Gistvibez Devotion of Today- Take heed To Thy Self

Key Verse:“To be a memorial unto the children of
Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed
of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the
LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his
company: as the LORD said to him by the hand

of Moses" (NUMBERS 16:40).
Punishment for crimes is not only that the
offender may suffer for his wrong doing but it
also serves to warn and deter others from doing
the same thing. This is why in most cases,
meting out punishment on offenders is not made
a private affair. The purpose is to deter others
from going into crime. Our passage today echoes
the same principle. God had publicly judged
Korah, Dathan and Abiram for their challenge and
open rebellion against Moses. This was followed
by divine judgment of fire on the two hundred and
fifty men who offered incense contrary to the
order and commandment of God. The men had
challenged the priesthood of Aaron and had gone
ahead in defiance to offer incense. God was angry
and consumed the men with fire. After their death,
God commanded Moses to instruct the sons of
Aaron to gather up the censers of the slain men
and make a sheet of covering from them. The
coverings were to be for the covering of the altars
but more than that, to serve as a memorial of the
divine judgment. It was to be an eternal reminder
that God would punish sin and rebellion. Laws are
given to ensure orderliness within a community.
Where such laws are not obeyed and enforced,
there are bound to be disorderliness and chaos.
In a family, church or society where sin is not
frowned at and punished, others will definitely not
see reason to desist from it. To prevent the
encouragement and spread of sin and rebellion,
necessary actions must be carried out on
offenders once the sins are found out and
established. In meting out punishment however,
care must be taken that there is no partiality.
Nobody should be treated specially for any
reason. We should be quick to rebuke wrong
doings and save our homes and churches from
being taken up by the “little leaven that leaveneth
the whole lump."

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: A better way to learn is
from other people’s mistake.