Message
Today’s Bible reading is a sad story with many important lessons. It is a sad story because many people died avoidable deaths by joining a rebel to gang up against Moses, the man of God. The Bible reading begins by telling us that Korah and two brothers, Dathan and Abiram, came together to confront Moses. If you study the story carefully, you will see that the rebellion began with Korah because in many verses of the chapter, the words ‘Korah and his company’ were used. Just one man started a rebellion that killed about fifteen thousand people. Rebellion is deadly!
The story might have played out differently if the other people mentioned in the chapter had refused to join Korah in the rebellion when he approached them. They should have discouraged him from being rebellious and counselled him to honour Moses. God can speak to anyone, but He doesn’t choose everyone to lead His people or be at the forefront of His move. If Korah had understood the sacred office that Moses occupied, maybe he wouldn’t have incited a rebellion against him.
Today, there are also rebels in the body of Christ. They think that they know more than the spiritual leaders God placed over them and often believe that they should be at the forefront of what God is doing. If God has not called you into a particular office in His church, don’t try to bring those who occupy such offices down. Also, don’t try to operate in an office that God has not called you into because you will only expose yourself to danger. King Uzziah became leprous because he tried to function in an office God had not called him into (). When people rebel against God’s ordained hierarchy, they become stranded in life.
We live in a generation where some young people think they have enough revelation from God’s word to speak against the spiritual elders in the church. When some of them have a large social media following, they begin to think that they have attained a notable spiritual height and can say anything they like to anyone. Popularity and social media followership are, however, not the same as spiritual authority.
Beloved, if there are rebels around you, run far away from them so that you do not partake in their judgement. Also, if you have been speaking disrespectfully against those that God has given the authority to lead the church, repent now. Rebellion is dangerous, and it never profits anyone.