Penalties

 Korah’s big problem wasn’t that he was coming against Moses. His problem was that he was coming against the Lord. It would have been a different matter entirely if it had been just Moses and Aaron on their own, without a mandate and an anointing from God. They likely would have overwhelmed Moses by sheer force of numbers, having gathered some two hundred and fifty men to their cause. How quickly they forgot all that God had done for them through Moses. How quickly they forgot the parting of the sea or the plagues upon Egypt that compelled Pharaoh to let them go in the first place.

Now that they were away from Egypt and its oppression, it was time to plan for the future. It was time to position oneself for greater power and authority, even though the position God called you to was impressive enough.

Korah made two unforced errors. First, he left his proper domain. He was not content with his portion or his calling, desiring something other than what God had appointed him to. Second, he disregarded the reality that God appointed Moses over the people, not Moses himself.

Numbers 16:8-11, “Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi: Is it a small thing that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to serve them; and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also? Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord. And what is Aaron that you complain against him?”

At first glance, Moses is trying to be conciliatory, pointing out that Korah’s calling and that of the sons of Levi was nothing to scoff at. They had been set apart and brought near to God to do the work of the Tabernacle of the Lord; they were a special people among a special people. Then, as though Moses was trying to verbally process the intent behind Korah’s attack, he hits upon the reason. Korah was not content with the calling to which he had been called and wanted the priesthood as well.

There is wisdom and great gain in godliness with contentment. Most today lack both, which shows in their countenance, machinations, plots, plans, and attacks. Why did God call you to run a ministry? I don’t know; ask Him. Why don’t you try harder at growing the ministry? Because that’s God’s area of expertise. It will be as big as He wants it to be, and my trying to grow it of my own volition will lead to nothing good.

Why don’t you come up with edgier, more gripping titles for your books? Because the objective is not units sold, and my target audience is not people who judge books by their covers.

Why aren’t you more driven? Because I’m content. I am where God commanded me to be, doing what He commanded me to do, and I have no dreams or aspirations for anything greater.

When your single-minded pursuit is obedience unto the Lord, contentment is a byproduct. The contentment does not come from an achievement per se but from the act of obedience itself. Because it is obedience that facilitates the contentment, the size, scope, reach, or impact of whatever you were called to do is irrelevant.

Are you where God needs you? Are you content with what God has for you, or do you want more? Are you comparing your calling to others, or are you walking in godliness and humility with God, unconcerned about another’s field?

For those not in ministry, this may sound like a trivial matter, but given what happened to Korah and his adherents, I assure you it is not. It’s easy to get caught up in the Korah mindset, especially given the intellectual deficiencies of some modern-day preachers who have risen to prominence.

That’s when you take a step back, rebuke the thoughts trying to make a nest in your heart, and ask yourself the only question that matters: Are you being faithful to your calling? That’s it. If the answer is yes, then everything else is tertiary.

Be content in your calling because you are satisfied with God. When you are satisfied with God, the magnitude of your calling doesn’t come into play. Even if your calling was as simple as sweeping the sanctuary after everyone has left, if you are satisfied with God, you will be content in it.

Whenever the enemy comes upon one with the Korah mindset, he is quick to fuel their ambitions, most often at the expense of others, because his purpose is not to elevate one such as Korah but to tear down what God helped build through others.

There was a time back in the early 90s when corporate takeovers of television ministries and evangelical campuses were so common that one woke up expecting to see the headline every morning. When one old hack died, another old hack would sweep in and take over because their avarice knew no bounds, yet they justified all their underhanded dealings by insisting they were doing it as unto the Lord. Korah did too, but God knew better. His end was swift and final and of such resonance that the people understood whom God had chosen and whom He had not.

The time of the sifting is soon approaching. It is a sifting that will begin with the house of God, in the house of God, and all the lies will be laid bare, all the liars judged with His righteous judgment.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.