THAT OTHERS MAY FEAR NUMBERS 16:36-40 KEY VERSE: :“To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses” (Numbers 16:40). Punishment for crimes is not only that the offender may suffer for his wrong doing but it also serves to warn and deter others from doing the same thing. This is why in most cases the meting out of punishment on offenders is not made a private affair but a public one. The purpose is to deter others from going into crime. Our passage today echoes the same principle. God had publicly judged Korah, Dathan and Abiram for their challenge and open rebellion against Moses. This was followed by the divine judgment of fire on the two hundred and fifty men who offered incense contrary to the order and commandment of God. The men had challenged the priesthood of Aaron and had gone ahead in defiance to offer incense. God was wrath and devoured the men with fire. After their death, God commanded Moses to instruct the sons of Aaron to gather up the censers of the slain men and make a sheet of covering from them. The coverings were to be for the covering of the altars but more than that, to serve as a memorial of the divine judgment. It was to be an eternal reminder that God would punish sin and rebellion. Laws are given to ensure orderliness within a community of people. Where such laws are not obeyed and enforced, there are bound to be disorderliness and chaos. In a family, church or society where sins are not frowned at and punished, others will definitely not see reason to desist from sin. To prevent the encouragement and spread of sin and rebellion, necessary actions must be carried out on offenders once the sins are found out and established. In meting out punishment however, care must be taken that there is no partiality. Nobody should be treated specially for any reason. We should be quick to rebuke wrong doings and save our homes and churches from being taken up by the “little leaven that leaveneth the whole lump.” THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Open rebuke for sin will keep others away from it.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Sep 2014 11:28:48 +0000
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