Thursday, February 28
Jehovah will make known who belongs to him.-Num. 16:5. Korah lost sight of the fact that Jehovah was directing the nation of Israel and consequently failed to show loyalty to those whom God was using. How much wiser it would have been for Korah to wait on Jehovah for a clearer understanding or for adjustments if those were really needed. So in the end, Korah destroyed his record of faithful service by his prideful actions! (Num. 16:1-34) That account provides a serious warning for elders and others in the congregation today. Waiting on Jehovah and following directions from those appointed to take the lead requires humility. Do we show that we are as humble and mild-tempered as Moses was? Can we acknowledge the position of those taking the lead among us and submit to directions we receive? Are we able to rise above our personal feelings when faced with disappointments? If so, we too will be known favorably by Jehovah. Our humility and submission will endear us to him. w11 9/15 5:12, 15, 16
Who was YHWH using? Does any human today occupy that position, thereby deserving unquestioning loyalty? If you had lived back then and knew in advance that Moses would sin by claiming to provide water for the Israelites, would you have warned him? Would you have been like Korah for doing so? Had Joshua warned or rebuked Moses and Aaron for disobeying YHWH in a matter, would he have destroyed his record of faithful service? Was it not, in fact, Moses who marred his record of service by claiming credit for something that YHWH provided? Are any humans today placing themselves in the seat of Moses by claiming to provide salvation that only comes through Christ? Are any humans today demanding unquestioning obedience and loyalty while at the same time going beyond what is written, and labeling any who disagree as deserving death like Korah?