Alignment
“In the morning the Lord will show who is His, and who is holy, and will bring him near to Him.”
— Numbers 16:5, ESV
Korah has been coming up in my mind regularly during prayer. In Scripture, Korah was a Levite who became so consumed with himself that he missed God entirely. He was focused on gaining a higher position and greater recognition, and in doing so, he lost all sense of God’s presence. This pride ultimately led to his downfall—along with the destruction of his family, friends, and a large portion of their community.
In Numbers 16, Korah and his followers challenged Moses and Aaron, accusing them of exalting themselves. Scripture says:
“And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, ‘You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?’
When Moses heard it, he fell on his face, and he said to Korah and all his company, ‘In the morning the Lord will show who is His, and who is holy, and will bring him near to Him. The one whom He chooses He will bring near to Him.’”
— Numbers 16:2–5, ESV
Korah was so full of pride and arrogance that he became blind to the truth and convinced others that he was right. But Moses humbled himself before God, saying, in effect, “Let the Lord decide who is holy and righteous.”
Scripture tells us:
“...the wicked will act wickedly; none of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.” — Daniel 12:10
“The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.” — Proverbs 4:19, ESV
Pride blinds us and leads us to reject the truth. Korah was so confident in himself that he dared to stand against Moses—the very man through whom God had delivered Israel from Egypt with His mighty hand. As Scripture reminds us, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
Korah and his followers allowed pride and self-importance to blind them—the very thing they accused Moses and Aaron of was the sin they themselves were committing. Moses responded:
“Hear now, you sons of Levi: is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do service in the tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister to them, and that He has brought you near Him, and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, with you? And would you seek the priesthood also? Therefore it is against the Lord that you and all your company have gathered together. What is Aaron that you grumble against him?”
— Numbers 16:8–11, ESV
One person’s ego and pride started a movement that convinced hundreds to follow him into darkness. As the story continues, when Korah and his company stood before the Lord, the ground opened up and swallowed them alive. The 250 men who followed him and offered incense were consumed by fire from the Lord.
You would think that would be the end of the rebellion, but pride is persistent. The very next day, the entire congregation grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.” In response, the Lord sent a plague, and 14,700 people died that day (Numbers 16:41–49).
This passage powerfully reminds us that grumbling, complaining, pride, arrogance, and haughtiness pull us out of alignment with God and into the hands of the enemy. It is vital that we continually examine our hearts and align ourselves with the Lord.
Jesus modeled perfect alignment when He said, “I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.” (John 6:38)
If we keep our eyes fixed on God’s will, we will remain in alignment with His purpose for our lives.
Key Takeaways
Pride will always bring you out of alignment with God.
We were sent to earth to do the will of our Father.
Having the heart posture of Jesus keeps us aligned with God: “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19; Isaiah 55:11
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