Numbers 15-16
Sunday Evening Bible Study
January 18, 1998
Introduction
God had ordered Moses to send spies into the Promised Land so the people would know what it was all about.
It was indeed a land of great fruitfulness. But it had one problem. Giants.
Ten of the spies discouraged the people and told the nation that it would be impossible for them to conquer the land.
As a result, the people rebelled and didn’t want to go into the land.
God said that they would have to wait forty years before they’d be ready.
Numbers 15
:1-10 Offerings in the Promised Land
:2 When ye be come into the land of your habitations...
Entering the Promised Land
It isn't:
Cars, houses, and toys.
Health and wealth.
There's a lot of junk on the TV nowadays trying to tell us that it's these things, but it isn't.
It is:
GAL 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
ROM 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
GAL 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
:4 the one who presents his offering shall ...
Now we get some guidelines into how the offerings were to be made in the Promised Land.
It appears that God is making some additions to the sacrifices, additions that were to take effect once the people came into the Promised Land.
To all the offerings you were to add (vs.4):
One tenth of an ephah of fine flour (2 quarts) mixed with
One fourth of a hin of oil (1 quart of olive oil)
When a sacrifice involved a lamb (vs.5), you were to add:
The flour and oil from above (vs.4)
One fourth of a hin of wine (1 quart)
When a sacrifice involved a ram (vs.6-7), you were to add:
Two tenths of an ephah of fine flour (4 quarts) mixed with
One third of a hin of oil (one third gallon)
One third of a hin of wine (one third gallon)
When a sacrifice involved a bull (vs.8-10), you were to add:
Three tenth of an ephah of fine flour (6 quarts) mixed with
One half hin of oil (half gallon)
One half hin of wine (half gallon)
Why did God make these additions to the sacrifices?
All these additions involve the "fruits" of the land. The flour came from the crops grown in the soil, the oil from the trees, the wine from the vineyards.
I think that once the people had entered the Promised Land, God wanted them to be continually reminded in all their worship, that they were in God's Promised Land.
Are you in God's Promised Land?
Do you experience joy? Peace? Victory over sin?
Remember where it came from!
Don’t forget where you are!
:11-16 Uniformity in sacrifice
:16 one law and one ordinance
The sacrifices were to be done properly, according to God's prescription, for each sacrifice, whether it was done by a native or an alien. Why?
1. Preserving the picture
These sacrifices were to be teaching the people the principles of substitutionary sacrifice (one person or animal taking the place of another), of paying for sins, of God's forgiveness, of learning to live holy lives.
Ultimately, these sacrifices were to be a picture of Jesus, coming to pay for our sins, being the Lamb of God.
2. One way
JOH 14:6 Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.
God has never been much on giving lots of options on how to come to Him. He's not in the "anything goes" mode.
It isn't about crystals one week, yoga the next, then TM, but one track, one way, one course.
:17-21 More offerings in the Promised Land
:18 when ye come into the land …
It’s not going to be for another 40 years, but it WILL happen some day.
:19 when ye eat of the bread of the land
When they come into the Promised Land, and start benefiting from the fruit of the land, then they are to stop and give part of it back to the Lord.
God wants them to remember just Who brought them into the land. God wants them to remember just Who gave them this land.
DEU 8:11-18 "Beware lest you forget the \Lord\ your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; 12 lest, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived {in them}, 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, 14 then your heart becomes proud, and you forget the \Lord\ your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 15 "He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, {with its} fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint. 16 "In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. 17 "Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.' 18 "But you shall remember the \Lord\ your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as {it is} this day.
:22-26 Congretational Unintentional Sins
:22 if ye have erred
NASB – "when you unwittingly fail"
In cases where the people somehow do something wrong, but without being aware of it, this is what they were to do to remove the guilt.
They were to offer a bull for a burnt offering and a goat for a sin offering.
:27-29 Personal Unintentional Sins
:27 if any soul sin through ignorance
NAASB – "if one person sins unintentionally"
Then the sacrifice was one female goat for a sin offering.
Modern day example: You get caught speeding in a 25 mile per hour zone, when you didn't realize that the speed limit had changed. Or going through a stop sign that you didn't see.
Just because you weren’t aware that you broke the law at the time you broke the law, you’re still guilty of breaking the law.
For these kinds of sins (which were still sins), you could make a sacrifice to remove your guilt.
The result is in verse 28, "that he may be forgiven.
:30-31 Intentional sins
:30 the soul that doeth ought presumptuously
NASB – "the person who does anything defiantly ..."
In that case, there was no sacrifice for you, you were to bear your guilt and pay the price.
If you stole something, you had to return it and pay restitution
Sometimes restitution was double what you took (Exo. 22:7)
Sometimes it was 20% (Lev. 5:16)
Sometimes it was fourfold. (2Sa. 12:6)
If you committed adultery with your neighbor's wife, the penalty was death. (Lev. 20:10)
The point here is that you couldn't just get off by making a sacrifice and everything would be okay, there was still a price to pay.
How do these principles apply to us today?
1. Sin carries a high price.
ROM 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Whether your sin was done intentionally or unintentionally, it still results in the same thing, separation from God.
Sin still requires that someone be separated from God to pay for that sin.
God is in the business of making His ledgers balance.
When you sin, an entry goes into the ledger for your account.
And the "dollar amount" of that entry is death, separation from God.
Then on judgment day, all the accounts that haven't been paid up are done so.
2. Jesus died as a sacrifice for our sins.
HEB 10:10-12 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, \sat down at the right hand of God\,
You have the choice of paying your own accounts with God yourself, and being eternally separated from Him in hell as a result of your sins, or letting someone else pay the price for you.
We can ask Jesus to pay our debts, and He will gladly do it. That's why He died on the cross, to pay your debt.
1JO 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
3. Sometimes we must still bear the consequence of our sin
David was forgiven by God for his sin, but there was still a consequence in this life that he had to face.
2SA 12:13-14 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the \Lord.\" And Nathan said to David, "The \Lord\ also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. 14 "However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the \Lord\ to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die."
If I break down and go to Baskin-Robbins and order a triple dip banana split sundae with the works on it, pig down on it, then confess my sin, that doesn't make the calories disappear.
If I go out and do drugs, and then come back and confess my sin, I may still get AIDS from the needle or brain-damage from the drugs.
If I go out and rob a store, then confess my sin, I may still go to prison, though I could be forgiven by God.
:32-36 Man caught working on the Sabbath
:32 they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
Now we get an example of an "intentional" sin.
For over a year, it has been forbidden for anyone to do any work on the Sabbath day.
It was pretty obvious to everyone that Sabbath work was forbidden.
This man is caught, the penalty was death.
Why so harsh a penalty?
We seem to rarely give the death penalty to even someone who murders several people, instead we call them "insane".
(Exo 31:13-17 KJV) Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. {14} Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. {15} Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. {16} Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. {17} It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
God's reasons for the Sabbath: To rest, to remember Him
It's interesting to note that God had indeed beforehand given the prescription for someone who profaned the Sabbath. Yet somehow the people didn't feel it was clear enough, or maybe they thought it was a little bit overboard.
The Sabbath was intended as a day for you to spend with your God.
A day of rest and building your relationship up with God.
When you neglect your Sabbath, you are "breaking your date" with God.
It's kind of like asking your sweetheart out on a date, then breaking it off because you want to selfishly spend your time on yourself and not with her.
God wants you to develop your intimacy with Him. He's serious about it.
Lesson:
God wants you to take your rest. God wants you to spend time with Him.
I know lots of people who have gotten all caught up in working hard, day and night, seven days a week.
Eventually their body can't take it any longer.
I think sometimes God is saying to them, "I'm still serious about you taking a rest. Either you take a rest, or I'm going to make you take a rest."
:37-41 Tassels on garments
:39 that ye may look upon it, and remember
The value of a wedding ring is in its ability to remind you of your relationship with your spouse. It’s kind of like bumper stickers on your car, reminding others you belong to the Lord.
These tassels were to be the same, reminding the people of their relationship to their God, and their promise to obey Him.
Lesson:
Symbols can be bad or good, it’s what you make of it.
These tassels became for the hypocrites, something that they could use to flaunt their "religiosity".
(Mat 23:4-12 KJV) For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. {5} But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, {6} And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, {7} And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. {8} But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. {9} And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. {10} Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. {11} But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. {12} And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
For Jesus, the tassels were a channel to bring healing.
(Mat 9:20-22 KJV) And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: {21} For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. {22} But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
The "hem" of Jesus’ garment was this "tassel" mentioned in Numbers 15, a symbol in Jesus’ clothing to remind everyone of His relationship with God.
(Mat 14:35-36 KJV) And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; {36} And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
The hem of Jesus’ garment became a place of healing for many. Jesus allowed it to happen, and didn’t rebuke the people for their seemingly superstitious beliefs.
Bumper stickers can either be a form of hypocrisy, or a means that God could use to bring healing to someone.
It can be a way to claim to be a Christian, when inside you’re really not, but it could also be a way for someone to realize that they could come to you and have them pray for them.
Numbers 16
:1-3 Korah's complaint
:3 seeing all the congregation are holy
What God had been doing through Moses and Aaron was setting up laws to teach the people holiness, and further to set up priests to act as intermediaries between God and the people.
All this was done so that God would be able to come and "dwell" in their midst in the tabernacle, at least to do so without completely wiping them all out.
Korah and his buddies are saying that since God has been dwelling with us, everything is okay, and all of Moses' precautions were unnecessary.
But God was the one coming up with all the laws and precautions, not Moses. And Moses went along with passing these on to the people because he knew just how holy God was and just how necessary all these things were.
:3 Ye take too much upon you
NASB – "you've gone far enough"
It's easy to criticize something that a ministry is doing when you're on the outside of the leadership loop. The problem is that you may not be aware of all the things that have gone into making all the decisions.
Example: David Hocking's fall, Pastor Chuck's counseling, David's restoration.
Pastor Chuck has taken a lot of flack, but he also has a perspective on the whole situation that most of us don't.
We need to be careful when it comes to judging other ministries, or other people.
ROM 14:4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
There are some issues that are definitely important, definitely worth being concerned about.
But there are other issues that really aren't as important as the harm that comes from backbiting another person
:3 wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation
When you think about it, this is really quite silly.
Moses didn't want to be exalted above the assembly, he didn't even want the job in the first place.
Moses tried to get out of God's call for his life, but God wouldn't let him.
But for an "outsider", someone who wasn't there when God called Moses, it looks as if Moses has been doing nothing but playing the dictator.
:4-7 Moses sets up the test
:7 the man whom the LORD doth choose
He isn't really trying to defend himself
Moses is leaving it all up to God to decide.
:8-11 Moses asks why they are rebelling
:9 Seemeth it but a small thing unto you
The tribe of Levi (Korah's tribe) was already in an exalted position, being chosen to serve in the tabernacle.
We need to be careful to find our place in the Lord, in the body, and grow in it.
Every part of the body is important and has its place
(1 Cor 12:15-17 KJV) If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? {16} And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? {17} If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
:11 are gathered together against the LORD
It wasn't Moses and Aaron who made the decisions, it was God who decided that Aaron and his sons should be priests.
This is why it's important for us to be so careful that God is the one leading us in our life.
We need to know that God is the one putting us into our ministry.
Then if we ever come into criticism (and you will), you can always blame God!
Lesson:
Two paths into the ministry.
There are two ways of getting into ministry (just as there are two ways of becoming king)
1. David's way - He waited and waited, never took the opportunity to murder Saul, but waited until the people came to him and made him king.
2. Absalom's way - He kissed up to the people, then one day organized a coup and overthrew his father. But he himself was later defeated.
:12-14 Dathan and Abiram refuse
:14 thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey
Wait a minute here!
Why didn't the people go into the promised land? Because they were unwilling to trust God to take them in.
But to the untrained eye, to the carnal person, this is what appears to have happened:
Moses and Aaron somehow manage to get the people out of Egypt (forget all those miracles...)
Moses and Aaron make a bunch of big promises about a land of milk and honey.
But their plans fall through because the land isn't all that great.
Do you see the difference between how things seem in the natural realm and how they really are in the spiritual realm?
:14 We will not come up
It seems that they are afraid that Moses is going to pull one of his fancy tricks again and come up with a good excuse to execute them in the name of the Lord.
:15-19 Censers are ready
:15 I have not taken one ass from them
Moses is saying that he hasn't taken any bribes (not a single donkey) nor has he been using the threat of force to keep them in line.
:20-24 God wants to wipe out entire nation
:20 the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron
Remember that both the rebels and Moses and Aaron are standing together at the doorway to the tent of meeting.
Notice that God doesn't speak to the rebels, only to Moses and Aaron.
:21 from among this congregation
God is intending to wipe out the entire nation, not just Korah and friends.
:22 shall one man sin …
Moses is reminding God of His own principle of judging
"The soul that sins, it shall die" (Eze 18:4)
It wouldn't be right for God to punish the entire nation for Korah's sin.
:25-30 Moses moves everyone away from the rebels
:30 the earth open her mouth
Now how did Moses know that? Is he cheating? (ha,ha)
:30 these men have provoked the LORD
The issue isn’t that they’ve ticked Moses off, the issue is that they’ve provoked the Lord.
Lesson:
A good leader is more concerned about God’s perspective than his own.
It’s not whether people have hurt your feelings, it’s looking at the bigger picture.
:28 by this you shall know that the LORD has sent me
It's real important here that God be the one doing the confirming, not Moses.
The tests of a true "prophet"
1. Power.
It's not just ordinary earthly, human power that's being displayed.
It's supernatural power being displayed.
That's Moses' whole point here, that because there would be such an extraordinary, supernatural event take place, something totally out of Moses' hands, that it would prove that God had chosen Moses.
Paul had his criticizers too.
1CO 4:18-20 Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant, but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power.
Paul is saying "put your miracles where your mouth is".
This can apply to the area of prophecy.
DEU 18:22 "When a prophet speaks in the name of the \Lord,\ if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the \Lord\ has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
If the person is truly a prophet of God, what they "predict" will come true.
2. The Word. (Doctrine)
The problem with only limiting our judgment based upon power, is that there is another powerful entity in the universe, Satan.
Satan too can perform some pretty hefty tricks now and then.
DEU 13:1-5 "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,' 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the \Lord\ your God is testing you to find out if you love the \Lord\ your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 "You shall follow the \Lord\ your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. 5 "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the \Lord\ your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the \Lord\ your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you.
The whole bottom line here is that if a person displays some supernatural power, they had better be telling you to follow the LORD (Yahweh), as revealed in the Scriptures, or else they're in big trouble.
3. Fruit.
MAT 7:15-23 "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn {bushes,} nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 "So then, you will know them by their fruits. 21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. 22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; \depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness\.'
What is fruit?
It's the natural product that a tree produces.
For a person, it includes the kind of life they live, whether they live pleasing to the Lord of not.
It also includes:
GAL 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
A "prophet" may be able to demonstrate some kind of power, he may even be pretty correct on the basic essential doctrines, but if his life isn't characterized by true agape love, I'm gonna be real careful about listening to him. If his life is all caught up in pornography, prostitutes, and material goods, I'm going to be real careful.
:31-35 Rebels swallowed alive
A pretty decent demonstration of power!
:36-40 Rebels' censers become warning to all
:37 they are hallowed
Because they had been presented to the Lord.
God accepted the censers, not the men.
This reminds me of a story …
The day finally arrived: Forrest Gump dies and goes to Heaven. He is met at the Pearly Gates by Saint Peter himself. The gates are closed, however, and Forrest approaches the gatekeeper. Saint Peter says, "Well Forrest, it's certainly good to see you. We have heard a lot about you. I must inform you that the place is filling up fast, and we've been administering an entrance exam for everyone. The tests are fairly short, but you need to pass before you can get into Heaven," Forrest responds, "It shore is good to be here Saint Peter. I was looking forward to this. Nobody ever told me about any entrance exams. Shore hope the test ain't too hard; life was a big enough test as it was." Saint Peter goes on, "Yes, I know Forrest. But, the test I have for you is only three questions. Here is the first: What days of the week begin with the letter 'T'? Second, how many seconds are there in a year? Third, what is God's first name?" Forrest goes away to think the questions over.Forest returns the next day and goes up to Saint Peter to try to answer the exam questions. Saint Peter waves him up and asks, "Now that you have had a chance to think the questions over, tell me your answers." Forrest says, "Well, the first one, how many days of the week begin with the letter 'T'? Shucks, that one's easy; that'd be Today and Tomorrow!" The saint's eyes opened wide and he exclaims, "Forrest! That's not what I was thinking, but... you do have a point though, and I guess I didn't specify, so I give you credit for that answer." "How about the next one" says Saint Peter, "how many seconds in a year?" "Now that one's harder," says Forrest. "But, I thunk and thunk about that, and I guess the only answer can be twelve." Astounded, Saint Peter says, "Twelve! Twelve! Forrest, how in Heaven's name could you come up with twelve seconds in a year?" Forrest says, "Shucks, there gotta be twelve: January second, February second, March second......." "Hold it," interrupts Saint Peter. "I see where you're going with it. And I guess I see your point, though that wasn't quite what I had in mind. I'll give you credit for that one too." "Let's go on with the next and final question," says Saint Peter, "can you tell me God's first name?" Forrest says, "Well shore, I know God's first name. Everybody probably knows it. Its Howard." "Howard?" asks Saint Peter. "What makes you think it's Howard?" Forrest answers, "It's in the prayer." "The prayer?" asks Saint Peter, "Which prayer?" "The Lord's Prayer," responds Forrest: Our Father, which art in Heaven, Howard be thy name......"
:40 as a reminder to the sons of Israel
So, everytime you came near the altar, you'd see this hodge-podge of brass hammered onto the altar.
A child would ask, "Daddy, why did they do such a sloppy job in making that altar...?"
It was to remind them just who was to be a priest.
:40 which is not of the sed of Aaron
I think it’s interesting that now they have discovered a common genetic code among those who claim to be descendants of Aaron, proving that they are what they say they are.
:41-50 Nation still rebellious, Aaron stops the plague
:41 Ye have killed the people of the LORD
Don't they get the idea yet?
How can they blame Moses and Aaron for the ground opening up and swallowing the rebels alive?
:41 the children of Israel murmured ...
Hebrew (lun) word means to "murmur, growl, grumble". It's complaining.
The Greek word (goggusmos) means muttering, murmuring, complaint, grumbling.
PHI 2:14-15 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,
Not grumbling is one of the proofs we have to the world that we belong to God.
:46 take a censer
Aaron is now going to take that same censer he used previously to offer up to God.
Note the difference that one little censer will make compared to what devastation that 250 in the wrong hands can do.
JAM 5:16b The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
:48 he stood between the dead and the living
It seems as if you could have actually seen the plague spreading over the people as they began to fall in waves. Aaron rushes out with his incense and stands in front of the wave of death.
Lesson:
The beauty of intercession.
Aaron taking his incense - incense is all tied up in prayer.
It was to be a physical representation of the spiritual thing of prayer.
It had a beautiful fragrance.
It ascended up into heaven, before God's throne.
It is a beautiful example of what we too, as priests, should be about doing.
There are a lot of dying people out there that need life in Jesus.
There are a lot of people facing God's judgment.
Get our your incense!
When no one takes up the job
EZE 22:23-31 And the word of the \Lord\ came to me saying, 24 "Son of man, say to her, 'You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.' 25 "There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her. 26 "Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. 27 "Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood {and} destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. 28 "And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, 'Thus says the Lord \God\,' when the \Lord\ has not spoken. 29 "The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice. 30 "And I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. 31 "Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads," declares the Lord \God\.
God is still looking for people to stand in the gap.
It may be for a friend, it may be for your company, your neighborhood block.
The only thing we come armed with is prayer.
Do we really have a grasp on how important prayer is, and just how powerful it is?