Call His Bluff?

"God does not bluff, when it comes to change."  We heard a speaker say this during a worship service this weekend -- and of course, the poker side of our brain paid attention.

The speaker made that statement, while referring to a dramatic moment in the Old Testament - when a group rebelled against Moses and his leadership:

Then he said to Korah and all his followers: "In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him.  The man he chooses he will cause to come near him." - Numbers 16:5

Their version of "showdown" came the next day....

Then Moses said, "This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: If these men die a natural death and experience only what usually happens to me, then the Lord has not sent me.  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." - Numbers 16:28-30

Verses 31-35 show events transpired exactly as Moses said.  The death toll was high for challenging God's set-up for doing things.

We can gain a couple of lessons from this.  For one thing, the Bible promises this same kind of judgment will happen again -- on a worldwide scale:

For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do.... they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. - I Peter 4:3, 5

We didn't post the list of things "pagans choose to do" at the end of verse 3.  But look it over, and you might  find parallels with what people experience on poker nights in bars and nightclubs.  The Bible promises their "day of reckoning" is coming.

"But wait," you may be saying.  "This was promised a long, long time ago.  It hasn't happened yet!"  That's true.  And Peter even admits that fact.

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.  They will say, "Where s this 'coming' he promised?  Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." - II Peter 3:3-4

But the apostle doesn't stop there.  He answers with a warning:

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. - II Peter 3:9

You can scoff now, and think God's words of warning are all a bluff.  But God holds a "king of kings" named Jesus, who will come to judge the world and claim final victory.  Whose side will you be on then -- and should be on now?