Selfless Mercy

Author: Joseph

Date: December 9, 2018

Korah, along with 250 leaders in Israel rose up against Moses and Aaron, wrongly accusing them of leading Israel from their own self-will and desire for power. God separated the people involved in the rebellion of Korah and opened the earth to swallow them up. Also, those that wrongly chose to come before God with their own incense during the rebellion were burned up by a fire from the Lord.

As Korah and the rebellious families were swallowed up by the earth, the rest of Israel fled in horror and cried out, thinking they may suffer the same fate.

The very next day, those that had fearfully fled were now assembled against Moses and Aaron and accusing them of causing the deaths of those who rebelled with Korah. These assembled people thought that somehow God was controlled by Moses and Aaron. God was not controlled by Moses and Aaron, rather, God was the One leading them.

Moses and Aaron often suffered under the false accusations of the people because they did not understand who God was. God, not man, was in control of their journey. God, not Moses or Aaron, was the one leading Israel through the wilderness.

God’s anger was kindled against the people again. This time God told Moses He would consume the congregation with a plague and gave Moses no opportunity to speak before beginning His judgment. Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the Lord and Moses then quickly instructed Aaron to make atonement for the people.

Aaron went out into the encampment of Israel with burning incense and ran between those that were dead and those that were living. Aaron’s presence between the plague and the people stopped it from spreading.

God was right in His judgment and though He did not desire to send out a plague, the people of Israel committed the same sin again against Moses and Aaron. Their stubborn hearts were not repentant from the rebellion that took place only the day before and they tested God again. But God still had mercy on the people and knew that Moses and Aaron desired this as well. Aaron was sent out by Moses to face the plague face-to-face and stand between it and the people.

Moses and Aaron showed great humility because these people had rebelled many times, yet they still wanted to have mercy on them. Aaron showed selfless sacrifice by placing himself between the plague and the people. He performed atonement on Israel’s behalf and interceded so they would not all die. Moses and Aaron desired selfless mercy and did not want Israel to be killed though they were sinful.

Do you show mercy to those who have done no good to you? Is it difficult for you to be merciful to someone because of the past history you have in that relationship? Moses and Aaron were never highly regarded in the eyes of Israel and were often rebelled against, yet they still desired mercy for those that persecuted them.

Show mercy to those that do not deserve it. It takes no sacrifice from ourselves to show mercy to those we think deserve it, but it takes selfless sacrifice to show it to those who do not. This is what God desires; show selfless mercy.

Bible Passage: Numbers 16:1-49