Thur.’s Devo - God Decides Who His Leaders Are

Read: Numbers 16:41-18:32; Mark 16:1-20; Psalm 55:1-23; Proverbs 11:7 Yesterday we read where Korah, Dathan and Abiram who were leaders rebelled against Moses and Aaron and were swallowed along with 250 of their followers into the earth. Today, we see that the people blamed Moses and Aaron for killing them. How absurd! Did they really think that Moses had the power to open the earth? God wanted to kill the whole bunch of them but Moses told Aaron to run and put fire and incense in his censer and make atonement for the people. A plague broke out and before Aaron could get there with his censer, 14,700 had dropped dead. *** God spoke to Moses and told them to have each leader of each tribe bring a rod with their name carved on it and lay it before the Lord in the tent of meeting. God would cause the man who he chooses by making his rod sprout. When Moses went in the next day Aaron’s rod had sprouted, bud, blossoms and ripe almonds. Everyone could see this when they came to get their rod. God had Moses keep Aaron’s rod as a reminder in case they grumbled over who was in charge again. *** The people were now afraid of the Lord and claimed that everyone who came near the tabernacle died. So God put on Aaron and his sons the responsibility of the people’s sins. The Levites wee to help them in their jobs and guard the tabernacle. The Levites were to be a gift to the priests. *** The Lord gave to Aaron and his sons every offering - grain, sin, guilt and wave offering for them as food. They were to treat it as holy. They also were given the first fruits of what the people gave. Even of their children and their animals. The people were able to redeem them with five shekels of silver. But, the Levites and the priests were to own no land in the promised land. God was to be their inheritance and their portion. *** The Levites were given the people’s tithe as payment for their service to the Lord. They were to give a tithe of the best of what they received back to the Lord. *** In Mark, Mary Magdalene and Mary, James’ mother and Salome brought spices to anoint Jesus’ body. It was the third day since Jesus had died. They were amazed to see that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb. A young man was sitting on the right side in a white robe and told them that Jesus was not here but risen. They were to go and tell his disciples and Peter that he was going to meet them in Galilee, just like he told them before. *** After Jesus had risen from the dead, he appeared to many people first Mary Magdalene, then the two walking to Emaus, then the eleven disciples. He told his disciples to go into the world and preach the gospel. Those who believe, they were to baptize, but those who didn’t believe would be condemned. *** They will have signs that now with them. In his name they will cast out demons, speak in new tongues, pick up serpents in their hands and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them. They will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover. *** After Jesus had given them their commission, he returned to sit at the right hand of God. His disciples went and did as he told them to do and experienced God’s miraculous power. *** Lord, we have been given the same commission. May we go out in boldness and power and experience your miracles working through our hands.