Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Rebellion against the way
and order of God is a recurring error of mankind throughout his
very brief history. It began in the Garden of Eden
and has continued until the present hour. Nowhere in the Scriptures
is this sin and its certain judgment illustrated any more clearly
than in the rebellion of Korah and his cohorts, Dathan and Abiram. God has a prescribed way in which
a man may approach unto him, and he will only be worshiped
in that way. The inherent idolatry that is in the heart of men by
nature leads them to devise methods, means, and ways to worship as
they desire. We see this trait demonstrated
quite early, as Cain grew angry when the Lord did not accept
the offering that he brought. It is just as much an act of
idolatry for a man to think he can approach the Lord God of
heaven and earth according to his own timetable and in his
own fashion as it is to carve a piece of wood or chisel a piece
of stone and fall down before it and render homage to a lifeless
God. Moses was appointed by God to
lead the children of Israel, and his brother Aaron was the
appointed high priest. They alone were authorized to
make offerings unto the Lord. But Korah led a rebellion against
this narrow-minded way, and was certain that he had an improved
system. He assumed that men had the right to come into the presence
of God in any fashion they chose. God destroyed them and all who
were their confederates. There is but one means of approach
unto the true and living God. It is through the great high
priest who has been appointed by the Father. There is but one
way in which the Father and the Son can be truly worshipped,
and that is in spirit and truth. In fact, the Scripture says,
He seeketh such to worship Him. It is according to His purpose
and by His permission that any of the sinful humanity are called
to approach His mercy seat. The Samaritan woman assumed that
her tradition was fine. The Lord told her that no man's
tradition could bring him into the Lord's presence, but only
those whom the Father seeketh would go into that holy place.
Modern-day churches are full of those who think they can worship
Him any time they get ready. Most think it is well within
the ability of men to design their own worship, so they often
devise pompous methods and practices which satisfy their love of religion.
The establishment and perpetuity of a professional clergy is indicative
of this idea. Most churches have abandoned
the scriptural concept of a ministry among the body in favor of setting
up a ruling class of trained professionals who are able to
come in and perform the necessary teaching, administrating, and
counseling which they assume the body needs to function. The
church is a living body with one head and is a brotherhood
of priests and kings seated in heavenly places, not a sterile
classroom. Man's natural rebellion against
the Lord is never more fervent than when the subject of his
sovereign, unconditional election is mentioned. The Sons of Korah
provide one of the best illustrations of election found anywhere in
all of the Word of God. The Sons of Korah were spared
from the destruction that engulfed the children of Dathan and Abiram.
Dathan and Abiram's children were not evidently involved in
their father's rebellion, but they were nonetheless connected
to them by birth and as such were judged guilty by God. There
is no logical explanation as to why Korah's sons should be
spared while these others perished, except that God was pleased to
show mercy to them while they were just as guilty as the children
of Dathan and Abiram. In fact, the case could be made
that since Korah was the ringleader, they were even more worthy of
death. The whole human race has shown itself to be worthy of
eternal destruction, that any should be spared is a testament
to the mercy of God. Yet even beyond that fact, man's
mouth must be silent before God, because as the Creator He has
the absolute right to elect some unto eternal life and reprobate
others to eternal destruction before they were ever born or
had done any good or evil. What can the thing formed say
to him who created it? Until a man has bowed before
a sovereign God and confessed that he has the power and right
to create a whole world just for the purpose of sending it
to hell, if he wanted to, there remains within him a seed of
rebellion. Man can place no limitations or boundaries on God, nor prescribe
for Him what is right or wrong, the sovereign work of the Lord
in revealing to His elect children the mercy that He has extended
to them in giving them the privilege to become the sons of God and
moves them to fall upon their faces in thankful and profuse
worship and adoration. And so we see the sons of Korah
become a family of singers, musicians, and worshipers for whom many
of the psalms are written. Are you a worshiper of this true
and living God? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.