"LORD without Lordship!"
Please enjoy “The Gospel” from “The Leather Journal of Pastor Phil Newton. He is the pulpit minister of South Woods Baptist Church. Sermons can be heard at https://archive.southwoodsbc.org/sermons/ This is brought to you by The Duke Consulting Group and https://www.invertedchristian.com/ Stop by and check out both. We are praying God’s Word will not return void but will do as He wills it to do!
“Lord without Lordship”
“Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took action, and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men of renown. They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, ‘You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?’” (Number 16:1–3)
Any journey through the book of Numbers leaves the reader amazed by Israel’s stubborn defiance and more amazed at God’s mercies. After the failed opportunity to enter into the Promised Land due to disobedience and unbelief, the people kept complaining against Moses (chapters 13–14). Moses even mediated for them, interceding that the Lord might not “smite them with pestilence and dispossess them,” as He had warned (14:12). Moses confessed, “The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will be no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations” (14:18). One would think Israel would catch on! But, alas not so.
In chapter 16, Korah as spokesman for the 250 chiefs in Israel, said to Moses, “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” What was the complaint? It seemed to be major jealousy over Moses’ position as the judge and ruler of the people, as well as Aaron’s priesthood. Moses delivered God’s word to the people while Aaron mediated for them before Yahweh. That word was corrective and instructive, while the mediation opened the way to God. But Korah and his collaborators decided they had just as much right and ability to be prophet and priest as they did. Their complaint was actually against God rather than Moses and Aaron, for it was the Lord God who chose them to communicate with and lead Israel as God’s servants. But Moses had gone too far for Korah and his colleagues. Did they mean too far in the focus on holiness, obedience, and following the Lord? Too far in doing things God’s way? That seems to be the case. Their complaints over the purposes and gifts of God showed they wanted the Lord but without His Lordship. Part of Moses’ rebuke of their actions centered on how Korah and his companions wanted Moses’ position and status, while simultaneously complaining about the gifts and position God had given them as Levites serving alongside the priests in the tabernacle. They despised the gifts of God, envying others’ gifts—a Lord without lordship.
“You have gone too far, sons of Levi!” Moses told them. He recounted the Lord’s kindness in giving them responsibilities in the tabernacle. But they wanted the priesthood instead. They despised the Lord, counting insignificant the gifts He had assigned to them, while presuming upon the mercy of the Lord and grossly misunderstanding holiness among God’s people. To live in the gifts of the Lord God is to also submit to Him as Lord of all. They paid a heavy price for stirring rebellion in Israel by attempting to throw off Lordship from their lives (16:31–35).
Part of living under the Lordship of Jesus Christ is finding joy and satisfaction in what He has entrusted to us—in gifts, service, and providential purposes. To belong to Him means we learn to yield to Him in all things, discovering with gratitude that His Lordship means He is Lord of all.