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Youth Worship 24th May 2025 : Between the dead and the living

Text: Numbers 16:41-50
17 May 2025

YOUTH WORSHIP 2025 17 May 2025
Text: Numbers 16:41-50
Title: “Between the dead and the living”

A LESSON THAT WAS NOT LEARNED

On the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the LORD.”

Numbers 16:41

1. The slaying of Korah and his cohort of Levites and allies

a) This had taken place recently
b) A divine earthquake had taken place
c) A divine fire had burned them to death Numbers 16:31

2. Their sin was a grave one

a) Intentional
b) Presumptuous
c) They had rejected the Lord and His word

3. But the congregation had:

a) Not been discerning
b) Continued to be spiritually blind
c) Begun to accuse Moses and Aaron of killing the people of the Lord!

THE LORD’S APPEARANCE

42 Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.

43 Then Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of meeting.

44 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

45 “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”
And they fell on their faces.

Numbers 16:42-45

1. Mischief was in the hearts of the congregation

2. The Lord had to step in to intervene

a) The Lord was prepared to destroy the rebels
b) Moses understood the Lord’s unspoken intent

MAKING ATONEMENT

46 So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD. The plague has begun.”

47 Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people.

48 And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped.

49 Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident.

Numbers 16:46-49

1. The wrath of the Lord

a) A plague had started
b) People would die from it

2. Atonement was necessary

a) Incense was offered
b) Intercessory prayer was made

3. What kind of prayers would be heard?

a) Immersed in humility
b) Galvanised by urgency
c) Comprehension of what it means to stand between the living and the dead
d) Such prayers matter

4. God accepted Aaron’s prayer/ incense

a) As the high priest
b) As an intercessor

5. The plague was stopped
14,700 had died because of presumptuous sin!

RETURNING TO MOSES

So Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, for the plague had stopped.

Numbers 16:50

1. Aaron had to enter into the Tabernacle

2. He had to offer prayer with Incense

3. He must not cease to pray till the plague had stopped

OUR CHALLENGES

1. Take sin seriously

a) Unintentional Sin
b) Intentional Sin
c) Presumptuous sin

2. Learn to pray

a) To pray humbly
b) To pray for others
c) To pray knowing that our prayers can make a difference