28Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: 29If these men die a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me. 30But if the Lord brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead, then you will know that these men have treated the Lordwith contempt.”
31As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. 33They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. 34At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!” (Numbers 16)
Thoughts: Some times this passage from Numbers 16 is used to say that the church should divide. But the lesson of this passage is just the opposite. The Korahites were trying to cause division and telling the people not to listen to Moses who was appointed over them. The Korahites blamed Moses for bringing change that they did not want. They blamed Moses for poor leadership. Clearly God did not want this division among the people. In the end the Sons of Korah were great Psalm writers.
Prayer: Lord, give me the heart for unity over divisiveness.
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