Numbers 16:20-24: in context

As God's judgment is about to fall on Korah's rebellion, God speaks to Moses and Aaron with a fearful word: separate yourselves from this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. But Moses and Aaron do not step back and let it happen; they fall on their faces and intercede: O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?

And God, hearing their plea, distinguishes the guilty from the rest, telling the congregation to move away from the tents of the rebels. Here is a beautiful picture of intercession. When judgment threatened the whole community, Moses and Aaron stood in the gap, pleading for mercy on those who did not deserve to be swept up in the guilt of a few. They did not simply accept the destruction of the many for the sin of some; they interceded, appealing to God's justice and mercy. Rather than standing aloof when judgment threatens others, we are called to intercede, to plead with God for mercy on those in danger, even for those who have gone astray.

When judgment or trouble threatens others, do I stand aloof, or do I, like Moses and Aaron, fall on my face and intercede, pleading for God's mercy on those in danger and standing in the gap for them?