2018-03-02 - Korathites - Warning against the Mishandling of the Holy

Rock, Paper, Scissors ~ Part 2
Originally Published 2011-05-20

We've already seen the warning to the Korathites. Just mishandling holy things was bad news for them. It meant death. They took the holy things very seriously. The Korathites were God's people and were given God's instructions. They were not to even touch the holy things. One man named Uzzah over in 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13 was helping to get the ark from point A to point B on a cart. The ark slipped and Uzzah wanting to keep the ark from falling reached up and grabbed it. He was struck down dead. He had great intentions and was mostly doing what he was supposed to but not totally. He touched the ark. I think if the ark had fallen God could take care of it but Uzzah thought he should grab it. He mishandled that holy thing.

For us, mishandling the holy means not fully doing things God's way. Are you mishandling the talents God wants you to use? You are his; your talents are his. They are holy - set aside for his purpose. When you don't do something you should do you are like a Korathite mishandling holy things. Your talents, your testimony, your time, your things - they are all God's and all set aside to be holy if you really surrendered your life to him. We may do this part and that part but if we don't do his total will we are mishandling our lives, which are holy.

The widow of Mark 12:41-44 was surrendered to God. All she had was his and she gave two holy mites. She gave it all. Remember how Jesus praised her for his total commitment and frowned upon the others giving only parts

God seems more merciful with us today than he was the Korathites. After all we mishandle our lives or only partly handle them properly all the time. We surrender our Sunday mornings to God but not our Sunday nights. We agree to use our backsides to warm his chairs and our ears to hear his words but not our hands and feet to do his work or our mouths to repeat his story. It is the sinner not the saint that is told to just come. The holy saints are told to come and go.

Right now there are two people teaching downstairs. They are respectfully handling that which is holy. They are discipling, ministering, and generally doing God's will with what God has given them. I realize we can't all be teachers but unless the Bible lies, and I do not believe it does, we are all called to a purpose within the church. God has a plan and a job for all his children. Coming to church to sing songs, hear lessons, and listen to sermons is not that job. That's food before the work in the field.

If I know I'm going to be spending the day in the yard or in the woodshop I'll eat a good breakfast and fill me up a big glass of something to drink. I get in those moods where I keep just wanting do just this little bit more and I miss lunch and may even come in late for dinner. We all have to fill up when we can and then get to work and get God's jobs done. Young or old we all have our all to give. We all have holy lives to handle as God instructs.

A good friend and coworker of mine is in his 60's but he's teaching 3rd and 4th grade boys in RA's and fills in in Sunday School when asked. He intends to retire from where we work in the coming year and retire to the mission field. To me, he seems to understand what it means to be set aside for God's use.

He is handling holy things well.

We are not to take lightly what is given to God. Being irreverent and misappropriating that which is holy is bad too. Remember the Korathites and their omissions but let's look at Belshazzar and his wrong commissions.

Until next time …

IHFHBOH
Adam

acdum@hotmail.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org

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All scripture references from King James Version (KJV) unless otherwise noted