Thursday 7th September
Read Numbers 16:35-40
“And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense. 36 The Lord said to Moses, 37 ‘Tell Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, to remove the censers from the charred remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy – 38 the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives. Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar, for they were presented before the Lord and have become holy. Let them be a sign to the Israelites.’
39 So Eleazar the priest collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned to death, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar, 40 as the Lord directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the Lord, or he would become like Korah and his followers.” (NIVUK)
Having interceded to protect the people from God’s wrath, God heeded Moses’ and Aaron’s prayer and judgement only fell on those who rebelled. They had a day to consider if they would challenge for the role of priests and chose to do so and offer incense. Judgement was swift. They became the offering themselves.
Their censors were calmly collected, beaten into metal sheets and used to line the altar as a constant reminder of the consequences of disobeying the word of God. Their censors becoming a part of every offering made from then on. Whenever the people bring their offerings of worship to God they are reminded of His holiness and the requirement to approach on His terms, and His terms alone.
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’” (Hebrews 12:28-29) (NIVUK)
