The Danger of the “Hardening” of the Heart

Numbers 14; Numbers 15; Numbers 16; Mark 3
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Scripture

Numbers 16

27 So all the people stood back from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances of their tents, together with their wives and children and little ones.
28 And Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things that I have done—for I have not done them on my own. 29 If these men die a natural death, or if nothing unusual happens, then the LORD has not sent me. 30 But if the LORD does something entirely new and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and all their belongings, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have shown contempt for the LORD.”
31 He had hardly finished speaking the words when the ground suddenly split open beneath them. 32 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned. 33 So they went down alive into the grave, along with all their belongings. The earth closed over them, and they all vanished from among the people of Israel. 34 All the people around them fled when they heard their screams. “The earth will swallow us, too!” they cried. 35 Then fire blazed forth from the LORD and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense.
36 And the LORD said to Moses, 37 “Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to pull all the incense burners from the fire, for they are holy. Also tell him to scatter the burning coals. 38 Take the incense burners of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and hammer the metal into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. Since these burners were used in the LORD’s presence, they have become holy. Let them serve as a warning to the people of Israel.”
39 So Eleazar the priest collected the 250 bronze incense burners that had been used by the men who died in the fire, and he hammered them into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. 40 This would warn the Israelites that no unauthorized person—no one who was not a descendant of Aaron—should ever enter the LORD’s presence to burn incense. If anyone did, the same thing would happen to him as happened to Korah and his followers. So the LORD’s instructions to Moses were carried out.
41 But the very next morning the whole community of Israel began muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!” 42 As the community gathered to protest against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tabernacle and saw that the cloud had covered it, and the glorious presence of the LORD appeared.
43 Moses and Aaron came and stood in front of the Tabernacle, 44 and the LORD said to Moses, 45 “Get away from all these people so that I can instantly destroy them!” But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground.
46 And Moses said to Aaron, “Quick, take an incense burner and place burning coals on it from the altar. Lay incense on it, and carry it out among the people to purify them and make them right with the LORD. The LORD’s anger is blazing against them—the plague has already begun.”
47 Aaron did as Moses told him and ran out among the people. The plague had already begun to strike down the people, but Aaron burned the incense and purified the people. 48 He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped. 49 But 14,700 people died in that plague, in addition to those who had died in the affair involving Korah. 50 Then because the plague had stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

Observation

In chapter 14 we find the Hebrew children rebelling against Moses and Aaron and wanting to stone Caleb and Joshua. Remember that the 12 spies had gone to scout out the Promised Land and after hearing the ten spies negative report the people decided to rebel against God and they listened to the ten rather than to God. God was going to destroy them all but Moses prayed for them and God spared them.

In Chapter 16 we find the amazing story of leaders rebelling against God and against Moses. Moses gets angry and God gets angry and once again God wants to destroy all of them but Moses and Aaron fall face down and once again ask God to spare the people. God destroys the rebellious leaders by having the ground open up and devour them and fire came down from heaven and destroyed another 250 followers of these rebellious leaders.

But here is the sad part of this story and it is found in chapter 16 verse 41 “But the very next morning the whole community of Israel began muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!” Hard hearts can’t see the hand of God even when God acts so powerfully.

Hard hearts rob God’s people of experiencing God’s blessings!

In today’s reading in Mark chapter 3:4-5 Jesus asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him. He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts.

Application

I will intercede for folks that have allowed their hearts to become hard.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, protect us from people that have hard hearts and that only want to cause harm. I pray that you soften their hearts and I pray that they will hear and listen to your voice today. Don’t allow my heart to become harden. I want to be teachable. I want to hear your voice today. You are a powerful God. I pray that you do a miraculous work in our church today. I pray for our leaders today. I pray that they come to church excited, filled with your Holy Spirit, and ready to lead our people. I pray for our staff today. I pray that they would be men and women of integrity. I pray that we would lead with integrity of heart and that you would bless our people today. Amen.

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