God Clarifies with Fruit

Num 16:12-25         11/22/2017

Korah assembled 250 leaders from all of Israel. Unlike the two Reubenites (Dathan and Abiram), he met Moses’ challenge to assemble before the tent of meeting. The Lord descended in glory and threatened to wipe out the community. Moses and Aaron prevailed upon the Lord to spare the assembly.

Korah’s challenge was directed against Aaron. They were cousins from the tribe of Levi. Korah believed he should also be able to minister as priest before the Lord just as Aaron did. He saw in Aaron’s priesthood an implicit and unwarranted nepotism.

The great challenge of my personal, moral failures is that they invariably effect other people. In contradiction to modern libertarian thinking, there really is no such thing as strictly “personal” sin. Others in the community are always touched by even my most private sins.

Solomon once threatened to divide a child in order to reveal the motives of two contentious women. The fruit of each woman’s actions revealed what was good and true and beautiful – and what wasn’t. It couldn’t have happened another way. The fruit of their actions had to be revealed.

This is the wisdom of God.

Korah’s indifference to the good of the community was manifest in his fearless approach to the tabernacle with priestly incense. My indifference to the good of community is manifest in my ruthless pursuit of success and power with indifference to the meaning of the work I do or the people around.

May heaven help us.

“By their fruits you will know them” Matt 7:16