August 4, 2014

“Down Alive Into Sheol”

Blessings folk!

Moses had communicated the Word of the Lord.

The Lord would decide who the leader was.

If the confronters - Dathan, Abiram and followers - “are visited by the fate of all mankind” (meaning, if they die a natural death) then the Lord had not sent Moses.

But, if the Lord “creates something new”...then Moses tells them what the something new is...ground opening its mouth and swallowing them...then they would know that they had despised the Lord.

How did Moses know all this?
Upon being confronted, Moses fell on his face before God.
The Lord informed him.

Now, more of the account…

Numbers 16:28-35
28 And Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been of my own accord.
29 If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me.
30 But if the Lord creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord.”
31 And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart.
32 And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods.
33 So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.
34 And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!”
35 And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.

Wow.
Guess we know who God chose.
Think on this.
A defiant, rebellious spirit...not toward Moses...but toward God cost these men everything that man “works for”...
Families - swallowed up.
People belong to them - swallowed up.
All their goods...their stuff - swallowed up.
They and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol.

They went into Sheol alive.
But, they did perish from the assembly.
Death did not lead them into Sheol.
Death came to them at Sheol.

The balance of Israel fled in fear lest they should be swallowed up also.

Fire also came down from the Lord and consumed the 250 men offering incense.

So, when the Lord chose, He swallowed some with the earth.
Others He consumed with fire.

The Lord is serious about defiance and disobedience.

We should be also.

Give heed to the Lord and His precepts.

One last thing.

Do you think the people “learned their lesson”?

Wait until tomorrow...