The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up.

Numbers 16:28-35, And Moses said, “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing. If these men die the death of all men, or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the Lord.” Then it came about as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground that was under them split open; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah, with their possessions. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. And all Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, “The earth may swallow us up!” Fire also came forth from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.

Some people think that God of the Old Testament is different than God of the New Testament. He is unchanging and Holy, and in this instance He deals directly and finally with the sinful actions of those who were jealous of Moses. We all have probably seen situations where we wished for the ground to open up and swallow someone else! But the harsh reality is that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, indeed it is our inescapable nature. As to His justice and intolerance of sin in the New Testament, one need look no further than Jesus the horror He endured on the cross; for He who had no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God!

We thank You that Jesus has paid the price to set us free from the power of sin that we might come into Your Holy presence and receive mercy in our time of need, Lord!