Day 63

Numbers 16-18.  “Rebellion of Korah”

God’s justice is not often talked about in our churches.  We would much rather talk about His love and mercy and grace.  The story of Korah, Dathan and Abiram is a vivid reminder that our God is a just God who cannot let sin go unpunished.  These men were challenging the leadership of Moses and Aaron, and worse, they were in rebellion to the Lord.
For me, the difficult part of this passage is that the families were punished as well.  This is an illustration of God’s very own description of himself in Exodus 34:7, “I will show unfailing love to many thousands by forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion.  Even so I do not leave sin unpunished, but I punish the children for the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generations.”
As unfair as it may seem, we see the impact parental sin has on children lived out every day.  Some will walk away from the Lord because of the sins of their parents.  To those who are living with the impact of a parent’s sin, know that there is grace available in Jesus to break that bondage of sin.

General Questions for each day:
Summarize the day’s Bible passage in your own words.
What thoughts, actions, attitudes or beliefs are addressed in the passage?
How is the Holy Spirit leading you to apply this passage to your life today?

Bible Discussion Guide:

-Read 1 Peter 1:18-19.  When you think about the price that Jesus had to pay for your redemption, how do you feel?
-How do you respond to God’s gracious act of redemption?
-The devotional for Feb 27th speaks of giving up our freedom for God’s purpose in our life.  Does this excite you or does it intimidate you?
-What is it about following God’s will and not your own that you find easy?  What about it do you find difficult?
-In what ways have you recently sacrificed your own desires in order to follow God’s direction?
-In the devotional about sacrificing fellowship we talked about the need for purity in the church.  How has the process of confession and seeking forgiveness been a blessing in your life?  
-What makes confession difficult for you?
-Personal application:  You may not have taken a Nazirite vow, but in what ways have you dedicated your life to the Lord?