And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.” (Numbers 16:26)
At a certain point, it seems that some of the Levites, including the sons of Korah, began to distance themselves from the ringleaders and other rebels, perhaps realizing the seriousness of the situation. In fact, the Bible later records that, “the children of Korah did not die” (Numbers 26:11). Moreover, we know that the sons of Korah wrote many Psalms (e.g. Psalm 44 – 49). And so the point is, just because you may live in an environment that is hostile toward God, doesn’t mean you have to suffer the consequences necessarily. The fact that Korah’s sons weren’t destroyed teaches us that the Creator is able and willing to distinguish even within a household those who wish to follow Him and those who do not.
When you think about it, this reality is evident throughout the Scripture, starting at the very beginning. Abel was considered as righteous even though he was the offspring of the man who brought sin into the world. Abraham was a friend to the Almighty even though his father was reputed to be an idolater. Rahab and Ruth were among those considered as enemies to God and to His people, and yet, they are accounted in the genealogy of the Messiah. Thus, we understand that when the Bible says that God is no respecter of persons, it can mean that no one will get preferential treatment when it comes to disobedience but, at the same time, no one — regardless of their circumstance — is beyond redemption.
This is connected to Paul’s argument that, in Messiah, there is “Neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua” (Galatians 3:28). So our thought for today is this: our past doesn’t necessarily determine our future; our parentage doesn’t necessarily determine our heritage. In Him, there is redemption and a future and so we’ll close with these words from Jeremiah: “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
Recent Comments