Numbers 16:31-50, Purity Challenge

Two big lessons I learned from today's QT: 1) holiness is not to be taken for granted, and 2) a human prayer can change the way God acts. First, our endlessly merciful God is willing to punish these poor unfaithful Israelites by death - for unholiness. God cares a lot about our purity and it's definitely not something we should pass on lightly. We may not be punished by sudden death for our unholiness, but we still believe in the same God who did in the past. God detests sin. Second, this passage exemplifies how God's course of action can be changed by us, mere humans. Moses and Aaron, while they carried special titles, weren't above God. Moses' instruction to Aaron was in the love for his people - er, God's chosen people. In a way, God is granting his humble request to forgive them and keep them from death. (But the death of 14,700 people by God's direct punishment was probably unheard of in Israel's history until then. Even though God came short of his original intention, it was probably a big enough punishment for the rest to understand God's heart for purity.)

It's not something I can take lightly, either. I feel so unholy so many times, and my heart feels like a deep, dirty pot that hasn't been washed in weeks. I need to know and experience the deep cleansing power of Jesus' blood, that I can strive for a pure and holy life for Christ. But the one big application I drew out of this QT comes from the second lesson I learned: the power of prayer. I was very moved from the way Moses interacted with God. My application this week is to pray 15 minutes before I sleep every night. =) And my clock's hitting 11:57PM so I'm on time!