Pastor Zach's Blog

Sermon Extra – When Our Desires Defy God’s Choices

Our desires don’t always line up with God’s choices. And when there’s a mismatch, conflict—and sometimes catastrophe—is not far off. 

This past weekend in worship at Zion, we looked at a story from Numbers 16 about a man named Korah. Korah is a Levite, which means he belongs to the tribe God has chosen to care for the tabernacle—the tent where God dwells among His people. This is no small calling. Korah has been chosen for holy work. 

But Korah does not want the holy work God has given him. He wants the holy work God has given to somebody else. 

He does not want to serve near the altar of the tabernacle. He wants to stand at the altar. He does not want to assist the priests. He wants to be a priest. 

So Korah starts fuming. Then he starts recruiting. He gathers a group of fellow grumblers, and together they bellyache to Moses and Aaron: “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD’s assembly?” (Numbers 16:3). 

Korah and his crew accuse Moses and Aaron of self-dealing, as though they have maneuvered and manipulated their way into Israel’s best and most powerful positions. But Moses and Aaron have done no such thing. They have simply received what God has given. As God says to Aaron a couple of chapters later: “I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift” (Numbers 18:7). 

This is what Korah cannot accept. The priesthood is not a prize to be won. It is not a platform to be seized. It is a gift to be received. But Korah does not like God’s gift because Korah does not like God’s choice. 

So God answers in judgment: “The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions” (Numbers 16:32). 

Korah tries to climb above the place God has given him. Instead, he plunges beneath the ground. 

This is what rebellion does. It reaches upward in pride, only to crash downward in death. 

In Genesis 4, we read about another conflict between human desire and divine choice. Two brothers, Cain and Abel, each bring an offering to the LORD. God looks with favor on Abel and his offering, but not on Cain and his offering. Hebrews tells us why: “By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did” (Hebrews 11:4). Abel comes in faith. Cain, it seems, comes without it. 

Cain is furious. And instead of repenting before God, he butchers his brother. 

When God confronts Cain, He describes the crime vividly: “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand” (Genesis 4:10–11). 

In Numbers 16, the ground opens its mouth to swallow Korah in judgment. In Genesis 4, the ground opens its mouth to drink in Abel’s blood after Cain’s violence. In both stories, rebellion rattles the earth. 

When our desires try to overrule God’s choices, creation itself testifies against us. The ground beneath our feet becomes a preacher. It announces that sin is never merely private, never merely personal, never merely “between me and God.” Sin wounds brothers. Sin fractures communities. Sin groans through creation. Sin digs graves. 

Perhaps the earth is sometimes wiser than we are. 

But then comes Jesus. 

When Jesus breathes His last from the cross, the earth moves again: “The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open” (Matthew 27:51–52). 

Once more, creation reacts. Once more, the ground opens. But this time, something different happens. 

Matthew recounts that, when Jesus dies, “the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.” And then, after Jesus’ resurrection, “they came out of the tombs and went into the holy city and appeared to many people” (Matthew 27:52–53). 

The earth that once swallowed sinners begins to spit them back. 

There is an old word for when our desires conflict with God’s choices: rebellion. Korah rebelled against God. Cain rebelled against God. And we rebel against God. 

As we learn from the stories of Korah and Cain, our rebellion opens graves. But as we learn from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus’ sacrifice empties tombs. 

One day, unless Jesus returns first, the earth will open its mouth to receive us, too. The ground will claim what sin has broken. 

But it will not keep us. 

Because the same Jesus who died and rose will call us from our graves. And when He does, the earth will have to give us back. The ground that swallowed us will surrender us. Death will not get the final word. 

Jesus will. 

Our rebellion will always be overruled by God’s choice. We cannot grab for ourselves what God has not given. Korah learned that the hard way. 

But our rebellion is also redeemed by God’s choice. And for us, God’s choice is life. 

And for life, God’s choice is us. 

July 20, 2026 at 5:15 am Leave a comment