Numbers 16:48

0:00 Good evening, church. We are all captivated by stories that include some type of dramatic intervention, the drama of someone stepping in when all seems lost. I mean, think about it. How many movies or TV shows really just try to keep us on the edge of our seats, waiting for a critical moment when someone or something ends up bringing some type of resolution to a situation. We love these moments because they satisfy a deep need in us, a longing for things to be made right when the normal course of action fails. And often in these stories, the failure happens because evil has gained the upper hand. I mean, writers and filmmakers masterfully have used this idea of intervention or what we might even call like a stopgap to create tension and drama.

1:02 They craft scenarios where the hero is going to be, he's going to be facing these impossible odds, and we're all asking the question, how is he going to get out of this situation? I mean, when I was a kid, I watched this show when I was really young. My parents watched it, but I watched this show called MacGyver. Now, I am curious, by just maybe raise of hands, has anybody seen the show MacGyver? Oh my goodness, a lot of you guys have. Well, MacGyver, I mean, it was like every episode, MacGyver would find himself in just an impossible situation.

1:41 I mean, you were just wondering, how is he going to get out of this situation? And what would happen is he would end up finding like some duct tape and a paper clip, and then all of a sudden he'd be out, and he would end up saving the day, all right? So what happens is, is these moments of intervention capture our imagination because they arise in the face of crisis, when the stakes are high and failure seems to feel inevitable.

2:13 So why are we drawn to these stories? Well, I think it reminds us of hope, of the possibility that even when systems fail and our our plans fall apart that there still might be a way forward and maybe just maybe there might be someone there to save us our scripture for this evening is numbers 16 48 and it can be found on the front of your bulletin it says and he Aaron stood between the dead and the living and the plague was stopped. We're jumping right into the middle of Numbers with our text this evening, and not only that, we're jumping right into the deep end of a story that has already developed through the entire chapter of chapter 16 of Numbers. All right, so let me just kind of give you just just a short, very brief overview of what's going on here. I mean, the book of Numbers records the

3:17 journey of Israel from Mount Sinai to the promised land. And you have Israel wandering in the middle of the wilderness. And what we find here in Numbers are these stories where Israel is starting to grumble against their God. And number 16 is an example of that. So I want to catch you up in the story of Numbers by just giving you just a brief summary of what number 16 is about. So this is the story about Korah's rebellion. Korah is a Levite along with a few other men, Dathan and Abiram and 250 leaders of Israel. And what they were doing is they were challenging Moses and Aaron's leadership. They accused Moses and Aaron of exalting themselves over God's people and they questioned their exclusive priestly leadership roles. Dathan and Abiram also accused Moses of failing to deliver them to the promised land. So what happens? Moses challenges Korah and his

4:20 followers to present themselves before the Lord with censers of incense to see who God would choose. Now censers here are just like small portable vessels that were used in worship. So you can kind of think of like a frying pan or something that would be used here. So when they do this, God instructs Moses to separate the congregation from these people. So what happens here is eventually the earth opens up and swallows Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and their families while fire from the Lord consumes 250 men offering incense. The Lord then commands Eleazar, the son of Aaron, to take the censers out of the blaze from the 250 men that were using these censers.

5:07 and he tells them to hammer the censers into a covering for the altar to be a sign for the people of Israel that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should draw near to burn incense before the Lord, or he will become like Korah in his company. Now that sounds like a nice ending to this story, but the story does not end there. There is more. Despite this judgment, the people continue to grumble, even after they have that sign on ahead of them. They continue to grumble against Moses and Aaron, blaming them for the deaths of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and the 250 leaders who opposed Moses. And as a result of this, God sends a plague on the congregation.

5:57 And this leads us to our verse in number 16, 48. And he, Aaron, stood between the dead and the living and the plague was stopped. Aaron intercedes by making atonement with incense stopping the plague. 14,700 people died in the plague. So the point I want to draw out of this text for this evening is this, is that we need an intercessor because our sin requires judgment.

6:35 We need an intercessor because our sin requires judgment. And what I want to do is work through two points as we consider this verse. The first point being that Aaron stood. And the second point being that Aaron pointed. So Aaron stood and Aaron pointed. So my first point, Aaron stood. Our verse tells us that Aaron stood at a very pivotal place, at a very pivotal moment for the Israelites.

7:07 At this moment, the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron and turned their attention toward the tent of meeting. Now, the tent of meeting was more than just a structure. It was the focal point of God's presence and the heart of Israel's worship with God. It represented God's desire to dwell with his people. The people were grumbling, accusing Moses and Aaron that they have killed the people of the Lord. Moses and Aaron come to the front of the tent of meeting.

7:42 And scripture says that the glory of the Lord appeared. And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, get away from the midst of this congregation that I may consume them in a moment. Moses and Aaron fell on their faces. The people were on the verge of judgment. Now, if you're following along in your Bible, I do want you to look at verse 46. So look at verse 46. So verse 46, it reads, And Moses said to Aaron, Take your censer and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them.

8:27 For wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun. Verse 47. So Aaron took it, as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. In verse 48. And he stood between the dead and the living and the plague was stopped. So can you picture this scene? A wave of death just sweeping throughout the crowd.

9:02 And Aaron stands like a dam in the midst of a flood, halting the destruction. This judgment came in the form of a plague. It's specific type, we don't know, it's unknown here. But the devastation is clear. 14,700 people dead. Aaron as a high priest according to Leviticus would have typically avoided contact with the dead to maintain his ritual purity yet for the sake of the people's survival he humbled himself risking his own life to intercede for them which is a shadow of what is to come a shadow of Christ this is what Jesus has done for you Jesus stood as the dam the barrier between us and the flood of God's wrath

10:04 holding it back through his sacrifice I think this story exposes two great truths about God the first being humanity's sinful condition I think Greg did an excellent job this morning and just illustrating our own condition and our need, just painting the picture for us of that. The rebellion of the Israelites mirrors our own hearts.

10:35 We are all guilty of grumbling against God's authority and forgetting his goodness in our lives. When circumstances are difficult, we feel entitled and resentful of others at times. So my question to you to think about is in what ways do you grumble against God? Do you wish you had something that God has clearly given to someone else?

11:09 Do you easily forget God's goodness and kindness towards you? Our sin creates a barrier between us and God, leaving us helpless to reconcile ourselves. We need an intercessor because of our sin. I think a second great truth that comes from this is God's holiness, justice, and mercy is displayed here in this story. God is utterly holy, perfect, pure.

11:41 He's set apart. Scripture tells us that his eyes are too pure to look on evil. At the same time, he is perfectly just, which means he cannot ignore or overlook sin. Scripture also reminds us that while God is merciful and forgiving, he does not leave the guilty unpunished. This presents a problem. Humanity, stained by sin, cannot approach such a holy God without facing judgment.

12:13 The distance between God's holiness and our sinfulness is vast. And without someone standing in the middle, we are hopeless and separated from Him. Have you ever considered what it would take to please a holy and righteous God? Have you ever taken time to consider that gap between you and God?

12:47 Have you considered your own sin? The gap is a problem. And you cannot bridge that gap. By any effort that you think you can do, any action that you think you can take, by any creative means that you think you can come up with, you cannot bridge that gap. So that leads us to our second point that Aaron pointed. So throughout the Old Testament, God provides glimpses of a role of an intercessor. So the priests were appointed to mediate between God and the people offering sacrifices for sins. We see this throughout the Old Testament, specifically in Leviticus.

13:31 Leaders like Moses stood in the gap pleading with God to spare the people from judgment. We see this in Exodus. We see this even in the story that we recounted today. Yet these intercessors were only temporary and imperfect. The sacrificial system was unable to fully cleanse people from their sin. And even the most faithful leaders were flawed. These examples point forward to the need for a perfect and eternal intercessor. Now let's consider the law. The law was given to reveal God's holy standards, but it cannot save humanity. Hebrews 10 tells us that the law was a shadow of the good things to come and that it can never make perfect those who draw near. Hebrews 10 verse 4 says, for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. The law and its sacrifices served as reminders of sin, but it could not remove it.

14:37 Romans 8.3 emphasizes what the law could not do because of human weakness God accomplished by sending his son. The sacrifices prescribed here where we see in the law were temporary. They were insufficient, pointing to the need for someone who could fulfill its demand and provide a permanent solution for sin. So think of a lighthouse. So what's the purpose of a lighthouse? So it points, you know, boats in the direction of safety, right, when they're in trouble so for us Aaron's actions were like a lighthouse pointing us in a direction but for us we now know what is beyond the lighthouse ultimate safety is found in Christ so Aaron stood and Aaron pointed us to someone greater Jesus Christ fulfills this need as the

15:45 perfect intercessor. Unlike human stopgaps who are flawed and sinful, Jesus is sinless and able to stand in a gap perfectly. From the moment humanity fell to sin, God promised the Savior who would come and crush the serpent's head. We see that back in Genesis 3.15. 1 Timothy proclaims that there is one mediator between God and humanity, the man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.

16:21 So unlike these temporary intercessors of the Old Testament, Jesus is the perfect and eternal. So through his death on the cross, he bore the penalty for sin, satisfying God's justice and demonstrating his mercy. and his work didn't end there. Hebrews 7.25 tells us that he always lives to intercede for those who come to God through him.

16:53 Jesus is the perfect and permanent bridge between God and humanity. So like many movies and stories that we watch and read today, we wonder, you know, how are they going to get out of this situation? You don't have to wonder how to get out. God has provided a way by his mercy and grace through Jesus Christ. And you can respond today by repenting of your sins and placing your faith with him. What a wonderful savior we have.

17:25 Let's pray. Father, we recognize that you are perfect and pure, far beyond anything we can imagine. Yet in the light of your holiness, we are also painfully aware of our own sinfulness. How often we fall short, we grumble in our hearts, and we stray from your commands. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, we deserve your righteous judgment.

18:01 But Lord, we thank you for your incredible mercy that you made a way for us through your son, Jesus Christ. And just as Aaron stood between the living and the dead, interceding for the people, Jesus has stood in the gap for us, bearing our sins and taking upon himself the punishment we deserve. Through his death and resurrection, we are brought from death to life, reconciled to you. We pray all these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.