Bearing The Armor (Mantle) Of Humility By Mary Ann Green

1 peter 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

HUMILITY IS THE QUALITY OF BEING HUMBLE

In the old testiment prophets wore mantles; A mantle is a covering and has two purposes.
1. It will protect you according to Deut 24:13 It was used to cover the prophet and keep him warm at night.
2. 2nd Kings 2:8 & 11 describes that it was to Identify a prophet and distinguish him for his honor and glory as a spokesman for God.
God is looking to identify with us He chose us so that we would identify with him in our walk with him.
Is 64:6 says we need to recognize our rightousness is filthy rags before the Lord, its HIS rightiousness reflecting in us and we need to treat it with respect and wear it with honor unto God. Our Mantle of Humility must never be taken off at anytime.

There are 2 kinds of Mantles one is Fake and one is Real, which one are you wearing?lets find out as we read about Korah in Numbers 16-17

1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is AMONG THEM: WHEREFORE THEN LIFT YE UP YOURSELVES ABOVE THE CONGREGATION OF THE LORD?
This was a well sought out plan of rebellion against The Leadership of Moses and Aaron. But the problem was that Moses and Aaron were chosen and appointed by God himself to lead Israel. And Moses didn't make his decisions arbitrarily, God spoke to Moses, and Moses spoke to the people. Karah wanted to be the Leader of this government and he sought to over take Moses and Aaron along with Dathan, Abiram, and On! Also, the brought 250 reinforcments to back them up! Listen people its a serious thing to rebel against Gods chosen as our leaders and get a spirit of pride! Pride is of the flesh (works of the flesh) Jealousy, envey, stubbornesss = REBELLION."Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core." That's him, "Core" (Core = Korah).
Remeber Cain? satan planted a seed of jealousy in cane and pride rose up and murder was born because cain wasnt ABLE to produce what God required. Cains way= going your own way! Rebellion. Hey, Jesus didnt defend himself with pride he used the word with a humble spirit. Proverbs says a wise man will keep his mouth shut, a carnal man will defend himself with pride. We must remember we are reflecting Gods character not ours. Dont get confused about who you are representing.
We dont earn a Mantle its given by God to those he has chosen those who will wear it with honor not Pride, with respect to the creator. So what did Moses do? Let's check to see in (Numbers 16:4-19)4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:
5 And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.
6 This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;
7 And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.
8 And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:
9 Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?
10 And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?
11 For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?
12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:
13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?
14 Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.
15 And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.
16 And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow:
17 And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.
18 And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.
19 And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.
Ps 34:18 says The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Pride will make you think you deserve it. God desires to drape a genunine mantle over the lives of his people and the enemy desires to beguile them into accepting his imitation of a false Mantle (Korah) = Rebellion= Fake(Pseudo) Mantle Korah is from the Hebrew word Kore meaning (baldness uncovered naked (NO Mantle!) He wanted athority that wasnt given to him because he was not satisfied with what God had given him and he became greedy. A false Mantle gives a false preception (False humility) and has a deceptive appearance, it shows off to everone but i contras the TRUE MANTLE OF HUMILITY you wont realize its there it just shines on its own out of a humble heart. Jesus was robed in humility which reflected in him and he wore his mantle all thru his ministry and all the way to the cross. True Humility brings submission to God given athority in our lives. Its important to keep a spirit of humility while waiting on God or we will try to do it our own way like Korah and develope a prideful spirit and God will reject him causeing him to be naked and uncovered and he will open himself up to deception that heads to distruction.
Now Moses being the humble man he was had willingly decided to give up his Leadership if God chose another.
(Numbers 16:20-50)
20 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.
22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?
23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
24 Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
25 And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.
26 And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.
27 So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.
29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.
30 But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
35 And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
36 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
37 Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.
38 The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.
39 And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:
40 To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.
41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.
42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.
43 And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.
44 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.
47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
49 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.
50 And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.
Now Moses kept a spirit of humility thru all this but being the chosen of God he was determined to prove who would be the leader of the congragation, he wasnt going down without a fight!
Moses heads down to their tents and finds them standing with their families in the doors of their tents. He prays and asks God to cast his first vote in the recall election of Moses. If these men are right, let them die natural deaths; if they are wrong, let the earth consume them. The intensity of the situation mounts as Moses warns in verse 26, "And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins." Here's God's vote in verse 32, "And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods." The people of Israel scatter for fear of their own lives. Oh! But what about the 250 people-appointed Levite men with censers? Well...they get an immediate trip to the land of Nadab and Abihu - whooooosh - wiped out by fire. Verse 35 says, "And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense." Friends don't let friends play with censers!
LOL, well lets just say if you are not bearing the mantle of humility its time to change your wardrob because self is beginning to stink if all we think about is self and no one else, that is not a true mantle of humility, a true spirit of humility will prefer his brother before himself, like Moses did, he was willing to lay it all down for one more worthy to accept it. Romans 14:7 For none of us lives unto himself and no one dies to himself for if we live we live to the Lord and if we die we die to the Lord.
Paul wrote for me to live is Christ, for me to die is gain (True Humility) He was sold out! Are we sold out? Clothe yourself with a mantle of a meek and quiet spirit and armor yourself with a lowley attair of a humble servant like Jesus. You see clothing ourselves with humility is not the most desirable wardrob, it doesnt get everyones attention nor does it demand respect like pride.