.

198
00:20:51,079 --> 00:21:00,019
 They fell on their faces. Oh God, the God of the spirit of all flesh shall

199
00:21:00,019 --> 00:21:06,359
 one man's sin and will you be angry with all the people? And the Lord spoke

200
00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:10,240
 to Moses saying, say to the people, get away from the dwelling of Korah,

201
00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:11,640
 Dathan and Ibaram.

202
00:21:14,079 --> 00:21:20,140
 Notice how gracious Moses is to the sin of one man, even though 250 other

203
00:21:20,140 --> 00:21:21,900
 men are sinning right along with him.

204
00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:29,859
 Then Moses rose up, went to Dathan and Ibaram and the elders of Israel followed

205
00:21:29,859 --> 00:21:34,380
 him. And he spoke to the congregation saying, depart please from the tents

206
00:21:34,380 --> 00:21:40,680
 of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with

207
00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:46,060
 all their sins. So they got away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan and

208
00:21:46,140 --> 00:21:50,279
 Ibaram and Dathan and Ibaram came out and stood at the door of their tents

209
00:21:50,279 --> 00:21:55,039
 together with their wives, their sons and their little ones. And Moses said,

210
00:21:55,400 --> 00:22:00,359
 hereby, you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things.

211
00:22:01,059 --> 00:22:05,119
 If these men die as all men die, meaning if they die of old age, they die of

212
00:22:05,119 --> 00:22:10,259
 disease, they die just like any of us would die, then this wasn't the

213
00:22:10,259 --> 00:22:16,799
 Lord. This was just me. But if the Lord creates something new and the ground

214
00:22:16,799 --> 00:22:21,839
 opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them and they go

215
00:22:21,839 --> 00:22:27,539
 down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the

216
00:22:27,539 --> 00:22:32,359
 Lord. Just want to highlight that, despise the Lord. We'll come back to

217
00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:38,640
 that. As soon as he had finished speaking, the ground under them split

218
00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:43,460
 apart. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them in it with their

219
00:22:43,460 --> 00:22:49,059
 households, all the people who belong to Korah and all their goods. So they and

220
00:22:49,059 --> 00:22:53,940
 all the people that belong to them went down alive into Sheol and the earth

221
00:22:53,940 --> 00:23:00,019
 closed over them and they perished from the midst of the assembly. And all who

222
00:23:00,019 --> 00:23:05,400
 were around them fled at their cry for they said, lest the earth swallow us

223
00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:13,759
 also. And fire came out from the Lord and consumed 250 men offering the incense.

224
00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:28,600
 There's a lot of application in here. The first thing to note

225
00:23:31,750 --> 00:23:41,750
 is just to look at the mercy of God through the humility of Moses, that he

226
00:23:41,750 --> 00:23:47,109
 actually allows the people to back off, to get away from what is about to

227
00:23:47,109 --> 00:23:55,210
 happen. But notice that it said, if you even touch their belongings, then you're

228
00:23:55,380 --> 00:24:00,720
 going to have the same fate as them. So flee, get away from them. And I think

229
00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:08,440
 one major application to us, one, don't live in rebellion and do not despise

230
00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:14,980
 the Lord because there is judgment coming and that is the gospel. There is

231
00:24:14,980 --> 00:24:26,579
 judgment that will come upon everybody in the end of time. But also, if you live a

232
00:24:26,579 --> 00:24:33,680
 life that is in despising the Lord, the earth will swallow you up. We are living

233
00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:40,299
 in a society with record high suicide, record high anxiety and depression, record

234
00:24:40,299 --> 00:24:49,880
 high divorce rates. The earth is swallowing up sinful people. If you despise

235
00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:54,559
 the Lord, the earth will swallow you up. The earth in all its sinful ways will

236
00:24:54,559 --> 00:25:11,539
 devour us, if we do not walk towards the Lord. The other point though, who are we

237
00:25:13,019 --> 00:25:20,099
 spending our time with? Who are we listening to, looking to, letting lead us?

238
00:25:20,660 --> 00:25:28,039
 Because it says that all 250 men were consumed by fire from the Lord, just for

239
00:25:28,039 --> 00:25:36,160
 going along with what Korah was doing. Nowhere in this chapter does it say they

240
00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:45,020
 said a word, but their action and their posture was following after someone in

241
00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:53,740
 rebellion. I think I already said it, but whoever is leading you spiritually,

242
00:25:54,220 --> 00:26:02,900
 whether that's a pastor or someone that's discipling you, their righteousness does

243
00:26:02,900 --> 00:26:12,960
 not save you. We have to walk in discernment ourselves and discern if the

244
00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:19,039
 people that we're listening to and following are a representation of Jesus or

245
00:26:19,039 --> 00:26:26,059
 a representation of the world. Paul said follow me, but the next sentence was as

246
00:26:26,059 --> 00:26:33,259
 I follow Jesus. So are we following representations of Jesus or are we

247
00:26:33,259 --> 00:26:38,259
 following representations of sin? Or better yet, are we following Jesus?

248
00:26:44,500 --> 00:26:52,160
 Don't be found reaching for sinful people's things. Don't even want what

249
00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:58,200
 they have to offer. They might have all the goods, all the power and authority

250
00:26:59,079 --> 00:27:05,920
 from looks. Don't even attempt to chase after those things, because even that

251
00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:13,500
 you'll be found in the same fate as them. Then in 36 it says, then the Lord spoke

252
00:27:13,500 --> 00:27:18,000
 to Moses saying, tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the sensors

253
00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:23,079
 out of the blaze, then scatter the fire far and wide, for they have become holy.

254
00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:29,619
 As for the censer of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let

255
00:27:29,619 --> 00:27:33,500
 them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they offered

256
00:27:33,500 --> 00:27:37,880
 them for the Lord and they became holy. Thus they shall be assigned to the people

257
00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:43,859
 of Israel. So they're holding these metal, I couldn't find a picture of what in the

258
00:27:43,859 --> 00:27:50,480
 world a censer is. I'm sure they exist out there, but I'm guessing it's just like

259
00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:59,960
 a metal like torch, because I had to hold fire. And those, notice I think it

260
00:27:59,960 --> 00:28:07,920
 just said it in verse 39, when consumed by the fire of the Lord were made holy. The

261
00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:11,720
 men weren't, they weren't found holy at all, they were completely consumed,

262
00:28:13,159 --> 00:28:18,640
 incinerated, gone. They are dust on the ground, but the thing that they were

263
00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:31,859
 holding was made holy. When the fire from the Lord tests you in this life, will you

264
00:28:31,859 --> 00:28:38,180
 be found holy, or will you be consumed completely? In the New Testament it

265
00:28:38,180 --> 00:28:46,079
 talks about how testing is like fire, like gold, how it is meant to refine it.

266
00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:51,940
 But on that final day of judgment, when we're sitting before the seat of the

267
00:28:51,940 --> 00:28:59,599
 Lord, and his judgment comes, and the fire goes past us and consumes all our

268
00:28:59,599 --> 00:29:08,740
 flesh, are we going to be found standing there still, holy, before the Lord? How

269
00:29:08,740 --> 00:29:15,599
 did you do that? We're gonna get to that in just a few verses. Verse 41,

270
00:29:19,339 --> 00:29:25,779
 but on the next day all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against

271
00:29:25,779 --> 00:29:31,940
 Moses and against Aaron, saying you have killed the people of the Lord. And when

272
00:29:31,940 --> 00:29:35,680
 the congregation had assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they turned

273
00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:40,059
 toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the

274
00:29:40,059 --> 00:29:45,079
 Lord appeared. And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, and

275
00:29:45,079 --> 00:29:51,740
 the Lord spoke to Moses saying, get away from the midst of the congregation. Any

276
00:29:51,740 --> 00:29:59,599
 guesses on Moses' response? Fell on his face, and Moses said to Aaron, take your

277
00:29:59,599 --> 00:30:05,579
 sensor and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry

278
00:30:05,579 --> 00:30:12,559
 quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them. For wrath has gone out

279
00:30:12,559 --> 00:30:18,960
 from the Lord, the plague has begun. So Aaron took it, as Moses said, and ran into

280
00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:23,140
 the midst of the assembly, and behold, the plague had already begun among the

281
00:30:23,140 --> 00:30:30,559
 people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. And he

282
00:30:30,559 --> 00:30:39,440
 stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. Now those who

283
00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:45,859
 died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the

284
00:30:45,859 --> 00:30:50,879
 affair of Korah. And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of

285
00:30:51,019 --> 00:30:52,720
 meeting, when the plague was stopped.

286
00:31:05,140 --> 00:31:21,000
 We can choose rebellion and be consumed by this world, both figuratively, I pray

287
00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:26,259
 that people walking in sin, and when I am not walking in repentance, I can tell you

288
00:31:26,259 --> 00:31:31,980
 I am consumed with my own anxieties. But all it takes is a moment of repentance.

289
00:31:36,460 --> 00:31:42,859
 But that's in this life. And there's a day that we're going to stand before the

290
00:31:42,859 --> 00:31:48,539
 seat of the Lord, and judgment is going to come, and we have to be found holy to

291
00:31:48,539 --> 00:31:56,640
 be found standing there. And Aaron shows us how to be found holy. Only through the

292
00:31:56,640 --> 00:32:01,059
 role of the high priest, Aaron is the representation, I'll just put it clearly,

293
00:32:01,759 --> 00:32:08,519
 Aaron is the representation of Jesus Christ. He is a representation of the

294
00:32:08,519 --> 00:32:14,359
 high priest, the final high priest, Jesus, who came, died on the cross for

295
00:32:14,359 --> 00:32:22,839
 us, so that we could have, what is the word here? Atonement. Aaron went and stood

296
00:32:22,839 --> 00:32:30,619
 in between the living and the dead. I can almost picture his hands out with both

297
00:32:30,619 --> 00:32:38,839
 censors, one hand here, one hand here, just like Jesus on the cross. And it is only through that

298
00:32:38,839 --> 00:32:44,900
 Atonement that when judgment comes and consumes us, we can be made holy.

299
00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:55,359
 Two weeks ago, I didn't see the gospel. I just saw a crazy story of some rebellious

300
00:32:55,359 --> 00:33:03,319
 men falling into a sinkhole. But today I look at number 16, and all I can think,

301
00:33:04,620 --> 00:33:13,220
 this is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The good news that if you live in repentance

302
00:33:13,220 --> 00:33:21,319
 to the Lord, you can be made holy. But if you walk in rebellion, and that word that I

303
00:33:21,319 --> 00:33:29,240
 wanted us to go back to in verse 30, the very last sentence, these men despised the

304
00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:38,279
 Lord. And if you despise the Lord, you will be consumed by the world. This friend

305
00:33:38,279 --> 00:33:46,720
 that I mentioned earlier, right now is just running from the Lord. And she's

306
00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:51,359
 telling us how anxious she is, and she's telling us how depressed she is. And

307
00:33:51,359 --> 00:33:57,539
 she's telling us how if she stops working for just a day, she's filled with

308
00:33:57,539 --> 00:34:07,720
 fear. Because if you despise the Lord, you will be consumed by your sin. But if

309
00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:15,099
 you repent, and you turn to Jesus, there's hope. There's eternity of holiness waiting

310
00:34:15,099 --> 00:34:21,779
 for you. Let's pray. Lord, we just thank you for your word. Thank you that the

311
00:34:21,780 --> 00:34:28,019
 gospel of your Son Jesus is here. Thousands of years before he even walked

312
00:34:28,019 --> 00:34:35,480
 the earth, his image was clear and evident right here. To be in your presence

313
00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:45,860
 is to be in repentance. And to be in pride is to walk in judgment, to be

314
00:34:46,130 --> 00:34:53,510
 consumed. Lord, help us not to be consumed, but to walk in repentance. Lord, in

315
00:34:53,510 --> 00:35:00,050
 whatever way that means for us tonight, whether that's repentance from big sins,

316
00:35:01,010 --> 00:35:08,949
 that's repentance from little sins. It's all the same to you. You just want us to

317
00:35:08,949 --> 00:35:14,409
 be present with you. You love us so much. You wanted your people to be present

318
00:35:14,409 --> 00:35:21,170
 with you. But Lord, you don't allow rebellion to go on and on and on. So Lord,

319
00:35:21,230 --> 00:35:24,690
 I just thank you for your goodness. Thank you that you sent your Son Jesus

320
00:35:24,690 --> 00:35:29,809
 so that we can have atonement, so that you can stand between death and life

321
00:35:29,809 --> 00:35:36,250
 and give us life when we put our faith in you. God, I just pray that you'd be

322
00:35:36,250 --> 00:35:41,909
 with us right now as we break into a small group and just pray and spend time

323
00:35:41,909 --> 00:35:48,190
 discussing your word. Amen. All right, so we're not gonna break into multiple

324
00:35:48,190 --> 00:35:52,610
 groups. We're just gonna break into one group. And like I said earlier, I didn't

325
00:35:52,610 --> 00:35:57,070
 get a chance to print anything off, but I want us just to go over two questions,

326
00:35:57,750 --> 00:36:08,869
 which is what and how. What do we think this chapter is here for? And how do we

327
00:36:08,869 --> 00:36:11,130
 then apply this to our life today?

328
00:36:15,530 --> 00:36:20,610
 Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church as we praise God and discuss His

329
00:36:20,610 --> 00:36:26,250
 Word. Don't forget to join us for worship lives Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. Eastern

330
00:36:26,250 --> 00:36:30,210
 on YouTube. Be blessed and have a great day!

331
00:36:38,869 --> 00:36:39,510
 you