Sunday, March 18, 2012


Korah and Me

Numbers 16 scares me. If you had asked me a month ago what I remembered about the Rebellion of Korah, I would have pulled up something about the ground opening up and swallowing people. Which is pretty memorable. But other than that, Korah lived in the mental file folder of "whiners being destroyed by the Lord." And then I got to Numbers 16 in my reading plan.

Brief summary: Korah was a Levite. He and his followers/family were Levites. Set apart by God to do holy things. To do God's work. They had a God-ordained ministry. Not happy to serve the Lord in that capacity, they decided they had received the short end of the stick. Moses asks them why they desire the priesthood. Why they have despised the ministry God has given them. They persist, saying they're just as holy as Moses or Aaron, and they deserve this position. And they all die. Actually only some of them are swallowed by the earth. Korah's group, which came to prove themselves before Moses by offering holy incense as a group are blasted with fire from heaven. The censers are collected from the ashes and the bronze melted down to be used in tabernacle decoration, as a warning to others. (p.s. The reaction of the people was just stupid. Reread Numbers 16-17 for a mind-boggling peek into the crazy stunt THEY pulled the next day.)

I can't get away from this story. See, one of my personal spiritual goals for 2012 is to cultivate a spirit of joyfulness in my role as wife and mother. The idea that God is made angry when we are discontent with the ministry He has given us has HUGE implications in several areas. In the past, Korah has washed dishes with me. He has changed diapers with me. He has even put up bulletin boards with me. He had a seat next to me on the pew as an occasional church visitor. How casually I have looked down on the ministries of the Lord that I have been given. I have allowed the world and even the 'church world' to define for me what is a worthy task. And how does this story speak to the roles of women as defined BY SCRIPTURE? God looking down in love on His creation gave us a job to do that pleases Him. 'Submission,' 'service,' 'keepers of home,' 'helpers to our husbands,': these phrases are a sure-fire way for a preacher to kill a church service. I've seen Korah in Women's Church Groups, he's a welcome guest at far too many gals' day out.

If you're thinking right now, "she is so messed up," you're probably right. I have spent the last 13 years trying to recover from what public education told me I "deserved." I fit pretty well into that round hole in the past, but I find Scripture has gradually squared off my edges, and I don't fit so well in the culture anymore. Thank God He has a square hole for me- called truth. And Korah doesn't hang out with me as much anymore.

4 comments:

Mandy said...

Love this! Thanks, Charity!

Glenn Gault said...

I've enjoyed reading your blog the last few months. This post was so good--thanks! It's something that God's been talking to me about. Thank you for being so open with others about how God's working in your life! Stephanie

Liz said...

Me too! I'm going to read that story soon! At the moment I'm trying to find contentment & joy sans sweets...hmm. I believe we've talked about this before.

The Dickinsons said...

Very good post, Charity! Thank you for sharing your heart!! May Jesus help us all to be sweet and not have a complaining attitude. The more I'm learning about you the more I think we are "kindred spirits" (To quote Anne of Green Gables. =)

I just posted a post on my blog...sharing my heart as well!

Sorry it took me a few days to respond to your comment about Mate. My parents are here visiting so life is busy. We are LOVING having them with us!

No, I don't have a recipe to make it, but here's a link that talks about Mate.
mountainroseherbs(dot)com/learn/yerba_mate.html
We have heard that a lot of health type stores(or whole food type places) in the USA are starting to sell Mate.

Blessings,
~Heather~