Thought from today’s Bible reading from Numbers 26-27.
Chapters that provide details about a census of the Israelites are easy for us to skim over. Yet there are lessons to be learned even here.
“The sons of Eliab: Nemuel and Dathan and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram who were called by the congregation, who contended against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the Lord, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up along with Korah, when that company died, when the fire devoured 250 men, so that they became a warning” (Numbers 26:9-10).
“The sons of Judah were Er and Onan, but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan” (Numbers 26:19).
“To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before the Lord” (Numbers 26:60-61).
Of the more than 600,000 men of Israel included in the census, the ones listed above were the few to have additional comments made about them. Why were we reminded of these men? They are here to serve as “a warning” (Numbers 26:10).
All of these men who were noted were ones that the Lord had killed for their disobedience: Dathan and Abiram (Numbers 16:1,12-14,23-35); Er and Onan (Genesis 38:6-10); and Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-3).
God wants us to learn from the sin and destruction of these men. He reminds us in these events that He is willing and able to destroy those who reject and rebel against Him. Therefore, let us serve Him always and not follow the examples of these condemned individuals.
Tomorrow’s reading: Numbers 28-30
[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]
Daily Notes & Observations contains all 365 articles from this series and is available in paperback from Gospel Armory.
