Reconciled

Tuesday 5^th September

Read Numbers 16:12-22

“Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, ‘We will not come! ¹³ Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? And now you also want to lord it over us! ¹⁴ Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Do you want to treat these men like slaves? No, we will not come!’

¹⁵ Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, ‘Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them.’ ¹⁶ Moses said to Korah, ‘You and all your followers are to appear before the Lord tomorrow – you and they and Aaron. ¹⁷ Each man is to take his censer and put incense in it – 250 censers in all – and present it before the Lord. You and Aaron are to present your censers also.’ ¹⁸ So each of them took his censer, put burning coals and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ¹⁹ When Korah had gathered all his followers in opposition to them at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the Lord appeared to the entire assembly. ²⁰ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ²¹ ‘Separate yourselves from this assembly so that I can put an end to them at once.’ ²² But Moses and Aaron fell face down and cried out, ‘O God, the God who gives breath to all living things, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?’” (NIVUK)

Conflict happens. It happens quite regularly. Sometimes it simply isn’t possible to work out why it started. The minimum requirement to resolve a conflict though seems to be to a willingness to talk. Where people are unwilling to even talk what hope is there for reconciliation?

Dathan and Abiram refused to even talk with Moses. Their justification for refusal is riddled with error but boils down to the simple accusation that leaders should seek the good of the people they lead and Moses has failed that test. All he is doing is leading them around the desert waiting for them to die. Why should they answer to him at all?

Having blamed the leader for the consequences of their own disobedience, something we all have done at some stage, the situation escalates considerably. Moses was angry, but remained gracious. Where is the grace you ask? He gave them time to reconsider request (v16). He also privileged them with the very thing they demanded – they wanted leadership and priesthood and he gave them the opportunity to undertake the priestly duty of presenting incense before Yahweh.

Reconciliation was offered in spite of anger, and even though the rebels refused to meet with the leaders, when it went downhill they again interceded (v22). How would you fare in this situation? Are you part of the rebellion or would you be willing to cry out to the Lord on behalf of the many?

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰ For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” (Romans 5:8-10) (NIVUK)