JESUS and Judgement (Num.15-16)

Moses continued leading the Israelites according to the LORD's instructions, but Korah and a few other men challenged Moses' authority and leadership, and then incited the people.  These men's hearts were not right with God.

     (Numbers 16:19-24)  Thus Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the doorway of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.  20 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” 22 But they (Moses and Aaron) fell on their faces and said, “O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?”  23 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”

Let's not feel too badly for Korah and the few men who did this.  There are a few things we need to understand about God and what it means to be a believer.  Firstly, it's our sinful nature to desire power and position.  When we become believers, we learn the lesson that Jesus had to teach His disciples (who were constantly trying to prove that they were better and above the others)...

     (Matthew 20:25-28)  "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

We should also understand that God is all-knowing, fair and just.  Besides punishing the wicked in due time, we must be aware that God disciplines His children accordingly...

     (1 Corinthians 11:32)  ...when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

As well, understand that God does not punish or forsake a believer or even someone who will one day become a believer.  This is evident in Jesus' parable ...

     (Matthew 13:27-29)  The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them..."

Interestingly, the event described in Numbers 16, where the LORD tells the people to "Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram’” in order to destroy only the people in those camps - parallels what Jesus will do in the end times...

     (Matthew 25:31-33)  "...when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left..."

This even happens AFTER the Tribulation, before taking all believers into the Millennium for the Thousand Year Reign... (FYI:  these believers are the people who became Christians during the Tribulation, since all Christians just before the Tribulation are "raptured" - caught up in the air with Jesus.)

But what does that mean for us now... Just knowing who Jesus is, we can be confident that He has our best interesting at heart, for Jesus Himself - GOD - says...

     (John 10:27-30)  "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”