Numbers 16:2-3 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?

If you have ever read Numbers 16, then you might agree with me that it is a tough read. It starts with rebellion, but then what doesn’t? Rebellion forces the issue. Rebellion will not stand before the Lord, it cannot.

The rebels declared here in verse 3 that all are holy. They being men of fame and renown took it upon themselves to declare who was holy. In response to that Moses said, and I paraphrase, “Well we will see what God has to say about that.”

The two hundred and fifty and all their families were swallowed up into the pit and a fire consumed them. The rebellion was put down. Then the unthinkable began, those that were not in rebellion began to die of a plague, not because they were in rebellion but because they were not holy for they lay the blame of the deaths on Moses and Aarons.

It was then that Moses sent Aaron into their midst to intercede on their behalf, to save those he could. Fourteen thousand seven hundred of these died, Moses and Aaron could not save them all. It was not their wish that any should die, but they were all worthy of death. Only those for whom Aaron stood between the living and the dead were saved.

None are holy but the Lord. None are faithful but the Lord. None are saved except those whom that Lord has stood between them and death. It is not His will that any should die, but He cannot save everyone.

The terms have been set. Our only salvation is our intercessor, Christ, you can stand before Him and blame Him for the deaths or take His side and be saved. If you think you have any other choice, you haven’t been listening.

Genesis 32:10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.

Do you ever tell yourself you are not worthy? Do you feel like you do not deserve a blessing, good fortune, or a loving relationship? Let me begin by telling you that you are right. We are not worthy.

Psalm 14:3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

It is well established that not one of us is worthy. So now what?

Romans 3:24-27 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

We are declared righteous by faith in Jesus Christ. What does that say about us, if when God declares us worthy of His mercy and grace, we declare we are not? I look back to the example of Jacob whom God told to return home. Jacob hedged his bet by dividing his family into two groups, send only a portion to his brother Esau whom he feared. Jacob failed faith, believing that the God who called him might not deliver him without harm.

Tell yourself you are not worthy and you make God a liar, that Christ died in vain for your salvation and your right standing before God. Worse still it stops you from calling on the only help we can depend on, our Lord Jesus Christ.