Confidence in the Lord in the Midst of Adversity
The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, representatives of the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the LORD; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died, when the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men; and they became a sign. Nevertheless the children of Korah did not die.
(Numbers 26:9-11)
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song For Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah (Psalms 46:1-3
Which Promises are Mine?
The Psalms seem to be the outpouring of the heart in worship and praise by King David and by others, All of us seem to get encouragement from the Psalms. I am never sure when I read the Psalms how many of the passages apply to the Lord, how many apply personally to the writer, how many apply to Israel as a nation, and how many can be applied to me personally. There are a lot of promises that seem to be applicable to the writer and to Israel that do not seem to be our promises today. For example, David says in Psalms 37:9, “For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.” We know that in the long view this is true. Evil doers will be cut off and will never enter the millennial kingdom. But as a practical matter, those who do evil often prosper today and they seem to “inherit” the earth. In the short run, in the world we live in day by day, this does not seem to be a comforting promise. The wicked are those who hate God and whose lives prove it. In the short run they run all over the righteous, but in the long run they end up being condemned. The only protection that the righteous have from the wicked is the Lord, and yet today we see many who are martyred because of their faith. Many new testament believers were also martyred because of their faith. Was the Lord delivering them from those who were evil? In the eternal sense, yes! But in the practical short-run sense, the answer is no! Even the Lord was delivered into the hands of evil men and only by death and the resurrection was he delivered from them.
The Example of the Sons of Korah
The sections we are looking at in this meditation are remarkable, however. The sons or children of Korah knew what it was to have the earth open up and swallow up their parents along with Dathan and Abiram and their families. These all rebelled against the Lord in the wilderness and were immediately judged for it. And now descendants of Korah are saying that they will not fear though the earth be removed. We don’t know what great calamity or battle was was the cause of this Psalm. But what we do know is that the sons of Korah had their confidence in the Lord. The children of Korah had apparently stood against their parents and with the Lord in the initial rebellion. Instead of being angry with the Lord for the destruction of their ancestors, the current generation of the children of Korah had confidence in the Lord during their current trial.
The Lord is Good
Nahum reminds us that the LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him (Nahum 1:7). Joshua reaffirms his trust in the Lord after years of serving Him when he says, “And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15)." Someone who writes anonymously in the book of Hebrews says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).”
Apparently the sons of Korah found God to be faithful. Have we found that to be true even when circumstances could cause us to doubt the Lord? Years ago, the Lord brought me to an end of myself and I was able to trust the Lord for eternity. Regardless of circumstances, I intend to continue trusting Him even if the earth be removed—even though I hope it isn’t.
I am not sure if the sons of Korah trusted the Lord because of what happened when their ancestors rebelled against Moses and against God or if they trusted the Lord in spite of what happened. But they did trust the Lord. What an example for us today!
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the week of July 23, 2017