We have many choices in our American society. Just take a moment and consider how many options you have for breakfast cereal or frozen pizzas! Having options to choose from is nice when it comes to breakfast, but when it comes to obeying God and following him we must understand that we really do not have a choice: God expects us to obey him and his leading whether we feel like obeying him or not!

The Torah portion recalls the incident in which Korach and some others decided that since they were Levites that they should also be leaders, even though God had made it clear that it was Moses and Aaron who were the rightful leaders of the people. The text literally says that they were "Gathered against the LORD." Why did they do this? They were jealous and prideful, so they chose to serve God in their own way. Rashi's comments on this portion make this clear: "And why did Korach choose to rebel against Moses? He was envious of the princeship of Elizaphan the son of Uzziel, whom Moses had appointed prince over the children of Kohath by the express command of the LORD." They thought they were opposing Moses and Aaron, but they were really opposing God, and God brought quick judgment!

The Haftarah portion tells of the time the Israelis decided that they wanted to have a king. It is not a sin to want a king, but it was a sin for them to want a king because when they were making this choice the people were actually rejecting God as their king! The text says that their motivations were wrong. The people demanded a king so they could be like the nations around them. God ended up letting them have their way. He gave them Saul as their king, but then God judged them for their improper motives by ruining their wheat harvest.

The Brit Chadasha was part of a sermon by an early Jewish believer named Stephen who challenged some unbelievers with the faithlessness of our Jewish ancestors. He was very tough in his words, cutting right to the heart of the issue which was our rebellion against God. Of course, this also cut the pride of the listeners with the result being martyrdom for Stephen. The people did not want to be confronted with the message of their sin so they decided to kill the messenger! So often we forget that much of the Scripture recalls our lack of faith in God as Jewish people. We followed our own inclinations, and resisted the instruction of God. So much of Jewish history relates how God had to judge us for our rebellion.

God demands heart based obedience from those who are his. God has given us genuine freedom to choose, but he holds us accountable for our choices. As Messianic Jews, let us trust God instead of questioning him. Let us also pray and plead with our Jewish people who have not yet accepted Yeshua as Messiah to make the right choice, to obey and follow God according to his instructions. Never forget: God expects us to obey him and his leading whether we feel like obeying him or not!