Numbers 16:41-50 Protecting the People

 Numbers 16:41-50 (NRSV)

41On the next day, however, the whole congregation of the Israelites rebelled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, "You have killed the people of the LORD." 42And when the congregation had assembled against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the tent of meeting; the cloud had covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared. 43Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45Get away from this congregation, so that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell on their faces. 46Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, put fire on it from the altar and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them. For wrath has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun." 47So Aaron took it as Moses had ordered, and ran into the middle of the assembly, where the plague had already begun among the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people. 48He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stopped. 49Those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the affair of Korah. 50When the plague was stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

Observation: God has recently caused a man named Korah and his family to be swallowed up by the earth for trying to usurp the priesthood from the family of Aaron. Now, God tells Moses God intends to consume all the people of Israel with a plague. Moses and Aaron act fast. Aaron grabs a censer full of holy incense and goes into the midst of the people already dying from plague, separating the dead from the living, saving  hundreds of thousands of lives. Still, over fourteen thousand die. 

Application: Honestly, if this text were the only story I have about the God of Israel, I would not be inclined to worship that God. I don't see compassion, forgiveness or love. Just vindictive rage. We don't always have to come to the defense of the Bible and try to explain God's actions--or at least what the storytellers perceive to be God's actions. No priest should have to step into the breach to defend the people from an angry God. And whatever really happened here, and whatever it meant to Israel, my belief is that no priest does have to protect the people from God. In fact, the message we get from Jesus is that more often it's God stepping in to protect us from ourselves. 

I don't know if God really wanted to consume all Israel with a plague, or if that's just how the people experienced it. But one thing I do gain from this text is that even though Moses and Aaron DO perceive this plague to be somehow from God, they have no compunction about doing the right thing and protecting their people from it. Whatever your theology dictates, it's never wrong to do what you can to keep others safe. It's never ever wrong to save lives. 

Prayer: God, I just don't understand this story. It doesn't seem like you, but I trust you are in there. Open my ears to hear your word in the difficult stories, and my heart to receive it. Amen.