Can't Teach an Old Dog

Reading:   Numbers 16-17

This is great!  The Israelites have quite frustrated me as a reader because they continually, despite all the wonders, find cause for murmuring.  Here we find another example of God showing forth immense power and the Israelites simply refusing to acknowledge the hand of deity and blaming man.  It's almost laughable, no, it is laughable and I did laugh.  It's just that after awhile, one can't help but want, even hope for, a stern reaction from God to slap the masses around a bit.  I mean if a person is summarily stoned to death for picking up sticks or cursing how then are a group of people not dealt with in like manner for refusing to acknowledge the hand of God?

Back to the comical story of the day; a group of Israelites decide that Moses, Aaron, and the chosen elders of Israel have too much on their plate and that they, men of renown, should be given voice over the people as well.  The men, 250 strong, are invited to join Moses and Aaron at the tabernacle where Moses has proclaimed that God will select his chosen ones.  Now at this point don't you think these idiots might have second thoughts...they don't...these mean are so self-important that they tempt God and appear before the people.  Moses proclaims that he is the chosen one, not of his own will but by the will of God.  He then warns the people to depart from the presence of those men who have acted wickedly and not just to avoid them but to stay clear of their possessions also...

NUMBERS 16:31-33

31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:

32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

So the ground opened up and swallowed the wicked people along with all of their possessions.  Wait, that isn't the incredible part.  Keep in mind that the ground opening up is a very visual and obvious event, but to open up in a specific location, just enough to engulf all the possessions and families of a particular group of people, well, that is even more specific, more visual, and ridiculously obvious.  So, can you guess how the brilliant Isralite onlookers responded - wait for it, wait...here comes the kicker...

NUMBERS 16:41

41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord. 

Tell me that is not the most asinine thing ever?  What kind of blinders did these people wear?  Or maybe that was it, they were all literally blind!  Well, the nice thing is that God did not threaten this time or allow a moment of pleading from Moses, no discussion, no time for debate, He released a plague amongst the threatening congregation and when all was said and done, 14,700 people died.

That was a decent slap on the face and I do hope it worked but I doubt the Israelites will sit back in awe too long before finding something else to whine about - too bad.

~Kipling