Mutiny in the Desert
Childrens Story
Comment: There is a story that says in Africa and India the natives use a technique to catch monkeys. They hollow out one end of a coconut and they put peanuts in there Ive also heard bananas but same concept. The
monkey puts his hand in the coconut and when he makes a fist to grab the peanuts, he is trapped. The natives will pull a string attached to the
other end of the coconut and capture the monkey.
Motivational speakers use this story all the time to inspire people to
let go of their old perceptions - since in truth, the monkey was never trapped. All he had to do was let go of the peanuts.
Some of us want more than what God says is good for us to have.
Numbers 16:1-40
Often I see people who have plenty of money yet they risk losing what they have in a hope of gaining more. Why is it that we are never satisfied with what we have? Why is it that we covet the things others have like possessions, position or power (authority)? We seem to be like the monkey.
In Africa they use a coconut to catch a monkey by cutting a hole into the coconut large enough for the monkeys hand to enter but to small a hole for the monkeys fist to exit. The monkey is so greedy that it will not let go of what it has in its fist even though letting go would mean freedom.
The bible teaches about a rebellion that was led by a man named Korah. He was a Levite meaning that he was a privileged person among the Hebrews or that he was specially chosen from amongst Gods Chosen People to serve in the Priesthood from the Tribe of the Levites.
He was one of the chosen from amongst the chosen yet he was still discontented with his position and place when he compared it to Moses and Aaron. He was so discontent that he spread his discontent amongst 250 of his fellow Israelite men of influence so called leaders.
They in turn brought forward a list of complaints and acting as a mob (committee) they were determined to have things there own way. Have you ever know people like this? They are always putting the boss down at work they are always looking for the small imperfections in their company or job but never seeing the great benefits they enjoy.
It is as if they can not be happy unless they are the ones running the show. They think they have as much right to be the boss as the boss does and they insist they have been disadvantaged somehow by not being given the opportunity to lead. They have not demonstrated their ability to lead but instead insist that they just know what is best because they say so. Kind of sounds like Politicians doesnt it? Well lets not pick on them today this message is for all of us.
Korahs complaint was put to Moses like this:
#1. Moses you are no better than anyone else.
#2. Everyone in Israel is chosen of the Lord not just Moses and Aaron
#3. We dont need to obey you (your no better than us).
We are coming up to Mothers Day and soon Fathers Day and for parents these complaints may sound familiar. My kids used to say - youre not the boss of me (us).
Well the fact of the matter is that God has made me the boss of you and for your own good. But convincing insolent children is a difficult task that sometime results in dramatic discipline to restore the leadership.
Websters Dictionary
Insolent - arrogantly rude.
Arrogate - to claim or seize without justification.
Arrogant - proud and overbearing.
Such was the case for Korah and his group of protestors. Moses falls to the ground and then God speaks through him and sets up a day of reckoning. Every one of the 250 grumblers is invited to attend before the Lord at the Tent of Meeting with a censer filled with incense to burn before the Lord. On the day of reckoning all those assembled witness the Glory of the Lord.
Then God tells Moses to move everyone away from the trouble makers and their tents. Then Moses tells them plainly; This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea. Numbers 16:28
29 If these men die a natural death and suffer the common fate of all human beings, then the LORD has not sent me. 30 But 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 LORD with contempt.
31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. 33 They 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. 34 At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, "The earth is going to swallow us too!"
35 And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.
End of discussion, end of rebellion and the leadership question has been answered once and for all. When we challenge the Leaders that God has put in place we had better think it through. To challenge the Leadership with the wrong motives or selfish, arrogant or insolent motives may cost you everything you have or ever hoped to have. God has decided who the rightful Leadership should be.
You may be swallowed up by your own greed for possessions, position or power or authority that rightfully belongs to someone else.
Now as an object lesson God goes one step further with this issue.
36 The LORD said to Moses, 37 Tell Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, (demonstrating the lineage of leadership through the instruction) to remove the censers from the charred remains (bodies of the 250 trouble makers) and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy (the container holding the incense was holy to the Lord not the man holding the container) 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.
God instructs them to overlay the alter with the bronze censures, beat them into sheets. Cover the alter with this message. It is the living God who will chose your Leaders if you rebel the leadership God has put in place understand the price that you will pay.
Conclusion:
Will you let go of the monkey trap and let God take control? What in your life are you reaching for or trying to hold that is held by someone else? Why do you want what God has given to someone else? Are you so sure of your own abilities that you chose your own decisions over your Creator? Hey, friend chose life in Jesus Christ. Let go of what you think you want and be thankful for what you have. Wait on the Lord, trust that he has your best interests at heart and trust those He has put in leadership over you. God is watching to see if you can first be a faithful follower before He will make you a faithful Leader.
