LORDSHIP

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In the same way, we often forget what scripture says about Christ's rulership over all things including in His relationship with the church: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him, all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him (Christ) all the fullness should dwell...For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." (Col. 1:15-19, 2:9-10). Can there be any doubt from the above verses that Jesus is the Head, not only of the Church, but over all creation, even the spiritual principalities. Paul even warned us: "As you therefore have received Christ the Lord, so walk in Him...Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ." (Col. 2:6-8). We have our beginning in salvation through the Lordship of Jesus Christ, but sometimes as we continue in our walk of faith, we lose the understanding of His Lordship in all things. The philosophies and traditions of the world systems, that can sound good to those who are about to fall to their temptation, begin to edge their way in to our thinking. In general, the philosophies of the world do not embrace either the Lordship of the Father, or of His Son, Jesus. I would like to look at two examples of this in the Sabbath reading for this week. In Numbers Chapters 16 and 17, four highly regarded men challenged the leadership of Moses and Aaron. They took (laqah- take away, carry away, snatch, select, take possession of) 250 leaders, men of renown, from the congregation of Israel, and approached Moses and Aaron with the following complaint: "You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD? (Num. 16:3). Even though the rebels cloak their challenge in spiritual terms, their attitude is one we see in the world even today: "Who made you the boss?" or "You think you're better than everyone else." They accused Moses of acting like a prince over the people (v. 13). One of the rebels, Korah, was a Levite, and Moses addressed his answer to him: "Hear now, you sons of Levi: Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the taberncle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to serve them, and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also?" (v. 8-10). Instead of seeing his important role in the tabernacle, the house of God's presence and glory, with which God had honored him as a Levite, Korah despised it as unimportant, and coveted someone else's position instead. Moses told Korah and his fellow rebels that they were "gathered together against the LORD", not against Moses and Aaron. Moses made clear, as he prophesies the judgment of God upon the rebels, that "the LORD has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will." (v. 28). We know from scripture how God called Moses, and that Moses did not seek nor want the position that God commanded him to take. Moses tried every argument to convince God to choose someone else, but finally and obediently acepted his role from God. Scripture also tells us that God, through His servant Moses, did many wonderful and miraculous works in order to deliver His people. Yet spiritually ambitious Israelites thought they should decide who would lead the people, rather than God. As the rebellion against Moses continued, the LORD threatened to consume the whole congregation in a moment, but Moses and Aaron, as true servants of God, fell on their faces and interceded for the congregation. The LORD relented and brought a judgment that had never been seen before against only the rebels, and those who chose to stand with them: the earth opened and swallowed them alive directly down into the pit (Num. 16:30-33). In truth, these rebels had not been challenging only Moses with their conspiracy, but they had challenged the LORDSHIP of God over Israel, and everything pertaining to them. In this week's haftarah reading portion from 1 Sam. 11 and 12, the prophet and judge of Israel, Samuel, admonished Israel for rejecting God as their LORD, when they chose to have a king to rule over them, instead of the man of God appointed by Him. God had placed Samuel over them as their judge, but the people of Israel yielded to the temptation of the philosophies and traditions of the world in their desire to be ruled as the other nations of the world were ruled: by a king. They put their deliverance from their enemies into the hands of that king (1 Sam. 12:11-12). Samuel warned the people that while they did get the king that they desired, they and their king, must fear the LORD and continue to serve Him, and obey the voice and commandments of the LORD, or it would not go well with them, as it did not with their fathers (v. 13-15). If they were to turn aside from the LORD, "then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing." (v. 21). As a sign of the LORDSHIP of their God, by the call of Samuel, the LORD sent rain on the day of the wheat harvest (v. 17-18). Because of the rain, the greatly anticipated yearly wheat harvest in Israel would yield far less in tonnage weight as the rain washed away a great deal of weight from the seed heads of the grain. After seeing this sign of rain sent on the harvest day, the people cried out to Samuel to pray for them: "Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves." (v. 19). Responding to the people's request for his intercessory prayer on their behalf, Samuel showed the same reverence for the LORDSHIP of God as Moses did when he prayed on behalf of the people. Samuel said, "...as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way...For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people." (v. 22-23). Samuel understood and was led the covenant promise that the LORD had made with His people. The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is Korach, which is the Hebrew name of the rebel, Korah. The Hebrew word means "bald". What does baldness have to do with Korah, or his rebellion? I think the title pertains to the way that Korah despised his spiritual "covering", which was Moses, Aaron, and therefore the Lordship of God Himself. He rebelliously sought to remove that covering. He became spiritually "bald" as a result, and it brought him to destruction. Most of us are familiar with the examples here of Moses, Aaron and Samuel, but this Sabbath reading carries a very timely message for today. In the same way that the LORD had set His servants over His people, He has also set, appointed, ordained servants over His Church to lead, teach, and equip the saints to "do the work of the ministry" (see above Num. 16:8-10), and to lead them out of slavery to sin, and into our Promised Land, which is found in the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13). In doing so, these appointed servants also help to keep the saints from being swayed by trickery, and every wind of deceitful plotting and doctrines (Eph. 4:14). This is especially important in these times when tumultuous events tempt us to be drawn to the empty philosophies and traditions of the world to solve our problems, and to defeat our enemies. How we view and treat those who have been ordained to be our spiritual covering by the Head of the Church, Christ, reflects what we really believe about His Lordship over us. Our Father doesn't want us to be Korach, or "bald". If you desire to place youself under the perfect All-In-All Lordship of Christ, you can pray: "Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the Head over all things, including the Church. I want You to be Lord over my life. As Lord, it is You who suffered and died for my sins, and rose from the dead, so I can have eternal life with You. By Your Holy Spirit, and Your commandments, teach me to understand and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for those whom You have appointed to cover me, to teach me, and to intercede before You on my behalf. I ask You these things in Your name, which is above all other names, AMEN."