26th.: God’s Special Smoke Screen
After Korah died (see Num. 16:41-42, discussed over the last two days),
the people complained again. Their hearts were still united with Korah.
The Lord spoke to Moses,
“Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment.” (Num. 16:45).
Moses had to act fast;
God was not going to listen to pleas.
Israel needed a barrier to save them.
No time to spare.
Lev. 16:12-13 had instructed the high priest to burn God’s special incense with two coals (see Ex. 30:34-36).
The resulting sweet smelling smoke would then “cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony that he [the high priest] die not.” (Lev. 16:13).
Moses immediately sent Aaron to burn the special incense (see Num. 16:46-47) in the midst of the people.
Aaron’s burning of God’s special incense in the midst of the congregation created a ‘screen’ that separated the high priest from God’s wrath,
so that the high priest – and anyone behind him – would not die.
We see written,
“And Aaron stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed.” (Num. 16:48).
Let our prayers be as this smoke screen to a dying world.
“And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God, out of the angel’s hand.” (Rev. 8:4)