Following their freedom came a series of tests. It usually went something like this. God led the people. They got hungry and thirsty but could find no food or water. They grumbled. God got angry but intervened. They celebrated and then doubted again as soon as the next test came.
Many times God grew angry over Israel. Moses kept loving them, leading them and praying for them.
Then we come to a lengthy passage in Numbers 16. A guy named Korah, along with 250 notable leaders from Israel, openly defied Moses and Aaron. They accused these two servants of God of exalting themselves and lording over Israel. They claimed they had just as much holiness and right to lead. These wicked men challenged the God ordained authority of Moses and Aaron.
A test was proposed. Burn incense before the Lord and let Jehovah choose the holy ones. The challenge was accepted. It appears the whole nation showed up to watch what Yahweh would do and whom He would choose. The fire pans were gathered and incense were offered.
Moses declared that the ones Jehovah rejected would be swallowed whole by the ground. God warned Moses and Aaron, as well as the rest of the nation, to move away from Korah and those on his side. Sure enough the ground opened and swallowed Korah and his family whole. Fire came down and consumed the 250 other leaders who sided with Korah.
When Korah rebelled God stood ready to wipe out the whole nation. Moses and Aaron pleaded with God not to hold the whole nation guilty for the sins of a minority. God is just. He will not leave sin unpunished. He executed wrathful judgement on the rebellious.
After God punished Korah and his rebellious mutineers, the congregation of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron and blamed them for the death of Korah and the others. God's anger was kindled and this time He actually began to judge Israel with a plague. Moses prayed for God's mercy and Aaron ran between the dead and the living offering incense to appease the Lord. Over 14,0000 died at the hand of the Lord that day.
You know what struck me when I read this passage earlier today. How much Moses loved those people. Enough to stand in the gap for them. Not once but twice even when they turned on him and Aaron again. He cared enough to plead for God to give Israel another chance. Only a couple of days later Israel again rebelled and again Moses pleaded with God to have mercy. He cared.
All around us people are perishing. The vast majority die without Jesus and salvation. They perish. Meaning they are destroyed and ruined in Hell. I ask does the church even care? Does it bother the preacher, the elders, the deacons, the teachers, those in the choir, the ushers, the musicians or the average person? Do we care that untold numbers pass from this life into a tormented eternity without Jesus? We boldly claim we have the answer and remedy to this situation. Yet about the best people muster is to invite someone to church. The gospel is not often shared outside the pulpit in a great many congregations.
Who intercedes? Who loves like Moses loved? Who cares like he did? Who pounds on the doors of heaven for lost souls to be saved? Who weeps anymore for the lost to come to repentance and faith in Jesus?
We make excuses for our pathetic evangelistic results. We say it is because we live in a post modern world. That is the new catch phrase. We make excuses that church has become irrelevant. Everybody is looking for a new model. I even heard about people having beer bashes so they can get close to and relate to other beer drinkers. What happened to come apart and be separate? We adopt the world's ways and water down the gospel and the church even more with each passing generation.
The fledgling church in the book of Acts lived in a hostile environment. They were not trendy. They were bold. They also prayed. No, I mean they prayed a lot. They gathered for prayer and God empowered them. Read for yourself the results. Everyday somebody got saved. A few thousand here. A few thousand there. The gospel spread way beyond Jerusalem and beyond the Jewish people. Hostile opposition arose from Jews and governmental officials. Still the church kept growing and expanding to new countries as people boldly prayed and boldly shared Jesus with those they came in contact with. Those apostles and early believers cared.
The hard truth is it appears the modern day church does not care about the perishing. A new program is preferred to be started over a prayer meeting. A new "come and see our church" approach is embraced rather than, Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
We would rather plan and attend another fellowship than to stand in the gap for the perishing. Ezekiel 22:30 (NKJV)
30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.
I don't know the full extent of what the Lord is doing but can we sit comfortably while the church does so little and so many are one breath away from hell? This is happening on our watch. On my watch. Do I care? Do you? Does the church? If not we are the biggest hypocrites of all. We are running a sham. A hustle to build country clubs for social gatherings rather than impacting our culture and rescuing the perishing. We are con artists saying we believe in a gospel we seldom if ever share. God help us. God help us to care again. Like Moses. Like the apostles.
No comments:
Post a Comment