“[Moses] sees the form of the Lord. I speak to him face to face.” Numbers 12:8
Korah could never accept that. He was fundamentally opposed to the idea that God would place anybody in such a position. Korah thought everybody could come to God in their own way…
Why is there only one High Priest?
“The whole community is holy, every one of them… the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?” Numbers 12:3
There’s only one answer to Korah’s question: Because God said so. The issue boils down to authority. Who says how you can come to God—is it God or is it you? God tells us how we can come to Him. The fundamental issue here is the authority of God.
That takes us to the heart of the Gospel. In the New Testament, we’re introduced to Jesus. He not only saw the form of God, but He was in the form of God. It wasn’t just that He spoke the Word of God—He is the Word of God.
When He came into the world, Jesus faced the same kind of rebellion that Korah led. Different groups of people banded together to oppose Him, they accused Him of being “out of his mind,” and the leaders of the people rose up and said, “We will not have this man reign over us.”
The words of God the Father point to Jesus
"This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" Mark 9:7
The gospel of Mark tells us about a day when Jesus went up a mountain with three of His disciples, and they saw the radiance of His glory. They heard the audible voice of God.
What did they hear? God the Father said, “There’s nobody else like Him.” Jesus died—the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God, and no one else can do that. If you try to come before God without Him, you will take a plunge to disaster.
The sign of the resurrection points to Jesus
“He has been declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead.” Romans 1:4
God gave a sign indicating that Jesus is the Son of God. It wasn’t that the ground swallowed Him up; it was that the ground couldn’t hold Him, and on the third day, He rose from the dead!
Many people today take the same position as Korah, “How can you say that we can only come to God though Jesus Christ?” That’s Korah’s rebellion and it’s a direct route to spiritual disaster. Aren’t all the people holy? No, they’re not. Isn’t God with all the people? No, He’s not.
How are you going to stand before God on the last day? Are you going to be like Korah, coming to God in your own way? That’s a sure road to disaster. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ is the Holy One of God. He came from God and, through Christ, God has made a way for you to come to Him.
This LifeKEY is based on the message, "Submit to Authority," by Pastor Colin S. Smith, originally preached on February 2, 2003, from the series "Deckchairs on the Titanic."
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Colin currently serves as Senior Pastor of the The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He is committed to preaching the Bible in a way that nourishes the soul by directing attention to Jesus Christ.
