FALLING INTO HELL
Numb. 16:28-34
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. An optimist and a pessimist spent a week together on a tropical island. “Isn’t this ocean just amazing?” the optimist said. “The endless horizon, the crashing waves, the soft sand...it makes you appreciate the beauty of our planet.”
2. The pessimist said, “I don’t think that rescue plane saw us.” [R.D. July-Aug., 2022: Caleb York; Queens N.Y.]
B. TEXT
28 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: 29 If these men die a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me. 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 realm of the dead, then you will know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.” 31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. 34 At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!” Numb. 16:28-34
C. THESIS
1. In Numbers 16, we have the rebellions of Dathan and Abiram, who challenged Moses’ leadership, and the rebellion of Korah and his company, who wanted to usurp Aaron’s ministry.
2. We’re looking at a group who went straight down into Hell. For those who say, “That’s Old Testament; we’re New Testament,” let me remind you that Jesus said more about hell than about any other topic. Amazingly, 13 percent of his sayings are about hell and judgment. [Mark Driscoll, “6 Questions on Hell”] So this is a N.T. subject!
3. The title of this message is “Falling Into Hell.”
I. THE DANGER OF WICKED ASSOCIATIONS
A. WHEN DOES SIN CONTAMINATE?
1. God had Moses give public warning to the congregation to get away from the tents of the rebels. Moses had interceded to God not to destroy the whole congregation, many of whom were sympathetic to the insurrection. God said He wouldn’t if the Israelites separated themselves from the wicked people.
2. Often people think that it’s okay to develop close friendships with wicked people as long as they aren’t participating in their sins. Paul refuted this idea, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?” 2 Cor. 6:14-15.
3. Yes, God hates the sin and loves the sinner, but at some point, the sin contaminates the person and makes even the sinner an abomintion to God. God says, “Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction” Deut. 7:26. (Ps. 55:15)
B. GOD DISAPPROVES OF EVIL ASSOCIATIONS
1. 1 Cor. 15:33, “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Th. 5:22, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” Prov. 13:20, “He that walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” NIV 1984.
2. As good of a king as Jehoshaphat was, he incurred the wrath of God by associating with the wicked King Ahab. “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord is on you” 2 Chron. 19:2.
3. In Num. 16:23, the Lord told Moses to tell the Israelites to move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. “Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.” (Num. 16:24-26).
4. Beware thinking you won’t be contaminated. Jude warns, “Save others, snatching them out of the fire; and to yet others, show mercy, but with fear, hating even the clothes stained by their vices” (1:23, CJB). “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you” 2 Cor. 6:17.
II. GOD’S MERCY EVEN IN JUDGMENT
A. JUDGMENT LIMITED TO 3 FAMILIES
1. Moses had summoned Dathan & Abiram to come discuss their grievances, but they accused him of intending to gouge out their eyes or make them his slaves -- which they used as their excuse to refuse to come (Num. 16:12-14). They said Moses had no right to rule over them or Israel!
2. So God was left with no recourse to mercy. God wanted to spare their innocent children; but often, when people sin, they pull their whole family down into the sin: drunk drivers; prostitution, drug dealers, criminals who get their children to assist in their crimes, etc.
3. God told Moses to tell them that the judgment itself would vindicate Moses’ leadership and guidance by God (vss. 28-30). If the rebels died a common death or even suffered a common judgment (plague, fire from heaven, or the sword) then they could say, “God hasn’t sent Moses."
B. “MOVE AWAY FROM THEM”
1. SEE DIAGRAM: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/archeology-and-the-bible-old-testament--443252788302401097/
2. There is discussion among scholars that the tents of Korah weren’t included in the ground opening (although the Bible says they were, because the tents of Dathan & Abiram, leaders of the tribe of Reuben, would’ve been to far from the tents of Korah, a Levite. But the above map of the camp of Israel shows that Korah’s family – Kohath – was adjacent to the tribe of Reuben, so that all 3 families could’ve been swallowed up together without endangering the rest of the tribes. So God was careful to protect the innocent Israelites from this judgment.
3. ILLUSTRATION. Many people slip over the edge of the Grand Canyon and fall to their deaths each year. They simply ignore the warning signs and safety rails. There is no one to blame for their death except themselves! (Since 1880, approx. 600 have fallen to their deaths).
III. AN INSTANCE PREFIGURING HELL
A. THE MIRACLE
1. This judgment/miracle was unparalleled. God had never done this before. Dathan and Abiram thought themselves safe because they were at a distance from the Tabernacle. The ground opened under them as it sometimes does during an earthquake.
2. In this case, however, the event was predicted, and wholly supernatural. The earth opened ONLY beneath the tents of Dathan and Abiram in the camp of Reuben and the tents of Korah in Kohath at the exact moment Moses quit speaking.
3. As a miracle, this one was as spectacular as the opening of the Red Sea. It’s sad it was a judgment on God’s people.
B. GOD’S INTENT: DETERRENT FROM REBELLION
1. It must have been terrible to witness the ground opening and maybe a hundred people go down alive into the ground and be buried in an instant. The words, “At their cries” (vs. 34) says in Hebrew, "at the noise of them," indicating the mingled sound of their shrieks and of the natural convulsion and rumbling of the ground when they disappeared.
2. Such a large space opening and closing must have, in addition to rumbling, produced a large plume of dust. The effect would be to make rebellious people think twice about going against God.
3. Many times the Bible pronounces a judgment on a type of sin and says, “So shall you put the evil away from you” Deut. 13:5; 17:7,12; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21-22,24; 24:7; Judg. 20:13; etc. God loves the sinner but hates the sin.
C. PARALLELS WITH THE JUDGMENT OF HELL
1. ENTRANCE TO HELL WILL BE SUDDEN. 69 million die each year; 18,904 each day; 13 each minute. 37,461 people died suddenly in car crashes. 659,000 die of heart attack each year. 87,386 died of poisoning; 42,113 died of falling. Many people die suddenly! We don’t want to wake up falling into Hell!
https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/all-injuries/deaths-by-demographics/deaths-by-age/data-details/
2. THEY WERE WARNED OF ITS APPROACH. Moses warned them and the Bible and Christians warn those around them of the approaching judgment. Some will listen but many will not, and will suffer the consequences.
3. PEOPLE WILL DESCEND INTO IT ALIVE. When people die while awake it’s entirely possible they may drop from this world to the next one with eyes wide open. Many resuscitated people have told how they were awake as they descended into Hell. See the book, “To Hell and Back” by Dr. Maurice Rawlings.
4. IT’S A NEW ADDITION, SINCE HELL WAS NOT CREATED FOR HUMANS. Hell was never made humans. It was made for the devil & his angels (Mt. 25:41), but humans sided with the devil and inherited the same punishment. One of the worst things about prison is who you’re sharing the prison with. One of the worst things about Hell is who will be there with you – horribly twisted evil angels! Spare us Lord!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. Rev. James Avery had a relative, an old aunt, and as a boy he would read the Bible and tell her what he’d read. She’d get really offensive and even curse at him.
2. Even as an adult he could hear her saying there’s no such place as hell. She’d say, “Anything that you put in fire will burn up, end of discussion!” She followed the teaching of a well-known religious cult that didn’t believe in hell as the bible teaches.
3. In old age she became very sick and was admitted to the hospital. James’ mother was one of the nurses who stayed with her around the clock, and was there when the end came.
4. Her last words she voiced on this side of life were; “Please get my feet out of the fire!” [James Avery] May we never be in her position!
B. THE CALL
1. May God put a fear of Him and Hell in our hearts so that we avoid that place of eternal torment – Hell!
2. Prov. 22:5 says, "The perverse travel a dangerous road, potholed and mud-slick; if you know what's good for you, stay clear of it." (The Message) Which road are you on?
3. Prayer.
