Today’s Bible Reading: NUMBERS 16:1-18:32
Numbers 16:9
is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do service in the tabernacle of the LORD and to stand before the congregation to minister to them, -
It is our honor to serve the Lord. He calls us to Himself. He commissions us for His service. He assigns us as He sees fit. He stations us where He needs us most. We should find joy in His kingdom work. We should find satisfaction in His service.
Yet often we are dissatisfied with our designated duty. We find our task toilsome and tedious. It becomes mundane and meaningless. We’re no longer joyful at our job. We find the duty God has assigned to us distasteful and disagreeable. We look at and long for some other way to serve.
God specially separated Korah, and his family, to serve Him in the tabernacle. He was chosen and commissioned to carry out God’s work there. The tabernacle was where God dwelled. It was where men came to seek God through supplication and sacrifice. Korah’s work was essential for worship. It was no small thing that God had placed him in his position.
But Korah didn’t see it that way. He felt slighted by Moses and ultimately by God. He felt that he should have a more prominent and prestigious position of leadership. He wanted something bigger and better. He was repulsed by the leadership of others. He resented their authority over him. He rejected God’s placement of them. He rallied others to support his opinion and rebelled.
To him, his service was a small thing. He wanted a big thing. He was envious of the leadership position of others. His pride propelled him to push them out of their post. His rebellion sought to replace them. His heart had turned against their station and ultimately against God’s sovereign over him.
What he surmised was a small thing was in fact a substantial thing. Not everyone was called of God to come close to Him. No other tribe was entitled to enter God’s presence. This was a privilege afforded only to a few. It might not have been a “big” deal to him, but it was to the one who bestowed it upon him. His repulsion of his assignment and his rejection of Moses’ authority was in fact rebellion against God who appointed the assignments and assigned individuals their rankings. It was a big thing. David affirms that he would be happy just to be a “doorkeeper in the house of God” (Ps 84:10). There is no “small thing” in God’s service, all service is significant.
Here is a clear caution for us. We must be careful not to emulate Korah’s rebellion (Jude 1:11). Here we are cautioned to be careful how we relate to and respond to Christian leaders whom God has placed in spiritual authority over us. Within the church we don’t always agree with those who shepherd us. We may not like what they do or say. We may clash with their personality or pattern of ministry. Like Korah, we might become prideful and argue that we could do a better job than them. Our distaste for them might lead us to seek to serve elsewhere. Or we might even, like Korah, gather others to side with us and seek to remove them from their role. Beware of what befell Korah and his cohorts. Unless there is a theological, heretical or moral breach in their beliefs or behavior, to seek to remove someone that God has installed is insurrection against Him. We must honor them unless they dishonor Him.
Today consider the case of Korah. Ask the Lord to help you not to think that what you do is a small thing. Ask Him to help you find satisfaction in serving Him. Take time to pray for the spiritual leaders that the Lord has placed in authority over you. Ask Him to help them remain faithful to Him and His word as they lead. Ask Him to help you serve in the small things.
Comments