So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. – Numbers 16:47-48

Over the past year we have watched in horror as ISIS militants have committed atrocities on a scale not seen since Nazi Germany nearly annihilated the Jews of Europe.  The brutality and bloodshed leaves Christians and secularists alike stunned by the carnage.  We wonder on Facebook and to our coworkers, will it ever be stopped?  The plague of ISIS continues to sweep across the Middle East.  We pray each week for family and friends who are serving God and our nation in Turkey, not far from the atrocities.

I don’t pretend to have an answer for the terrorist aggression of ISIS, but there is a much more severe plague that is in our backyard that demands our attention.  The plague is sin that separates almost everyone we know from the living God!  Our friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors are losing their eternal lives because they live in open rebellion against the Creator.  We are much too passive about this reality!  If ISIS were pushing into our area, we would do everything possible to push them back.  But a far more dangerous plague is left unchallenged.

In the passage above, Israel had rebelled against God bringing a plague to sweep across the camp, killing everyone as it went.  Notice what Aaron did, he ran toward the plague to make atonement for the people’s sin.  The text says he literally stood between the living and the dead.  Imagine how hard he pushed himself to get to the plague before it consumed another row of people.  When it was done, did he wonder if he could have run just a little faster and have saved more people?  Did he regret the extra serving of fried manna he had for breakfast?

This is certainly a foreshadowing of what Christ would do centuries later as he emptied himself of heaven’s privilege and dove head long into our world to make atonement for our sin.  The plague of sin continues to claim victims every moment of the day.  What are we to do?  Should we huddle together and count our blessings that we are among the saved?  No way!  We must follow the example of Jesus and rush into the world to point everyone to Jesus.  Don’t stand before God wondering if there was one more thing you could have done to save a friend from eternity away from God’s presence.

Lead me to some soul today,

O teach me, Lord, just what to say;

Friends of mine are lost in sin,

And cannot find their way.

Few there are who seem to care,

And few there are who pray;

Melt my heart, and fill my life,

Give me one soul today.