Have you ever heard the idiom – don’t mess with me? Has anyone ever said it to you? Have you ever said it to anyone? Why did you? Under what circumstances? What does it mean? Well, the idiom – don’t mess with me has several meanings. It means:
• To change, fiddle, or play with something, often without permission to do so;
• To clash with someone or something;
• To tease or mock someone;
• To deceive or confuse or puzzle someone or something.
• It also means, don’t annoy me, don’t make me angry, but mostly it means don’t disrespect me, don’t bother the people I love – stay away. Don’t interfere with my affairs.
Whenever a person uses those words, it means that the person will not tolerate your interference. If you do so, you are indirectly being warned that you would get…..whatever. When a person says those words, you better take them seriously because the game is over.
You see, my friends, God says those words as well – don’t mess with me or my people or my things. God does not like people messing with Him, His work, or His people. There are many stories in the Bible that highlight that fact. The message of Numbers 31 is quite clear. God will execute His vengeance upon all those who harm His people. The wicked may think they are succeeding but, like fish that have already taken the bait and running with it, they are already doomed. It is just a matter of time. Hebrews 12:29 states, “Our God is a consuming fire”. So, we have to be very careful. We should never mess with Him, His things, His work, or His people. We must always treat God with respect. We must always treat Him with reverence and awe.
God must be taken seriously. He is in control of everything and of everyone. He is the only one that puts up and takes down. Humans always tend to believe that they are in charge, that they are the ones who run things, and they are the ones who put up and take down as they so desire, but that is far from the truth, God governs all. He puts people up and takes people down. Just ask King Nebuchadnezzar, or read his story, and you will find that out. We must never mess with God. He holds all power.
We must never mess with God’s work either. That is another thing God does not take lightly. The story of Nadab and Abihu, whose story is told in Leviticus 10, highlighted that fact. You may be wondering who wERE Nadab and Abihu? They were sons of Aaron, the brother of Moses. He was responsible for leading the people in worship according to all the guidelines God himself had laid out in careful detail in the books of Exodus and Leviticus. And he had several sons, among whom were Nadab and Abihu. Now in Israel the priesthood was passed down through family lines. So, from the time Aaron had been appointed priest in Israel he had carefully trained his sons in the ways of the priesthood. From day one all the responsibilities and details of worshipping a holy God, the right way, had been explained to them.
And one day, the big moment for which they had been trained arrived. It was their turn to lead worship and come into the presence of God. So, Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu , took their censers, put fire in them, and added incense. You see, it was holy stuff to be made only for God, so you did not mess with the mixture or use it for any other purpose but offering it to God. But Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them, and added incense – and they offered unauthorised, that is, unacceptable fire before the Lord, contrary to His command. They did not follow God’s rules. They decided to worship the Holy God as they saw fit. They did not take God seriously, so fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. You see, offering unacceptable worship to a Holy God can kill you!
If perchance you don’t believe it, just ask Uzzah. His story is in 2 Samuel 6. Uzzah was a Kohathite, and Kohathites had been assigned by God, from birth, to serve as priests in Israel, but with this very specific job description: “…the Kohathites are to carry the holy things that are in the tabernacle, but they should not touch the holy thing, or they would die.” And the holiest thing of them all was the Ark of the Covenant – that wooden box that symbolised God’s dwelling among His people.
Well, as 2 Samuel 6 opens, David was about to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. For some 70 years it sat, forgotten, in Uzzah’s family home. But now that David had re-established Israel’s power, the Ark must be brought out, for God should be visibly present in the midst of His people! So, with 30,000 of his best troops, David arrived at Uzzah’s home. First, they placed the Ark of God on a new cart. That was wrong for God had given very specific instructions about transporting the Ark, and there was no mention of a moving van. The Kohathites were to move the Ark by lifting the poles onto their shoulders.
But they put the Ark on a new cart. When they came to the threshing floor of Nachon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the Ark of God, because the oxen stumbled, so, he grabbed hold of the Ark. That was wrong again and this time it cost him big time. He touched what God had forbidden and, the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down. He died instantly beside the Ark of God. There is another story about Ananias and Sapphira, in Acts 5, who offered unacceptable worship to God by bringing an offering to the assembly and lying about what it represented. Both died instantly, first Ananias, then his wife, at the feet of the apostles.
Then there is 1 Corinthians 11, Paul’s familiar words about the institution and meaning of the Lord’s Supper. Except that it is easy to forget why he brought it up. Listen: “In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you…When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry, and another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing?” And because they were offering unholy worship to God at the communion table, verse 30 says, “That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.” It means they died. Some believers died premature deaths because of the way they worshipped God at the Lord’s table. By looking down on others, by humiliating and disparaging and treating others in the body as second-class citizens was unacceptable, was displeasing to God. We must never mess with God’s holy things, His work, or His people.
People are foolish if they think that they can mess with God’s people and get away with it! The stories of Paul and King Saul are great reminders. God may wait for wickedness to ripen, but when judgment comes, it comes as a terrible swift sword! Never mess with God’s people. To go up against God is always a wrong thing to do. Paul asks in I Corinthians 1:20, “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” It is a principle that plays out over and over in Scripture. Remember Esther and her cousin Mordecai? She eventually saves her people, Israel, at great risk to her own life.
Haman hated Mordecai and got the king to issue an edict to kill all Jews, just to get one man. One night he is so overcome with rage he decides to build a gallows and get the king to let him hang Mordecai early next morning. Haman had it out for Mordecai, but it backfired on him. The gallows that were meant for Mordecai, Haman hanged on it. Don’t mess with God’s people. It is a dangerous thing to do. God resists the proud and exalts the humble. He reveals Himself to those who seek Him with all their heart. But He hides from those who are wise in their own conceits. That is God’s sovereignty, and we cannot change it!
Remember: Don’t mess with God, His things, His work, and His people. God is intentional and He knows what is best. Whatever has to be done, believe that He can – and trust that He will.
About the Author: Mrs. Marilyn Hodge owns and operates the Wellness Centre in the Farrington, Anguilla. The Centre offers Counselling Services by Appointment Only and has now published Positive Living Volume 2. Contact information: 476-3517 or email: marilynb@anguillanet.com. www.facebook.com/axawellnesscentre
