Numbers 16:36-50 / Signs and Warnings
📖 Scripture
36 The Lord said to Moses,
37 “Tell Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, to remove the censers from the charred remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy—
38 the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives. Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar, for they were presented before the Lord and have become holy. Let them be a sign to the Israelites.”
39 So Eleazar the priest collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned to death, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar,
40 as the Lord directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the Lord, or he would become like Korah and his followers.
41 The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the Lord’s people,” they said.
42 But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared.
43 Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting,
44 and the Lord said to Moses,
45 “Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” And they fell facedown.
46 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord; the plague has started.”
47 So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them.
48 He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.
49 But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah.
50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.
✅ Scripture Summary
✅ Memory verse
✅ Reflection
A Painful Reminder (16:36–40)
All of Israel receives a continual reminder of the consequences of defiance and rebellion against God and those He has chosen to shepherd His people. Many of the lessons we learn in life serve as painful reminders of the consequences of sin. Despite the scars they may leave, they are there to warn us of presumption and rebellion. Will these reminders cultivate in us pure hearts that follow after God, or will they lead to anger and bitterness? Will we adopt a willingness to humble ourselves before God, submitting to His will and ways, or a prideful kind of independence that rejects His lordship in our lives? The choice is ours, but the decision we make will determine our future with God.
What are some painful experiences in your life that God has used to teach you obedience? Are there situations in your life where you struggle to accept God’s plan?
Spiritual Plagues (16:41–50)
The plague that spreads among God’s people is a visible sign of the effect Korah’s rebellion had upon the entire congregation. How often do we see churches divided by conflicts that are not unlike what is described in these chapters? God judges Korah and the rebels, but many in the congregation blame Moses for their deaths. Their outrage is misdirected, and in light of the events leading to the deaths of Korah’s followers, it is a sign of how spiritually warped some of the people had become. The plague that killed 14,700 people is both God’s judgment and the consequence of the people’s sin. Sin inevitably leads to death, which is why God sent His Son to make atonement for it once and for all.
What stands out to you in this passage as you consider the often difficult task of serving with others in your church community? Pray that God would protect your community from allowing sin to spread in its midst.
“We are divided on the inside and that is what leads us to cause divisions on the outside.”
– David Gibson
✅ Prayer
✅ Essay
Pray for Your Enemies
I don’t know about you, but when I think of those who have wronged me, hurt me, or caused me harm, the last thing that comes to mind is extending love, blessing, and prayer. But this is exactly what God instructs us to do. In Luke 6:27–28, Jesus states, “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
These commands are certainly contrary to our selfish human nature. It is easy to bless somebody when they are kind to us, to pray for somebody when they have treated us well, and to do good to others who have done good to us. But to bless those who have persecuted us is another story. This takes a strength outside of ourselves; this is God’s love, compassion, and mercy working in and through us.
In today’s passage, Aaron interceded on behalf of those who had persecuted him until God ended the plague that He had started. This is a powerful example for us to follow. God promises that when we bless others in this way, He will in turn bless us in our obedience: “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Pet. 3:9).
Written by Natasha Spiers