Numbers 16:36-40 (ESV Strong's)
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers out of the blaze. Then scatter the fire far and wide, for they have become holy. As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they offered them before the Lord, and they became holy. Thus they shall be a sign to the people of Israel.” So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered, and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar, to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the Lord, lest he become like Korah and his company—as the Lord said to him through Moses.
What Is Sacrificed To God Is Always Holy - Even If Your Heart Is Not!!
God will find a use for those things we bring to Him, even if in our bringing them they are done with an evil heart. The man of God who wants to preach to be seen by men and to be “popular,” is used by God, but not the way the man thought. In the above passage 250 men rebelled against Moses. There is no doubt they thought, at the time, that Moses was being overly authoritative. That is what they thought. But, that was not true. They brought censers to God to worship and show their desire to lead in the congregation ... even though God had already showed that Moses and Aaron were the leaders. God destroys them by having the ground swallow them up. Their censers, however, are beaten into plates to cover the alter. These were to be a reminder to the congregation of their rebellion. The point here is that since these “censers” were brought to God for honor, even though their hearts were evil, God would use them. He would use them, just not the way those men thought. Paul says something similar to this in his letter to the Church at Philippi:
Philippians 1:15-18 (ESV Strong's)
Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
To Live Is Christ
Yes, and I will rejoice,
God can take the offerings and, despite the misguided or evil intent behind them, God can use them for His glory. The ark would be carried for 40 years in the wilderness with those “plates” attached to the side. They would serve as a message to all those who would wish to rebel against God’s leaders. The point here is that God takes what is offered to Him and finds a way to use it for His glory, even if those who offered it were not for His glory.
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