Num 16:30  But if the LORD brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt."

   

New often means something we could never have contemplated before. The trouble is we've never lived this day before. We are different from what we were a year ago and life has changed in that time as well. It's really a new day and we don't know what to expect.

 

The trouble with living with God is that we're never quite sure what He can do with us. Therefore a prophetic word comes speaking about His intentions, and because it is new and because it has never happened to us before, we wonder and ask ourselves, can this really be? Yes it can!

 

Our verse today was a terrible moment of impending judgement on a group who had been rebelling against Moses and against God. Very well, says Moses, you think they can get away with this? Well God's about to do something new, that you have never seen before, so when you see it you'll know it's God. The earth will open up and swallow them! Wow! That's drastic! Yes it is, but it was a drastic time. if this rebellious group get away with it, then anyone can, and that will undermine the whole future of Israel. No you can't envisage this because it's not happened before but if God says He's going to do it, you'd better believe it – whatever ‘it' is!